Let go of self-doubt and judging. Become a master of observation and curiosity.

Here’s what I mean by becoming a master of observation. Imagine you’re making a drawing of a face. When drawing you can look at what you’re doing and say to yourself “what is that? Do you think that’s a nose? Ugh, that’s horrible, and look at her eyes, they’re too big. Why did you think you could draw this face anyway? It’s too hard.” Ah, the self-doubt emerges and then the belief that you can draw ebbs away.

Or you can look at the drawing and say, “hmm, yes, I see her nose is a little lower on the face than her nose is in the photo. Ah there, her eyes need to be a little bit farther from each other. Oh this is interesting, what is the difference in size between her left eye and her right eye?” Now curiosity is managing the process.

As you navigate the drawing process you can be curious and notice the difference between what you are drawing and what you see in front of you. You can be curious about the distinctions, and then choose how to respond. You can choose when and where to make changes in your drawing.

Notice the difference in how those two perspectives feel? In the first example, the judging quickly turns to self-doubt. The body notices the difference in these perspectives.

When you are observing what’s in front of you, you’re engaging in a process that can energize you, rather than drain you. Judging tends to drain us, while observing with curiosity fuels us and creates spaciousness.

This week, how might you play with the distinction between judging and observing? How does it affect your feelings of self-doubt and influence your sense of confidence?