Feel the fear and do it anyway

Ever since I was a child, I hated public speaking and that little girl is still very much a part of me today. So while I am presently still terrified of this, I know that it’s a fear that I continue to work on and the only way for me to start is to shift my mindset and just begin taking action … like do my first webinar. Some might say that’s a bit of a leap, but sometimes you have to play big in order to achieve big things. 

Last thursday evening, I did my first and webinar and I have to say, as much as I rehearsed, things still didn’t go as planned. Take for example, my husband blowing up the air mattress for the boys who wanted (last minute) to put up the tent in the family room – all while I was presenting. Even with the obnoxious sound of the air motor and background conversations, I kept my cool and kept rocking and rolling. I was so comfortable that in the middle of it all, I decided to share with my audience exactly what was going down in my house because it was as if I was talking to a bunch of my girlfriends! I was having FUN! Who knew webinars could be FUN?! In the end, I was so proud of myself because I delivered the message I wanted to, authentically and with my whole heart. I wasn’t pretending to be Oprah or Beyonce or some expert guru. I was just being me and sharing about why mindset matters. That was one of the first and powerful steps I have ever taken to shift my fears of being seen. So, you may be thinking … what is she so scared of?

One of the scariest things for me is to be VISIBLE and to be seen for the real me…no, not the mama who loves wine and cheese (even though that’s totally me), but the one who doesn’t have the perfect words to say, the one who went to graduate school and sometimes doesn’t even speak correct grammar sometimes. As I write this, I am totally paranoid that you may be judging me right now … am I using the correct sentence structure? Am I writing the way you’d expect me to? 

I’m sure you are thinking nothing of the sort, but my point is, we always say such crazy things to ourselves and let our imaginations run wild … in a bad way. It does nothing but make ourselves feel small and unworthy. So stop it. Right. Now. I mean it.

 When you are in a space that is easy, comfortable and feeling “fine”, you keep yourself in a little safe bubble. Anyone who signed up for my webinar didn’t want to stay in a safe bubble. They wanted to pop that damn bubble and that is why I believe the work I do is so important. We realized that being OK isn’t OK anymore. We have to change and take a step, a leap of faith because change helps us to face fear head-on.

I know I have to continue doing things that scare me, despite having to deal with my inner critic of self-doubt that constantly tells me that I am not good enough; Despite my ego telling me I don’t have to because I have nothing important to share; Despite feeling judged.

 It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.

Challenge fear. Look it straight in the eyes and say, “Not today.”

If you are an entrepreneur and this resonated with you, and you are looking to connect deeper and live bigger, I’d love the opportunity to chat. Together we can overcome obstacles and open up opportunities so that you can start living the life you’ve always imagined. You can find me here. Talk to you soon!