How do you handle fear and self-doubt?

I sit back and ask myself, What is causing the fear and doubt? I ask myself questions to understand how I’m feeling and what I can do to get through it after I’ve prayed.

I’ve always had a fear of going to the dentist. I had to identify the fear: I hate the atmosphere of walking into the building, signing in, and answering all the questions. That alone gave me anxiety. After the paperwork is done, I sit and look around at each person, wondering what they’re here for. Then I analyze how calm they look. They seem unbothered, like this is nothing to them — when they could be nervous too.

I focus on being called to the back, sitting in the chair, and answering even more questions. Then I remind myself, Okay, you need this done. Think about all the people who came before you and DID IT. That’s how I handle fear and self‑doubt.

I think about what has to be done, calm myself down, get out of my own head, focus on the outcome — and then it’s OVER.

The first thing I do is identify my fear and my self‑doubt. It works for me every time.