Doubt is a natural part of the human condition. Self-doubt especially so. So here’s something to keep in mind: whatever the goal, there’s only two possible outcomes…
1. You achieve the goal.
2. You don’t.
Since you only have those two options, might as well have hope. If you don’t, you’ll be more likely to fail. And even if you fail – if you don’t reach the goal – try again. The best success is built on a foundation of failures. We can either let our shortcomings break us down or build us up. If you don’t know whether you can reach the goal, it’s better to hold on to hope and look for the positive. Look out for opportunities that would be otherwise missed by keeping our heads down in shame. If we cave to our feelings of insecurity, we might give up too soon, or our performance might be hindered by our lack of confidence. Go through life expecting to make mistakes. Own your mistakes. Learn from them. Smile at them. Then go out there and make a few more.
Bud Johnson
MTG Philosopher 