Happy New Year! We Talk About Doubting Ourselves & Our Hopes For 2026

Welcome back to the world-famous Dis-labled Podcast! It’s a new year, and we’re kicking it off with a discussion about our doubts and hopes for this year. 

Whether you’re here to laugh, learn, or just hang out, we’re glad you’re starting 2026 with us!

Project Managers: Andrea Rai & Phil Powell.

Editor: Phil Powell

Huge thanks to the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund for supporting our Dis-labled podcast. Learn more about their amazing work: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

All enquiries: podcast@communityfocus.co.uk
Website: https://www.communityfocus.co.uk/

Theme Music: Rastko Rasic & the students of Community FocusOther Music: Jazzy Frenchy by ⁠⁠⁠Benjamin Tissot

Transcript

SPEAKER_11 0:05

Community focus. Community focused. We're here for you.

SPEAKER_12 0:12

Our food for you. At five o'clock. Yes, book done.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

A weekend with you. We're here for you. Yay! Hooray!

SPEAKER_04 0:30

Hooray!

unknown 0:32

Hooray! Hooray!

Carol 0:40

Community Focus is an art centre for children and adults with disabilities. We are based in the borough of Barnet, North London, and offer a selection of creative and well-being activities for all ages in the room we have Jonathan.

Gila 1:55

Hilo Amelia.

Jonathan 2:00

And welcome back to the world-famous displayable podcast. It's the new year, and we're kicking it off with new stories, real conversations, and the same energy you know and love. Whether you'll hit a laugh, learn, or just hang out. We're glad you're starting 2026 with us. In this episode we talk about doubting ourselves, and how sometimes our doubts are confounded. We doubt you want to miss this one.

SPEAKER_05 2:43

Today's topic is all about doubt, and mine is about fitting in with a new school.

Laurent 2:50

Doubting yourself means I didn't think I could do things for myself and and help other people, but I can.

Jonathan 3:05

Tasks that are given to you and trusted to you, you may not be able to think you can do it.

Carol 3:12

Um so like doubting means not believing you can do something and it can involve negative thoughts and um trusting in yourself. Yeah.

Gila 3:29

Today's topic is all about doubting yourself. Doubting means when you don't believe you can do something and you you just say I can't do this, and then when you actually do it, you can do it.

Jonathan 3:49

So Carol, do you have an example of a time when you've doubted yourself?

Carol 3:54

So I doubted myself when I was faced with a challenge. So I'm an artist and sometimes I doubt myself if I can even create a piece of artwork and but when I'm actually getting to work with it, it kind of flows. I kind of flow with it and then it just becomes something easy. But yeah. Carol, do you have an example? Um when I'm doing like a portrait of someone sometimes because like their facials their face features are like different and I'm not sure if I can like draw, but when I do it it's kind of like a relief after or when I'm drawing something new, like um something I'm not really like um practiced in, like uh for example a landscape or a or a figure or an object in different mediums I'm not really used to doing. So yeah, for me I don't really get emotional. It just it's just like a frustration um at the beginning, but at the start, I mean at the end, it's it's like a proud moment.

Laurent 5:33

How long did you how long have you been doing art?

Carol 5:38

Uh so I started when I was when I when I was a child, my parents knew I was creative and then they enrolled me in like an art class when I was like when I was uh around nine or eight and then I kinda did like art. Then I and then I stopped and then I came back when I was fifteen and I started doing art and that's when I discovered this mod to art, and that's when I just became good at it, I guess. Um probably around maybe like 10 years, more than 10 years, I guess. Dean, have you got an example when you doubted yourself about something?

SPEAKER_05 6:28

I think the main doubt that I have been experiencing is to do with my creativity.

Carol 6:34

And do you have an example?

SPEAKER_05 6:36

I think one piece of artwork that I did what was very pleasing was uh to do with the north wind and the sun. The north wind was facing to its uh side and the sun was facing to the uh how do I say what do you call the front is the front, that's the artwork. And uh the wind was gushing with the words why, which was based on the unreleased Stevie Wonder song. And the other piece of artwork was to do with the work in the art gallery at the Spires, which I love very much.

Carol 7:07

And you had another example at school.

SPEAKER_05 7:12

I think one example of school was finding one's way around at the new campus. This was when I was being inducted into Hendon. Can you think of an example of when you've doubted yourself?

Gila 7:31

So I have two examples. One was when I go to my baking, I always bake something and then I've thought have I put baking powder in or become this order or have I put whatever we bake have I put something in in it and some of the time I'm just like certain that I have and then it comes out and it just looks like it just look like a cake. Um and I I always went after I always try again and then I managed to put baking powder and whatever other ingredients and I felt really happy that I remembered to actually fall off of my tree. Um but also I think everyone in the baking community um has done that before because I remember on bake off they always forget to put stuff in and it looks like what I've experienced. Um and that is really not good when you've just feel like you've forgotten any grid and you feel really low and really like what do I do? Um I don't really have to wait for it to come out the oven and see how it turned out. Um I've got a enough example, so I've got a new electric wheelchair and I take when I'm tired or just generally I take my wheelchair if it's not raining to places when I am going. So when I come here on Monday I take my wheelchair because I have to take it to work, then back to home and I I thought I I don't know any route to get to CF but I I was like there's no route to CF, how am I gonna do it? And my dad um said there's a route so I I took my realtor and we did the route together and I felt really proud of myself because now I got a route in my realtor that I can do from my house to CF to f back. I just get confused. Um so I just found a route that I can do to get to my rock and I'm actually really, really happy about um me overcome my doubting myself doubt myself, doubting myself, overcoming doubting myself. That doesn't make sense. Um what is it like to doubt yourself when you're faced with that situation? When I was when I'm faced with the both situations, I felt really low and discombobulated in um what I want to do because I don't know how to overcome it.

Carol 11:54

When you were able to get through that challenge and doubting, how did it make you feel after achieving it?

Gila 12:02

It made me feel really happy and off a static because I've actually done something that I'm proud of and I can tell people that I've done it and actually just like now I'm independent and that what matters. Jonathan, have you ever doubted yourself?

Jonathan 12:44

Yes, on many occasions I have certain ways of doing things, and on many occasions I will choose to do things differently, and I will tell myself that I'll be doing it differently for the sake of variety and keeping variety as part of how life is. But there's always a part of me that is thinking to myself, am I really doing it because it's different? Or am I just am I just hoping it's going to be easier? If it means using up less energy and taking less effort to do, is it really doing the equivalent of the usual way in which I would do things? With a example would be trying to keep my weight under control. Because I go to the gym. But every now and then I will choose to go for a walk. But while I'm out on that walk, I'll be wondering whether I should be doing this or be going to the gym like how I normally do. It gets me stuck in a cycle of going to the gym and having that disrupt everything else. Because if I know I'm going to the gym that day, I know I'm following my routine and I know how everything is going to go, and I can track my progress. But doing that so often becomes p monotonous and boring.

Carol 14:42

Jonathan, have you ever darted yourself and it's been alright in the end?

Jonathan 14:47

Yeah, I have. Yeah, with the college work and all that, you know, I often felt overwhelmed by the coursework and everything else. But by the end, despite several years of stress and all that, I managed to push through it. And I think a lot of my doubt came from basically I was comparing my work to others and you should really never do that, you know, because as it turns out my work was just fine, apparently. Yeah, I just uh need to, you know, stop comparing myself to others so much that might help the doubt problem. So Phil, have there ever been times when you doubted yourself?

Laurent 15:43

Yes, when I was uh asked to be a trustee and I thought me a trustee because of my learning difficulty and my reading But now I just love it I just love being a trustee, yeah.

Jonathan 15:58

Were there any specific moments when you were appointed a trustee where you doubted yourself?

Laurent 16:07

Yeah, because I got a learning difficulty, as you all know, I find it difficult to understand words and read words. So I thought 'cause I'm a trust I how can I how can I be a trustee? 'Cause I got this learning difficulty learning difficulty. And if it wasn't for someone helping me before the meetings, I don't know what I'll do.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

And do you um hide it or do you s do you say actually I don't understand that? Can somebody explain it to me?

Laurent 16:42

Yeah, I I I feel embarrassed because I I feel when I'm in the meetings and I don't under understand things. I put my hand up and say, excuse me, do you mind if I ask you why not mind what mind you ask you what what that means, what word means it or what it means. I feel embarrassed, I feel I'm I'm interacting the group.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

But it's better to do that than to to to not understand, isn't it?

Laurent 17:07

Yes yes it is, yes it is, yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

And do you ever think they do I don't think they would ever get annoyed by that.

Laurent 17:15

No, but in myself, in myself, Phil. I feel I feel I'm I'm dis distracting the group, you know. Like they all say to me, don't worry, Philip, if you want if you don't understand things, just ask.

SPEAKER_05 17:27

So what about it, Phil? Do you have any more chronologies for your first ground adults?

Laurent 17:33

Yes, I I couldn't I c I wasn't allowed to do what I do now when I was at home with my mum. You know, my mum didn't think I could do anything for myself. And I wasn't allowed to because of how she was, yeah. And all and also the second thing is I trusted myself because I was I didn't have a chance to to explore myself when I was at home. And now since I left home 30 years ago, I just feel happy. I feel complete I feel loved by people and I'm happy.

Jonathan 18:11

So, Amir, have there have been moments when you've doubted yourself?

SPEAKER_02 18:18

Yes.

Andrea 18:19

Where do you work, Amia? I work in a charity shop n that dire inertia and what and where you worked in the charity shop, did you doubt yourself working there?

SPEAKER_02 18:32

Yes.

Andrea 18:32

Why was that?

SPEAKER_02 18:34

I like my my j job.

Andrea 18:37

You liked your job, so were you worried just in case you couldn't do the job?

SPEAKER_02 18:41

Yes.

Andrea 18:41

And how long have you been there for? I can't remember what is it maybe more than a month?

SPEAKER_02 18:51

A month, yes. More than one month? Yes.

Andrea 18:54

And how do you find the job now?

SPEAKER_02 18:56

Easier for me, yes.

Andrea 18:58

It's easy for you. That's brilliant. That's really good. So you think you doubted yourself, but then you've realised you can do the job.

unknown 19:06

Yes.

Andrea 19:15

So Carol, when you're doubting yourself, have you been with anybody that's helped you with your doubt?

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Do you feel like you're a good support network?

Carol 19:25

Yeah, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 19:27

And who would you go to if you had a doubt doubt about yourself?

Carol 19:32

If it was like work that I was stuck on and I was a bit confused and I was doubting if I could do it, I would probably go to my teacher. He would he would have all the answers probably. So yeah.

Andrea 19:50

If you see any of your friends that doubt themselves, how would you help them? Dean?

SPEAKER_05 19:57

Yes, if I saw a friend who was in need, I would actually help them by picking them off off their feet. Or making sure that if someone has stolen something from them, you give it back to them. Yes, there's a ways that we can help our friends.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

And what about if a friend came up to you and said, I'm really doubting myself, how would you help them with their confidence?

SPEAKER_05 20:17

Well, the way I would help them with their confidence is to make sure that anything that they have on their chest has to be taken off now or they forever hold their peace. That's one of the ways that you can clear it out.

Andrea 20:30

Wow, fantastic. Great. It's lovely that deal. Does everybody like going to the theatre?

Laurent 20:41

Depends what they like.

Andrea 20:43

Does everybody like watching films? What about if you combine them together and you can imagine your favourite film being on the theatre? Would that ruin the film? Would it make it better?

Jonathan 20:57

It would depend entirely on what the film is, really. You know, if you're talking something that's big in scope and you know, requires a big budget and a lot of distance and travelling involved and a lot of big sets it can be difficult to pull off. It has been pulled off, but I think due to the big budget involved or the planning, I think it'd be something you could rarely get pulled off successfully.

SPEAKER_08 21:29

What about the film Alien? I can imagine seeing that idea then. Do you reckon that would work?

Jonathan 21:36

I'm inclined to say no. I can think of worse ideas, but I don't quite think it would really work. I think there's too many special effects involving all of tubes with liquids spraying out. You know, I know you can get Things like that, but I think there'd be an awful lot of awful lot of stickiness involved.

Andrea 22:05

What about Jaws?

Jonathan 22:08

Ooh, I I'd say that's probably one of the most difficult ones to pull off, I'd say.

Andrea 22:13

What about Jurassic Park? As a theatre production. No? Jurassic Park, would you go and see that?

Jonathan 22:25

It could be possible because I know that the animatronics are sort of around. I think they're still being they're still being used in like some museums and stuff for the sake of entertainment. You could maybe on a certain scale, but I think it would I think a lot of these would be steps down, you know, just trying to translate it all into something that's staying on s on a single stage. It's not impossible, but I don't think I'd go.

Andrea 23:03

Alright, what about the shining? The shining of the theatre production.

Jonathan 23:10

Yeah, I think the shining could work. Yeah. It's all very performance driven. Yeah, not an awful not an awful lot of effects involved, but yeah, I think the shining could work.

SPEAKER_08 23:28

Anyone else got any suggestions, any films that they like?

Carol 23:32

The jungle book.

SPEAKER_11 23:36

I'm the King Jones and Gold RB.

Andrea 23:44

So Phil, what are your goals or what you're looking forward to for this year?

Laurent 23:51

Well, first thing is to get married to my partner Karen. On the 23rd of J of July. And we we're looking uh we're looking forward to it, huh? I am. And I love her so much, you know.

SPEAKER_08 24:10

That's very exciting. Yeah.

Laurent 24:13

Yes, it is, yes. Carol, what are you looking forward to this year?

Carol 24:17

I hope to become better in maths and English, so like practice more and get my results in 2026. Yeah. Dina, what are your expectations and goals for this year?

SPEAKER_05 24:37

Well, my sister suggested going out to Putney in order to experience a district line, and I think it was a great idea. And also I would love to go back to Milton Keynes to play on the Yamaha PSR 340 because it was the greatest gift of this whole world.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

What is that?

SPEAKER_05 24:56

It's the name of a keyboard which contains lots of different sounds, such as the go-go, the uh macete, the 21 plus organ and the marimba, and everything else in this whole world that you can't do through a grand piano.

SPEAKER_12 25:13

And that's only in Milton Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:15

Yes, we all love that house very much and we all know how much we need it. Amir, what are your goals?

SPEAKER_02 25:24

See my new friends, my family. I enjoy myself, my work kiss Jonathan.

Jonathan 25:36

What are your your your gold gold my goal for this year will be pretty much the same as it has been for previous years, which should tell you something, and that is to basically be more comfortable with myself and my own company and try to do things more for myself and not for other people.

Laurent 26:09

Gila, what are your hopes for this year?

Gila 26:12

My hopes are that we have world peace. Um is not nice and my my other hope is to hopefully lose some weight to improve my walking and my balance with so that my disability doesn't get deteriorate even more.

Carol 26:51

The final thought is So thank you everyone for your wonderful feedback. We're now gonna say goodbye. Um and we hope these dreams and opportunities come true. So if you had one message for the world, what would it be?

Jonathan 27:11

Well I can think to say is goodbye, cool world.

Carol 27:17

Thank you, Jonathan. Now it's your turn, Mia.

SPEAKER_13 27:21

Goodbye.

Carol 27:23

Do you have a message?

SPEAKER_13 27:25

Thank you.

Carol 27:27

Phil, you you make amazing speeches, so do you have a good like a goodbye and a message for the world?

Laurent 27:38

Goodbye and have a good time.

Carol 27:41

Dean Do you have a goodbye and um a message for the world?

SPEAKER_05 27:46

I have to say thank you very much and I hope you have a nice day.

Gila 27:50

If you like what you've had today, please give us a follow, like, share, comment on what you thought about that episode. Bye.

SPEAKER_11 28:11

Community for good. Community for good. We're here for you. With me and you.

SPEAKER_03 28:35

We're here for you. Yes, all the point of you.

SPEAKER_04 28:44

Hooray.