How to Keep the Faith When Self-Doubt Hit
I have written before about the idea of faith - most certainly not in the religious sense, since I left my Catholic upbringing behind a looooong time ago (specifically when my Mom let me skip my Confirmation to play in my basketball tournament back in 8th grade).
Faith, to me, is an inner certainty that deep down all is well, all will be well, and I am exactly where I need to be, with or without anyone I need to be with, at any moment in time.
A couple of years ago, I bought a cheesy little “Faith” sign I came across in a crafts store (pictured below) and it comes with me wherever I go, not because I usually need the reminder, but because it makes me smile when I see it, knowing that I’m a huge optimist, forward-thinker, and always keep the faith.
Well, almost always.
One recent day, I was going through it on every front - questioning all of my life choices, anxiety creeping in from every angle, almost letting self-doubt and fear of the unknown sink me onto the couch at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday, shutting out the world and wallowing in all my uncertainty.
I walked into my apartment and as I brushed by the shelf where it lives, my faith sign fell forward…and, I kid you not, broke in half (note that items purchased from Michael’s are not always of the highest quality).
I stared at it, horrified, but then I started to laugh. Ok, Universe, I see what you’re doing here.
In a previous blog post, I wrote, “Faith is the gas, but you’re the vehicle.” So I took a piece of clear packing tape, and, as carefully as I could, taped my little sign back together.
Just because it’s broken - a little flawed and a little damaged - doesn’t mean it can’t go right back up on that shelf and make me smile again.
I see this with the founders and leaders I work with, too. A client of mine spent months convinced her business was a mistake, on the verge of shutting it down, yet still showed up and made one small move a week until she found her pivot, and things catapulted from there.
So just know: faith doesn’t have to stay in one piece. Some days it looks like a cute little sign on a shelf, and some days it’s cobbled together with packing tape. Both count, as long as they’re there in some form or another.
P.S. If you’re in a packing-tape stretch with your business or life right now, hit reply and tell me about it - I read every one, and would love to help you keep the faith.