If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh
A beautiful example of a forward 3/4 flip... Perhaps there's room to finish it, perhaps not... Try and try again.
What does that mean?
This is similar to yesterday’s post, which dealt with fear. Here, we are talking about overcoming doubt. This post, by a troubled and misunderstood artist, challenges you to prove the doubter within you wrong. The only way to shut up a doubter, internal or external, is to do it.
While you may not be the next Van Gogh, many would say that Picasso wasn’t either. Yet both made art, and both have a loyal following. What you do may not be the finest work ever seen, but you will have started, and the doubter should be quiet for a while. Keep after it and improve, and the doubter will be silenced for good.
Why is action important?
Doubt is a diminutive version of fear. What you fear controls you. What you doubt, you will be very unlikely to do. The cure for both is action. Do something. Not just anything, but something specifically designed to push the limits, and push back the doubt.
If you doubt you can do it because you have never tried, what do you think the solution would be? Education is a powerful tool against doubt. So are mentors, teachers and fellow travellers. Note that all of these require action. Sitting on your butt watching TV might give you a hint or two, but until you convince the couch to let go, it’s not going to help too much, is it?
Where can I apply this in my life?
I want to start with some examples. I’ve never baked a chocolate cake, but I bet I could follow the directions on the side of a box well enough to make something that the birds would eat if I left it in the back yard. And after that, I’m sure the next one would get better. If I wanted something edible on the first try, I’d make sure someone who knew how to do it watched over me and helped out.
I know that at the moment, I’m not a good painter, much less an artist of any sort. I also know that if I took classes and practiced, I would be able to produce art of sufficient quality as to not embarrass myself. The use of patterns, templates, scripts, recipes, mentors, classes, books or any other kind of assistance can be an amazing help when you are trying something new.
I know I can do a front flip from a standing position. I used to be able to do it several decades ago. But I’ve forgotten how. I have my doubts as to my ability and present physical condition. I have no doubts as to the hardness of the ground. So I practice over the pool. I’ve tried several different methods, but so far have had no success. With the pool down for the winter, I will have plenty of time to come up with new ideas or variations on the old ones. Come spring, it will again be time for action.
Think for a moment about the things you want to do, but of which you are unsure, of which you have doubts. Grab some paper and write a few of them down. Next to each one, write down every reason you can think of about why you have doubts about your ability to do the task.
Now take a moment and get your head ready for success. Set aside doubts and enter your problem solving mode. I try to get my posture good, put a smile on my face, and recount several recent problems solving successes to prime the pump.
Start with the first reason for doubt and work your way through every single one on the paper. I want you to come up with a plan or two (having a Plan B is always a good idea in my book) for silencing doubt. The focus is going to be on action. Anything from seeking out and reading a book on the topic, finding a mentor to provide assistance and knowledge, to actually going out and performing some smaller part of the task would count.
Now that you have responses to all your doubts, what is your level of doubt about these activities now? If you’re like me, you’re pretty certain that you will eventually get there, with a little luck, a few do-overs and some expert assistance.
Don’t let your doubts stand in your way. Some people use the word ‘should’ when they have doubts about their ability to do something (I should learn how to do a flip). Don’t be that person. Get up and take action, and silence the doubter.
From: Twitter, @QuoteHouse
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/vincentvan104644.html
Photo by mfrascella
