In my third year of law school, I started thinking about employment as an attorney. I applied only to government agencies. I did not bother to submit resumes to private firms because I doubted that they would hire me.

My doubtful attitude about private employment was based on a conversation I had with a blind instructor at Stanford University's law school. He told me that even though he finished in the top ten percent of his class, no private firm to which he applied offered him a job, but every government agency to which he submitted his resume did. Because my grades were not as good as his, I considered it a waste of time to seek employment with a private firm.

When it comes to enhancing my self-image, achieving success, and realizing my dreams, no doubt is reasonable. Doubt as small as a grain of mustard seed will negate faith of that same measure. Doubt is conceived in the absence of evidence that what I desire will come about. It is in that same absence of evidence that faith is activated. The two are mutually exclusive, and I alone can decide what will fill the void.

While doubt's primary victim is faith, it will also assault my motivation and rob me of reasons to move forward.

Doubt dwells in the separation between what I want and what convention and reason say that I can get. The greater the separation, the more uncertain I am about my success. There are three approaches to this chasm. They are not mutually exclusive and may be used in combination.

I can fill the separation with faith. In other words, I can believe that it is possible even though I have no evidence that it has occurred or can happen.

I can bridge the gap with the support and encouragement of others. Their confidence in me can carry me through times of uncertainty.

I can close the gap with risk-taking effort. My successes will let me know that my desires are reasonable and attainable.

If I can just imagine the possibilities, I can begin the necessary steps to eliminating doubt.

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Reflect also on: FAITH, UNCERTAINTY.