I know I'm not the only one suffering this problem. It's something I've struggled with since before I started learning the Game, and I am a naturally pretty confident guy.

But here's my problem - and check this: it's nothing to do with chicks or getting laid.

I always make things worse in my own head. It doesn't help that I am a freelancer, I have no 'security' in my job per se, but on the flip side I have a certain degree of freedom.

But the horrible bi product is that go through periods where I don't get any work coming in. Apart from the serious financial implications this causes, it batters my confidence down no end. I have a number of companies in my field that I work for, and I work damned hard for them. I always do a good job, I never say no to anything, come in at the beginning and stay til the end. I know I am the best I can be.

And despite this, my paranoid brain still manages to convince me, after periods of no work, that I've fallen out of favour, or been blacklisted or something just as horrible. To make things worse, I know it's quite an 'incestuous' industry I work in, in that everyone knows each other and they talk. A bad reputation can get around quickly.

So even though LOGICALLY there's no reason for my paranoia, the fact is that it's DOMINANT in my mind when things are down. It affects everything from confidence to motivation. It puts me off making the calls that could get me more work. Moreover, it makes me a more negative, sad person to be around.
I know it's not true, because only in the past few days I've had calls from all my clients who need me again. Just like that, my state has changed. But the fact that my state is dependent upon acceptance is the REAL problem.

IT ENDS HERE. But not til I know how.

So I ask you, people of the forum - particularly those of you who have defeated this problem: how do I beat this demon? I look forward to your responses.

From a logical level if you know this; then you can just put it aside. You keep stating it keeps coming back, then when it does just do the same thing- its not true. So in a sense, you can basically tell it to fuck off since its a lie.

It keeps coming back because you have an emotional tie to it in some form from a experience. However, you KNOW your not the same person as of the time FROM the experience- so keep reminding yourself that its just a dumb lie.

If you really need to get rid of this; I suggest looking into a hypnotist to change the way you view your memory so then it has almost no effect. If you want to do it by yourself, its just telling it to fuck off. On another view, you could just to EFT or mediation- which would help with this.

Its not a bad thing, its just something that you gave importance to in your mind @ some point in time. And it is trying to protect- though it is negative. Your not the same person, you know this, so keep reminding this "thought" that.