Becoming yourself: Encounters with Doubt and Faith
Becoming yourself is rarely a clear, upward path. For many of us, the journey toward authenticity begins with something less comfortable: uncertainty, loss, or doubt.
When Doubt Appears
You’ve quit your job, leaving behind comfort and security, to build your own business doing what you’ve always dreamed of (but never thought would make you enough money). Now you’re wondering whether the whole thing’s a pipe dream, a moment of madness. Is it too late to turn back?
Or maybe you’ve sold your house and packed your bags, leaving behind a lifestyle that never quite felt like you. Your friends and family are whispering behind your back: “Midlife crisis alert!” — and part of you wonders: Could they be right?
If this sounds familiar, you may be encountering one of the greatest challenges on the path to authenticity: doubt.
Whoever leaves the beaten path will encounter resistance — both from the world and from within. The “safer” option is always to stick with the familiar, the usual, the comfortable.
Then comes doubt:
Is this really worth it?
Do I have what it takes?
Am I on the wrong path?
Most often, doubt shows up as self-doubt — limiting beliefs about our own abilities or worth. But at its most intense, doubt can be all-consuming, shaking the very foundations of meaning and purpose in our lives.
It’s no accident that in the story of the Buddha’s enlightenment, his final encounter was with doubt, personified by the demon Mara:
“Who do you think you are to seek enlightenment? Who gave you the right to sit here? By what authority will you claim to be awakened?”
Working with Doubt in Coaching
When we meet doubt, our instinct is often to fight it or to give in to it. In my coaching practice, I offer clients a space to meet doubt differently — with curiosity and compassion. After all, becoming authentic means learning to make friends with ourselves, even with the parts that scare or confuse us.
When we stop resisting doubt, it can become fertile ground for self-inquiry and growth.
Practical doubts, for example, often reveal hidden limiting beliefs. One client I worked with doubted they could lead a team. As we explored this together, we uncovered two beliefs: “I’m not a natural leader” and “People won’t respect me.”
Once these beliefs were brought into awareness, they could be questioned, reframed, and released — allowing new possibilities to emerge.
If you’re sitting with doubt right now, try pausing before rushing to fix it. Ask yourself: what might this doubt be protecting? What fear or longing could be hiding underneath? Often, just listening with kindness can shift the energy completely.
Doubt and Faith: Two Sides of the Same Coin
On a deeper level, when we learn to sit with doubt — to feel it in the body, to listen to what it asks of us — we may begin to encounter its quiet counterpart: faith.
Faith is not the opposite of doubt; it arises alongside it. Without doubt, faith would be unnecessary. And without faith, doubt would be unbearable.
In my own experience — and in the journeys I witness with clients — faith becomes an extraordinary source of strength and courage. One client described it like this:
“The turning point came when I realised that even if my business failed, I’d still be okay. I realised that I was strong enough to face failure, and that what mattered most was staying true to what I believed in.”
Their faith wasn’t a naive certainty about success. It was the quiet trust that living in alignment with themselves would lead to a more meaningful, joyful life than choosing the “safe” path ever could.
An Invitation
If you’re in a moment of transition and doubt is part of your story, perhaps what’s being tested isn’t your dream — but your relationship to trust itself.
If this resonates, why not book a free 30-minute consultation? It’s a chance for us to meet, explore where you are, and see if working together feels right.