Did you ever want to do something but were afraid it wasn’t going to be perceived well by others? Maybe there was an idea you wanted to bring to life but thought you weren’t good enough to pursue it. I can’t count how many times those two thoughts alone ran rapid through my mind every time I wanted to start my blog. Being told “no” by others constantly, started to make me feel as though I wasn’t worthy enough to put my name and my brand out there. I was letting the thoughts of others shape MY future while they were all pursuing the careers and ideas they wanted. It was time I did the same.
I have always enjoyed writing. I was shy though; I never let anyone read my writing. I would read books and other blogs and wish I could do what they did. I longed to inspire others through the art of words. I thought that it was only reserved for talented people, all the while never thinking of myself to be among that number. It wasn’t until I saw an entry for a writing contest and thought hey, I might as well give it a shot. For the first time in ten years I finally let my friends critique my work. I figured if I am about to enter a contest and have a panel of judges read my piece, I might as well share it with my friends first.
For the first time in ten years I finally let my friends critique my work.
I was nervous about the feedback I was going to receive. To my surprise, it was perceived well. Some of my friends thought my poem was relatable—inspiring. I thought if my friends were inspired then who else could I inspire? In order for me to have inspired anyone, I had to leave my comfort zone and take that leap and share my work. You will never know how good or bad, how successful or not, you will be until you take that step forward and make that leap.
My advice to you on how I took the leap and began my blog:
- Take that leap. No one will know how amazing you are if you don’t step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
- Believe in yourself. You can’t expect others to believe in you if you don’t first believe in you.
- Let go of your fears. Don’t be a slave to your fears. Acknowledge them, conquer them, and be the victor you were born to be.
- Leave your comfort zone. We all have that comfortable situation that we are hesitant to leave. In order to grow, you have to let go. Branch out and expand yourself by engaging in new experiences.
- You may not be successful. If what you are pursuing does not work out, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over. Do not let that stop you from trying again.
- Negative feedback is as good as positive. Negative feedback will/can push you to change. Maybe something you wrote came off good to one reader but someone else read it negatively. Take this and use it as a tool to see what words could have triggered the response so you can try to avoid any negative responses next time.
- Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today. If you can start today, do it! No one knows what the future holds. The sooner you start, the sooner your writing will come to life.
- Be yourself. Write about what YOU want to write about and be unapologetic about it. Be passionate and let your writing be a reflection of you. What may work for one person might not work for you. Find your “you,” own it and run with it, and never let anyone take it away from you.
