What If You Put as Much Energy into Joy as You Do into Doubt?

Let me ask you something.

What if you put as much energy into joy as you do into doubts and wrongness?

Think about it for a second. How much of your mental space is occupied by questioning yourself? How often do you get caught up in the endless spiral of “What if I mess this up?” or “Why am I not getting it right?” It’s almost automatic, isn’t it? The second something doesn’t go to plan, your mind jumps into overdrive—analyzing, second-guessing, doubting, trying to figure out what went wrong.

And what does that create? More of the same. More stuckness. More heaviness. More wrongness.

But here’s the thing—energy is energy. The amount of effort you put into self-doubt, overthinking, and judgment is massive. So what if you redirected even half of that energy toward joy? Toward lightness? Toward possibility?

The Problem Isn’t the Energy—It’s Where You’re Placing It

You’ve already proven you have the capacity to focus intensely. The problem is that you’ve been focusing on the wrong things. Doubts, fears, and perceived failures take up more real estate in your head than joy ever has.

But what if joy wasn’t this fleeting, fragile thing you needed to “catch” or “create”? What if joy was a muscle you could strengthen—something you could intentionally place your energy into?

Imagine if you obsessed over what lights you up the same way you obsess over what’s not working.
Imagine if you tracked your wins the way you track your failures.
Imagine if you woke up in the morning and asked yourself:
“How much joy can I have today?”
“What would it feel like to make joy my default?”

Joy Is Not Fragile

Here’s the truth: Joy isn’t delicate. It’s not something that disappears the second something uncomfortable shows up. Joy is resilient. It’s expansive. It can sit alongside uncertainty and still thrive. The problem is, you’ve been conditioned to believe that joy is temporary, that it needs to be protected, that it’s too good to last.

But what if joy could outlast your doubts? What if joy could become the ground you stand on, rather than the thing you have to chase?

How to Shift from Doubt to Joy

Interrupt the Pattern
The next time you catch yourself spiraling into self-doubt, stop. Take a breath. Ask yourself: What’s another way to see this? Instead of “What did I do wrong?” ask “What’s possible now?”
Feed What You Want to Grow
Joy thrives when you give it attention. What makes you feel light? What makes you laugh? What opens your heart? Choose those things intentionally. Write them down if you need to. Create a list of “Joy Triggers” and start treating joy like a daily practice, not a lucky accident.
Stop Solving Problems That Don’t Exist
Most of your doubts are based on things that haven’t even happened. You’re spending energy fixing imaginary problems. What would happen if you channeled that energy into something generative instead—like creating, exploring, or simply enjoying yourself?
Let Joy Coexist with Uncertainty
You don’t need to have it all figured out to feel good. Joy isn’t the reward for certainty—it’s a state of being you can choose, even when things are messy. Doubt and joy can sit in the same room without canceling each other out.

What If It’s Easier Than You Think?

You’ve already mastered the art of doubt. What if joy is just as available—if not more? What if you could let it be easy?

This isn’t about becoming relentlessly positive or pretending things are perfect. It’s about choosing to give more energy to what expands you rather than what contracts you.

So, what if you put as much energy into joy as you do into doubt?

You don’t have to know the answer. Just start by asking the question.

Prerna Wadhwa
Notes from my diary

Feb 1, 2025

Ready to explore more? Join my next class on creating joy and space in your life. It’s time to shift from questioning your choices to choosing your life