Self-doubt #2

We said in last week’s post that self-doubt was simply Resistance. And that the stronger it was, the more certain we could be that we were on the right track.

In other words, Resistance knows more than we do.

Resistance knows (don’t ask me how) how potentially good our work-in-progress is. By some infallible mode of calculation, Resistance can sense when you and I are onto something.

Its response: inflict us with self-doubt in inverse proportion to how potentially good our work might be.

The better the work-in-progress might be, the more Resistance we will feel to doing it.

But there’s another entity who also knows how good our work-in-the-making might be.

The goddess knows.

The Muse knows, even if you and I do not.

When I was working on The Legend of Bagger Vance, I was absolutely certain that no one would be interested in it but me. Two weeks after I sent the manuscript in to my agent, we had a book deal—my first one ever. And a week after that, a movie contract was in the works.

I felt the same way about Gates of Fire. That was 1.2 million copies ago.

In other words, the intense self-doubt I was feeling in both cases was absolutely wrong.

Worse than that, it was an insult to the Muse.

The goddess knows what she’s doing, even if you and I don’t. Our job is to trust her.

No matter how intense the feelings of self-doubt we’re experiencing, we must keep plowing ahead. As Paramahansa Yogananda said about thoughts of faltering or giving in, “You must dismiss them!”

The goddess knows, even if you and I do not.

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