We’ve all been there. Whether its before a major life change, trying something new, or even thinking about stepping outside of your comfort zone. There is this thing called doubt.  Self-doubt to be more specific. Self- Doubt is a relative of fear, insecurity, and disbelief. It causes us to question ourselves and our ability to embark on the next step. I know that in my own life, professional, personal and otherwise, self-doubt and I have been intimately acquainted. I’ve had moments where I’ve questioned my ability to be an expert, start my own business, or try something new. And I can see, looking back, how self-doubt has kept me from fulfilling my true potential. Moving forward, I have made a conscious decision to put myself first and have faith in my ability to achieve whatever I set my mind to.  Sure, its not easy. But I think its important to examine the role that doubt and its relatives play in our lives. Its natural to experience moments of frustration and fear when thinking about moving outside our comfort zone. But if we don’t move outside our comfort zones every now and then, how do we truly ever understand the depth and reach of our potential? Below are a few of my favorite quotes from famous people on how they deal with self-doubt:

“Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.” — Khalil Gibran

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” — Dale Carnegie

“People who fail to achieve their goals usually get stopped by frustration. They allow frustration to keep them from taking the necessary actions that would support them in achieving their desire. You get through this roadblock by plowing through frustration, taking each setback as feedback you can learn from, and pushing ahead. I doubt you’ll find many successful people who have not experienced this. All successful people learn that success is buried on the other side of frustration.” — Tony Robbins

“When in doubt, do it.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.” — Paul Tillich

“For every seed of doubt, create an action plan.” — Angela Jia Kim of Savor the Success

“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.” — Honore de Balzac

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” — Norman Vincent Peale

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”  — William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.”  — Robert Hughes