Dear Helen,

I have not yet accessed the place within me that knows with absolute certainty that what I do is valuable and effective and not just “a hobby.” I know this is getting in the way of me taking action and getting more clients. I believe passionately that what I have to offer is transformative but I just keep hearing voices of doubt that stop me from moving forward in a big way.

How should I deal with this?

-Feeling Like a Phony

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Dear Feeling,

I think all of us lose our center of confidence at one time or another. There’s always more than one way to pet a kitty* so let me share the first thing that popped into mind.

Based on your choice of words, your place of certainty seems to be a kinesthetic experience for you. Find a spot in your home or office that feels like a “power spot” for you. Once there, stand quietly, with your eyes closed, and locate the place within you where that certainty lies (however small it might be at the moment). Once located, notice the shape, texture, sensation, density and color of it. Feel free to “adjust” those qualities to make it as beautiful and empowering as you like. (Adding sparkles always increased the “happy quotient.” ) Once you have it just the way you want it, allow the feeling to grow, deepen and expand throughout your whole body. Spend at least five minutes a day for the next 21 days allowing this feeling to flood your consciousness.

The doubt seems to be more of an auditory thing. Try this – call up the voices of doubt, one at a time, if possible. Again, “adjust” each one so as to lessen its impact. You might visualize a volume control knob and turn it down. You might move the voice to a different location (farther away, behind or to the side). You might change the tone so it’s pleasant to hear. (One woman, plagued by her mother’s nagging voice in her head, changed it to sound like Minnie Mouse. Then she couldn’t help laughing every time she heard it.)

The only thing prolonging the voice of doubt is your giving attention to it. Make a decision to focus instead on your intrinsic value as a spark of the divine.

*I don’t like to use the phrase “skin a cat”