I keep talking about this retreat we had a couple of weekends ago because it was EVERYTHING. But you know what I realized while I was there? Some people know our programs, but don’t know me, and that’s a problem because I WANT you to know me. If you only know Make A Way Media or Make A Way Mindset or the new book How to Dream, I want you to know me too.
During the retreat, I was going on and on about what we were going to do that day, but I never told the group who I was. Someone spoke up and asked, “Can you tell us a little about yourself?”
Here is why that one question was so powerful: If you don’t know the inspiration behind what we do it becomes less, well, inspiring. I really need you to know who I am because if you know my story, then you know that you can create your dream life too. Sometimes people only see today, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Last year I was about to speak to a large group of people at a conference and another author was introducing me. After she finished reading my bio she turned to the audience and said, “A little bit of an overachiever.” The audience laughed. Uncomfortably. She knew my bio. She did not know my story.
When I was in my high school and early college years I had no clue what I wanted to do and no idea how to ask for help. I was drowning, and to everyone around me I just looked undisciplined and unmotivated. In reality, I was lost. I did not know who I was or what I wanted out of this life. And, I didn’t know who to ask. I failed out of college. It took me years to tell people that. I had a child at 20. I had no job. No place to live. And no money. Sometimes hitting rock bottom can be a blessing because there is nowhere to go, but up.
People are motivated by all kinds of things, but for me it was having a child at a young age. When I had my daughter a fire lit inside of me. I knew that I had to figure out whatever it was that I was supposed to do because she would be watching my every step.
From the moment I had her that fire propelled me. I said yes, to everything. I said yes to big dreams and big opportunities. Dreams and opportunities that, before my daughter, terrified me. I previously ran from opportunities because I did not believe that dreams and open doors were for me. I stayed frozen and afraid to move. I was afraid to soar. But once I had a daughter, I knew that the only way I could prove to her that she is worthy of the life she wants, is by showing her that I am worthy of the life that I want.
I am you.
I am a woman with hopes and dreams and wants and fears, even still. It’s called Imposter Syndrome. I had to learn how to get comfortable with soaring. When you soar, you’re in the spotlight and sometimes that feels out of place. I had to get comfortable with telling people no. I had to set boundaries when it was hard, and put me first, tune out the noise, and believe that the best blessings in this life are reserved for me – IF I go get them. No one ever got anything by being afraid to walk through that open door.
Dreams take work. They take vision. They take hope. And let’s be honest- NO ONE is teaching us these skills in childhood.
So, now what? We have to learn these skills as an adult. And we can learn these skills, but we cannot be afraid. We cannot be afraid to fail. We also cannot be afraid to succeed. We do it by putting one foot in front of the other. One step at a time. One day at a time.
We only get this one precious life. That’s it. One precious life. What will you do with yours? It is perfectly okay if you don’t know. We can figure it out together.
Some might call saying yes to everything the life of an overachiever. But I know that it is really the life of a professional dreamer.
Do you want to look back one day and say, “I went for it all”? Do you want to go for every dream that has been stored up and is sitting on a shelf somewhere in the universe just waiting on you? Do you crave saying yes to you and no to every single thing that does not serve your purpose, your vision and your soul? Then you just might be a dreamer too.
Don’t be afraid to achieve. Be afraid of looking back at the end of your life and realizing you never moved, you never tried, you never took that chance. If you don’t know where to start. That is exactly what I am here for. This is why I pop in to your email once a week. This is who I am. I have helped thousands. And I can help you too.
Dreams are not reserved for the rich, or the privileged, or the few. Dreams belong to ALL of us. I want to see you overachieve. I want to watch you soar. I want to help you live free. If you are ready to live free on your own terms, reply YES! to this email and next week I am going to send something truly special just to you. We can soar. Together.
