Doubt – this little, creepy friend hiding in our closet. It’s usually not loud, but oh, it’s unmistakable when you tune in. A tiny sensation, subtle yet sharp: that small thought whispering something is off. That pressure in your gut hints at uncertainty. That grumpy stomach – a physical symptom of anxiety. Many of those small (or sometimes intense) signals are expressions of doubt. We don’t always notice them as such, and other times we’re quite certain – yes, that’s doubt.
In my view, doubt is just another belief. I’ve experimented with various methods at different points in my journey and desires. Today, I see doubt as a reflection of an inner, conflicting belief that clashes with what I want. But how did I overcome the feeling of doubt? Here are five strategies that might help.
1. Doubt Dropping by Switching the Topic
Esther Hicks promotes this method, and while it doesn’t always work for me, it can be a helpful first step. It helps you relax your grip on the strongly desired outcome. This approach is powerful when doubt feels overwhelming. Shifting your attention to something else softens the emotional intensity, allowing other methods to work more easily against resistance. However, in my experience, it doesn’t resolve the issue in the long term. The core belief often remains untouched, as this method is essentially “looking away.” Unchanged beliefs tend to resurface at the most inconvenient times.
2. Doubt as a Form of Resistance
This serves as a reminder: doubt and resistance go hand in hand. Sometimes it’s easier to analyze things from the “doubt” perspective; other times, from the “resistance” point of view. For example, imagine someone on a physical healing journey struggling to see progress, yet they truly believe healing is possible. They may have even witnessed others’ breakthroughs at a Dr. Joe Dispenza retreat – and yet, results still elude them. In that case, focusing on doubt might not uncover the root cause. Instead, exploring resistance might. Ask yourself: What do I resist? Do I resist change? Do I resist letting go of control? Do I perhaps resist releasing my condition because it has become part of my identity or a defense mechanism? Resistance can expose the belief behind doubt – and investigating one often reveals the other.
3. Doubt as Probability
Sometimes, it helps to view doubt from a mathematical perspective. If doubt is a belief, then it carries a probability — just like its opposite outcome. When I doubt, I believe the probability of the event “my desire will not happen” is higher than that of “my desire will happen.” This perspective doesn’t instantly dissolve doubt, but it opens room for inquiry. There are always more than two possible outcomes (events), and the probabilities can vary. Choose to recalculate them as 50:50 instead of 90:10. That small mental shift brings relief, which is the first (micro-)shift toward the right direction: A new internal dialogue becomes possible.
4. Doubt as a Too-Tight Grip on Timing
Let’s consider an example. A woman insists, while feeling anxious: “I want Peter (my ex-boyfriend, whom I broke up with yesterday) to message me now.” Insisting that it must happen now introduces strong resistance. She might keep checking her phone, find no message, and spiral into more anxiety – a vicious cycle of worry and doubt. Instead, she could loosen her grip on timing: “He will write today, or maybe by the weekend.” Still, trusting that “things will work out” can be challenging. In the meantime, she can apply strategy #1 – go out with a friend, watch a movie, or take a spontaneous trip. When she feels calmer, she can explore the core belief behind her doubt. Perhaps it’s a lack of self-worth, a feeling of being unlovable, or a belief that love equals chaos.
5. Doubt as a Too-Tight Grip on the How
The how has many faces. Let’s take a similar example: Luci desires, “I want my crush to message me now.” Loosening her grip on how it happens might mean relaxing about the specific process. He could call instead, show up at her doorstep, or send flowers. When we loosen our grip on how things must unfold, we release resistance. The end result is the same – the delivery method doesn’t matter. If your grip isn’t too tight, you can go further and release attachment to the specific source (in this case, that one particular crush). Instead, identify what you really want: “I want attention, closeness, and love with a romantic partner.” The goal isn’t to give up or surrender to some elusive force, but to move into the state of consciousness of someone who already has the desired outcome, without worrying about how. Luci is simply loved and admired by her partner, a feeling as natural as being loved by her mother, sister, or friend. She simply is loved.
Another example: imagine Alex on a job hunt. He’s anxious because he insists he should already have a job, but the process is taking months. Past rejections fuel his anxiety further. However, relaxing about ‘the how’ can ease the worry. For instance, many people have landed jobs in just a few weeks – and sometimes, much faster. It doesn’t even need to follow the “standard” process. Picture this: Alex visits an exhibition. He’s in an exceptionally good mood because he’s seeing a booth of one of his favorite products. He strikes up a conversation with someone at the booth – someone who turns out to be the head of product, currently searching for a passionate team member. They chat, exchange contacts, and Alex shares his CV via AirDrop. A few days later, a job offer lands in his inbox; neither the usual process nor the standard timing. Amazing things can happen at any moment.
In Summary
In my experience, I often realized I was insisting too much on how, believing my desire must come through a specific source, person, or process. I softened the definition. If relief didn’t follow, I explored deeper beliefs that held me back from assuming a state of already having it. Sometimes, it was my attachment to timing, the idea that it “should’ve happened by now.”, other times it was just an old belief – and an old Self, which needed to die.
I’m certain I’m not alone in this. So my recommendation: relax your grip on how and when, but stay clear on what you want. Align with the state of consciousness where it’s already done. Don’t check physical reality for proof. Reality often takes time to catch up – like a smoker who’s quit: the decision was instant, yet his home still smelled of smoke, and his doctor still doubted him. But he knew inside: it was done. The 3D world just needed time to catch up with his new state of consciousness.
