When Doubt Shows Up

(I caught the replay this week, and you can too. Link below. Look for the blog to return in full next week.)

This is the second in our May series on doubt, and Rev. Dr. Larry King shared three ideas worth considering.

Doubt as Information

First: Some doubt is just good sense. Outward doubt: Should I lend this person money, or, should I let this situation into my life? That's discernment. Our brain's threat-detection system exists for a reason. We can use this. It's all information.

Doubt as Choice

Second: Self-doubt is a different animal. He called his inner critic "Mr. Doubtfire," that inner voice that's supposed to protect us when, really, in today's world, it keeps us small. Neuroscience now tells you the same thing: That voice has been around for as long as humans roamed the earth. It literally can't tell the difference between actual danger and a new dream. Learn to hear it and notice what it is, and how to respond to it rather than react. In our modern world, we get to choose what we listen to (stop, notice, redirect).

That's why, in Science of Mind, we use mental equivalents to create our experience and the world we want to live in.

Transforming Doubt

Third: Use spiritual mind treatment for the thing behind the thing. Not the money; instead, what's behind that desire. Perhaps it's security, or whatever money represents. Don't focus specifically on the career, but instead, the belonging, connection, or whatever that means for you.

And then, when Mr. Doubtfire does show up, Rev. Dr. Larry suggests we flip it. Instead of running through everything that could go wrong, run through everything that could go right. Anticipate your good. Ernest Holmes said thoughts become things, so it matters which thoughts we give energy to.

Tybee Island, Georgia, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.

My downtime reading this week is Brené Brown's Strong Ground, where she makes a similar case: you can't build something real on a shaky foundation. It's essential to get underneath the ask first.

With gratitude,

Laura

Here's the link to Sunday's talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4WqiYe_ZGU