We rarely ask how we came to doubt ourselves.

Self-doubt is often talked about as though it's just part of who someone is. A lack of confidence. Low self-esteem. Maybe they've always been that way. But we don't become who we are on our own. The things we hear, experience and absorb along the way can stay with us, sometimes without us even noticing. Over time, those messages can become so familiar that we lose sight of our own voice. And when that happens, it can become harder to trust our own experience.

We don't lose trust in ourselves all at once. Sometimes we lose it one conversation at a time.

Am I imagining this?

Am I overreacting?

What's wrong with me?

What if there's a reason I feel like this?

That question doesn't give us an answer. But it might give us somewhere to start.