My Castle in the Sky

This morning, I woke to a sea of self-doubt. Asking myself, “Who do you think you are to be starting a business? Who do you think you are to be doing any of this?! Slow your roll, girl!” What a horrible way to start the day! Does this ever happen to you?

Me, too.

 In the signature of my email I have one of my favorite phrases, she believed she could and so she did. I’ve always loved the simplicity of that sentence. The beauty of it is, it really is that simple. If you honestly believe, you really can achieve what you desire. Belief can, and does, take a dreamer and worker all the way to the finish line. There are countless stories throughout history to teach us that – belief creates change. The problem is, we allow ourselves to get caught in the self-doubt trap.

And that is completely natural.

 Self-doubt boils down to one thing: fear. When I start to doubt myself, I pull out my journal and write until the truth reveals itself. It always does. Fear takes many forms: self-doubt, anxiety, stress, anger, frustration, sarcasm, insecurity, and, many times, over-confidence. We fear vulnerability, failure, heartbreak, change, and the unknown. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, but each of these fears are extremely common. Can you identify with one? Maybe this is a fear you carry with you each day or maybe it’s a fear you never could acknowledge? Do you see one?

I do.

 I fear failure. I also fear change.  I am afraid of pursuing a dream that offers no initial security net and no guarantee of success. This is where that belief thing starts. As I was listening to my thoughts spin like a hamster on a wheel, I had to ask myself, “what do you believe?”

Do I believe in me?

Do I believe in faith over fear?

Do I believe in patience and consistency?

I believe, beyond any doubt, that I was put on this planet to serve girls and women. This is my passion, my purpose, and my calling. So, if I believe that, what else can I believe?

Can I believe in myself? Yes.

Can I learn patience and show up, every day, to keep working? Yes.

Can I choose faith over fear? Yes.

Choosing brave starts with exactly that: a choice. The decision to believe, to act, to persist. I once knew a girl that believed success was a straight line with clear directions, a step-by-step plan, and a simple yellow-brick road lined with cupcakes and unicorns and a rainbow to look at the entire time. When things weren’t constantly covered in sprinkles and chocolate, she became frightened and returned to her castle in the sky.

It was a sweet, beautiful world she lived in, but it wasn’t reality.

Now, she knows that success looks like a mess. It looks like a pile of dishes in the sink, laundry sitting in the corner, a bathroom that might be questionable, and a blind belief in her passion. It doesn’t make sense to most people, and it doesn’t have to. She knows what her priorities are and she structures her time to reflect them.

If I can do it, you can do whatever you’re imagining. Honestly, discipline, persistence, and courage is all it takes. Each of these can be learned. By you.

So, my questions for you are:

What do you believe?

Who do you believe in?

Are you willing to learn?

Your life, your dreams, start with you. Choose brave.