Who's Waiting for You?

Sometimes in life we need a reminder of just why we're here. And the other day, I got my wake-up call.

A client reached out to me out of the blue, and what she shared nearly brought me to tears. We'd been working together for just a few weeks in order to help her overcome a crisis situation at work. In that short amount of time she was shocked at the complete 180 she’d experienced from a situation that had initially appeared hopeless. She shared with me that I was the answer to her prayers.

I was floored.

But let me tell you what else I learned from that moment. And why that's a lesson you should learn too...

1. Never let circumstances deflate your power. When a situation seems dire, approach it from a position of strength. Trust and believe, it’s still there. You just have to find it, wield it, and watch those who tried to take you down crumble; and
2. I had to be honest with myself and admit I was playing too small. I’m so glad I was able to help this amazing woman. But how many others need me that I’ve yet to touch?

My hope is that this piece can be your wake up call. Listen, you have a gifting. But it could be that you're doubting yourself. You’re wondering if your gift is worth sharing. Or if others would be willing to investment in it to work with you. And because you’re not fully sure of the value of what you have to share, you’re not putting yourself in front of enough people to make the difference you were put on this planet to make.

Resolve to make 2019 the year that this limiting behavior ends. Because you’re not just cheating yourself when you diminish your reach, even more importantly, you’re cheating the people who need you. You’re cheating those who are praying for you RIGHT NOW.

Are You Ready to Stop Playing Small? Do These Three Things...

Identify Your Gifting

What is that thing that you do that comes as easily to you as breathing? That thing you do effortlessly, but other people struggle with? That's your gift. My Grandmother used to tell me that God gives everyone special gifts and talents. But if we don't use them, he'll take them away and give them to someone who will. While I don't know if that's true, I do know that gifts are like muscles. Everyone has them and they're alway there. But they can only grow and become stronger when they're put to use. Otherwise, they atrophy and become weaker with time, never meeting potential that was there all along.

That's a tragedy.

Not only for those who never experience their full potential, but for the rest of us that never got to experience a world with that gift in full view. I know when you're caught up in the real world of bill after bill and the daily responsibilities that we all face, it's easy to forget about your gifts. It's easy to set them aside for some allusive someday that never comes. I'm going to challenge you to break that cycle. Your gift deserves your time and attention. If that means getting up an hour earlier daily or blocking off some consistent time at night or on the weekends, then that's what you need to do. Your gift is yours--and only yours--for a reason. Lean into it. Value it. Nurture it. Develop it. And Grow it. Don't look back one day and regret that you never took the time to become what you had the potential of being all along.

Understand, Your Gift Has Value

As much as we often like to decry struggle, the reality is, most of us tend to devalue those things that come too easily. If it's easy to us, we assume, it's unimportant. Or even worse, no one needs or would be willing to pay for that thing we can uniquely bring to the table with excellence. In my work with women entrepreneurs all over the world, I find this to be the most common self-sabotaging mindset I encounter. It's as if many of us feel guilty about being paid for something we love to do and can do with ease. Here's the secret. It's precisely because your gift is effortless that you should be paid for it. That ease you feel is indicative of your unique gifting. And that's precisely what will make you exceptional in that space. People will see the value in what you have to offer. The catch is, you need to recognize your own value first, then you can share it with the world.

Share Your Gift With the World

If your gift is the basis of a business (which I strongly suggest) we sometimes sabotage our own success because we don't want to seem too pushy. Or God forbid, risk the possibility of someone telling us NO! So we only muster up the courage to share with our family and friends and then get upset when they don't support what we created. Guess what. Your family and friends are just that...family and friends. They are not the foundation of a sustainable, scalable, and successful 6-figure (or more) business. So that means, you need to build your business based on people you don't know and who don't yet know you. And specifically, you need to be on the lookout for those who both need and are actively seeking someone with your gifts right now. I'm here to tell you, those people exist. I'd even venture to say, millions of them do. You just have to be bold enough to go out there and find them!

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How Do I Share My Gifts?

1. Networking. How often do you tell people what you do? And not only at official "networking events." Just in the course of your day, at Starbucks, at the airport, wherever something comes up in conversation where your gift would be relevant, don't hide your genius. Share it regularly and you'd be surprise how many people you encounter were actually looking for someone just like you. Give yourself the challenge of telling just two people per day about your business and see how fast your business can grow.
2. Social Media. We're all addicted to it, if we were honest. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, just to name a few. But how much time do you spend there socializing rather than sharing information about what you do? Just by giving people a birds eye into your business, you will spark interest. And when you're really ready to hit the accelerator, learn a thing or two about digital marketing and how you can target those in your marketing efforts that are most likely to buy!
3. Earned Media. Although social media is all the rage, it's earned media that will really set you apart from your competitors. Show up on television, radio, in podcasts or in print and just see how quickly you and your gifts are separated from the rest and elevated to the world as the leader you know you already are! 

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever is an International Speaker, Media Commentator and Award Winning Author of the book, How Exceptional Black Women Lead.  To find out more or to sign up for regular tips and information log on to: www.avisjonesdeweever.com