Oxymoron: a figure of speech made up of two or more words which produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect.
There is an oxymoron within us all that assumes position as we determine our goals. When we push ourselves outside of our comfort zone, it’s a natural reaction to have a little voice in the back of our head telling us we can’t do it or to play it safe. This is a common feeling when you are in the process of learning something new and breaking your boundaries. Essentially, when we set a lofty goal we are saying we believe in ourselves enough to achieve it, even if it’s by the smallest amount. This is when the battle between self-belief and self-doubt comes alive.
Everyone has heard “don’t doubt yourself,” and “always believe in yourself,” but the reality remains we all have some level of self-doubt, and it’s healthy to recognize it and to increase awareness around it.
These oxymoronic feelings which arise within us all come in numerous forms, for example:
- I am confident in my decisions when I don’t doubt myself
- I believe in myself when I don’t feel insecure
- I am logical when I’m not irrational
- I am mentally strong when I don’t feel weak
- I am motivated when I’m not lazy
It’s natural to doubt yourself, it’s another way we prepare ourselves for unexpected outcomes. This isn’t something that’s going to disappear—that’s the ‘omnipresent’ part of it. What’s not healthy is letting the voice of self doubt paralyze you and prevent you from tackling your goals. Hear this voice out, accept you can’t will it to disappear, acknowledge it, and push past it. Use what it can teach you to press onward and light your goals on fire.
You can have your cake and eat it too. You can doubt yourself but still be confident in your decisions. You can have a lazy moment but still be highly motivated. The key is to eliminate the negative connotation of being both. You will never be perfect and that’s the beauty of it—you don’t need to strive for perfection. There is so much beauty in imperfection. Learning to accept and appreciate your imperfections will result in overcoming your self-doubt and building up your self-esteem.
In essence, I hope this article provided you with a point of view to be at ease with your self doubt and to push onward despite it.
Which oxymorons do you see present in your life? How do you push forward despite your self-doubt?
Sending light and love your way in these difficult times.
I chose a donkey as the featured image because it symbolizes determination and strong will. The donkey is also known for being stubborn and having self-preservation. These two characteristics are something we should all have, as self-preservation is something we cannot dispute and must always fight for. The donkey has been used as a work animal for thousands of years because they are strong and durable. They still grow tired but they push onward because they will themselves to do so—a lesson we can all take into consideration when working towards our own goals. The donkey also has religious context as Jesus Christ’s animal of choice as he entered Jerusalem to show his humility—not being afraid of imperfection.
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