Self-doubt is the result of being dishonest with ourselves. Self-doubt is created in the mind when we go against our Real Nature. There is another form of doubt which is a natural and useful element of the mind, which is employed to ascertain the correctness or incorrectness of an action, thought, or other thing. However, here we are discussing the self-doubt that is accompanied with a slew of other negative emotions such as guilt, tepidity, feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and so forth.
Observe your mental state. Sometimes, one will find that there is a serious lack of enthusiasm, vim, and vigor. At other times, there is excitement when things seem to be going ‘my’ way or the way ”I’ planned. This excitement is NOT enthusiasm or inspiration, it is just another expression of the gratified and glorified ego. Excitement has absolutely nothing at all to do with the depth of our being, our soul; it is actually a shallow feeling of the mind. When we indulge in excitement we are being dishonest with ourselves because we are going against our Real Nature which is to be steady, calm, detached, and self-contained. Hence, excitement will always be followed by (or accompanied with) feelings of self-doubt.
There are many ways in which we go against our Real Nature. Remember: we are going against our true self when we do something that we know we should NOT do. It is really this simple. We do not need to spend hours, days, weeks, and years analyzing where we went wrong. All we have to do is see what we are doing NOW, or what we are about to do the next moment. If our actions are selfish, those actions will create self-doubt in the mind.
So, selfish actions create self-doubt. What is a selfish action? A selfish action is any action done without regard for others or one’s own well-being. ‘Well-being’ is the state of ‘wellness’ (or health) in body, mind, and spirit. A selfish action is an action done for one’s small self (ego). Egotistical actions trigger the mechanism of self-doubt. Self-doubt appears in our conscience and is intended to stop us from making wrong actions our habit. When we ignore our conscience we eventually become so insensitive that we even seem to completely lose our conscience. When that happens, one is at the threshold of self-destruction.
Self-doubt destroys our peace of mind and we lose our mental equilibrium. When mental balance is lost, the mind is unable to deal with even ordinary difficulties of life. The stressed-out mind causes imbalance in the physical body in the form of hormonal imbalance, nervous imbalance, digestive imbalance (indigestion), and so on. Physical ill-health further exasperates one’s mental state. Unless we intervene with the wisdom of consciousness, this vicious cycle spirals out of control and makes our life a living hell.
The wisdom of consciousness removes our self-doubt by making us realize our errors while simultaneously giving us insight into our Real Nature. ‘Intervening with the wisdom of consciousness’ means applying this knowledge to our life and taking responsibility for our actions. Taking responsibility for our actions means making an effort to change, here and now. We have to go against the waves of our mind. We have to break free from the grip of our ego and move forward. We have to leave our attachment to our small self and embrace the Universal Self.
When we are established in the Universal Self, we are completely free of all self-doubt. OM