Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team and was told he wouldn’t succeed. He went on to win six NBA titles. After multiple neck surgeries, Peyton Manning was told he would never play football again. Subsequently, he won his second super bowl and set the NFL single-season passing touchdown record. JK Rowling was urged to “get a day job” after Harry Potter was rejected by twelve different publishers. It became the best selling book series of all time. Walt Disney was told he lacked imagination and we all know how that turned out. The world told them “you won’t, you can’t.” They said, “watch me.”
The takeaway…Greatness often begins where doubt enters.
We have all faced skepticism from within and from others. What matters is not the mere presence of doubt, but rather what you choose to do with it. You can believe the naysayers and walk away or you can buckle down, double down and bear down.
Doubt preys on performers too focused on the opinions of others, on proving rather than improving. Conversely, the greatest rely on their own conviction and choose to use doubt as data and fuel. So, when doubt arises, you have a choice: you can let it be the truth, the verdict, or you can allow it to strengthen your motivation and make it your turning point.
How will you respond when doubt shows up next?