confidence

The Hidden Key To Cultivating Confidence

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We all want more confidence in one way or another.

Whether you want the confidence to make and share your art, to build your business by selling your services or growing an audience, to negotiate for more money, to feel good in your own skin, to speak to a large group of people, or take a big risk… we all have a hunger to feel capable and safe from rejection. That’s what confidence does for you. 

But where does it come from? And how do we get more of it? Well, that’s what I want to explore inside Color Your Soul, but today I want to share one tiny nugget that has helped me approach projects and risks in my own life with a bit more confidence.

Flashback to when I was 22, fresh out of college by just six months, and I was having a serious conversation with my mom. Right after graduation, I’d broken up with my boyfriend of a year to start dating Jason (scandalous, I know), and we had been navigating the fun but uncertain waters of a new relationship while doing the long distance thing -- him back in Jacksonville, and me in Durham, North Carolina.

Things were going well with us but not so great with my new job. In short, I hated it. After just six months at an esteemed advertising agency, I decided I couldn’t stand one more day in a job that didn’t utilize my creativity, and so I quit.

The serious conversation with my mom was about my big decision to quit my job and move back to Jacksonville, to MOVE IN with Jason. I remember the look of fear and worry on my mom’s face for me. Wasn’t this all a bit sudden and was I sure I wanted to do this and what would happen if Jason and I didn’t work out.

There are so many things I was NOT confident about back then but I will never forget the unshakable certainty that I felt about that decision to move back to Jacksonville and start a life with Jason.

I was nervous, but I was confident I was making the right decision. HOW?

So many times I’ve asked myself where that unexpected assurance came from in an attempt to unlock some hidden secret about this mysterious thing called confidence.

Was it because I knew Jason and I would work out? Heck no, I had no idea. Was it because I was too naive to think of all that could go wrong? Maybe, but I’d been in other serious relationships and it’s not like I thought they were always sunshine and rainbows.

Upon looking at it further, I realized that the reason I was so confident about my decision was this:

I knew that if it didn’t work out, it would be painful, but ultimately I’d be okay.

I think this knowing -- this belief that YOU can be your own protector -- is the hidden key to cultivating confidence.

Imagine any big (or little) risk in life as though it were an image of you jumping off a cliff into a beautiful, but shockingly cold, lagoon of water below. That’s what a risk feels like, right -- tempting, but scary because you don’t know what will happen when you hit the water, you don’t know what it will feel like when you take flight off the cliff. That’s when you start to think maybe it would all feel much more comfortable and easy to stay on that ledge forever.

Oftentimes when we think of confidence, we focus on the feeling at the top of the cliff, that moment of courage that we need to work up in order to actually leap. That moment is where confidence ends up, but I don’t think that’s where it comes from.

I think confidence actually lives at the bottom of the cliff in the lagoon.

Confidence resides in the belief that we'll be okay regardless of what is on the other side of uncertainty.

“Confidence resides in the belief that we’ll be okay regardless of what is on the other side of uncertainty.”


It is the voice that tells us that we can take the risk, we can leap off the cliff, because despite not knowing what waits for us below, there is always a safety net. That safety net is YOU.

When I was just starting my design business back in 2014, one thing I struggled with the most was sending out proposals. This is where I basically had to declare what I think I’m worth as a designer. I would write and rewrite the final project estimate 20 different times because I lacked the confidence to tell someone exactly how much I deserved to be paid. I would fixate on that moment when my potential client would open up the email and look at the price tag, and I agonized over what their reaction would be. Would they think I was arrogant and way overpriced? Would they think I was an amateur and way underpriced?

I struggled with this for months until Jason finally gave me some powerful advice: Don’t focus on the moment when they open the proposal; focus on the moment when they email you back with a no.

As you write that final project total on your proposal, he said, ask yourself: If they say no, will I feel good about the value I’ve placed on my work?

What? Seems like strange advice doesn’t it. Focus on the rejection in order to build your confidence?

What it did for me though is it allowed me to confront my fear of rejection head on and confirm that even if that potential client said no, I wouldn’t fall apart. It put me back in control of my own worth.

And THAT is the key.

When you know that you have your own back no matter what, that’s when you can confidently move forward, even if you’re afraid or unsure.

We all have the tools within us to provide this kind of comfort and protection for ourselves. But in order to use those tools, we have to acknowledge our our power.

We have to take back ownership of ourselves from all the places we’ve divvied it out to -- to our families, to our relationships, to our social media followers, to near strangers on the other end of a proposal email. We place the delicate matter of our own self-worth in their hands, which leaves us feeling incapable and vulnerable to feelings of rejection.

But once you finally make that shift and decide you are the ultimate judge of your own worth -- that you have the ultimate say in who you are and who you become -- that’s when you carry the confidence of a person with a built-in superhero at their side.

Confidence isn't just about acting in spite of your fears; it’s trusting you’ll put yourself back together if those fears come true.

Here’s a sketchbook piece I created inside this month’s Confidence issue.

 

It is my own reminder that I can be my own safety net. I can cultivate enough trust with myself to know that even if I take a risk and it doesn’t work out, I won’t allow a momentary feeling of failure or rejection stop me from moving forward.

My confidence lives in the knowing that I will never abandon myself.

I hope yours does to.

Your challenge this week is to choose one area of your life in which you'd like to feel more confident.

I want you to write down all the fears that affect your confidence in that area. Then I want you to respond to each fear with how your inner self-worth superhero will take care of you if those fears are realized.

I believe that actually confronting your fears head-on and reminding yourself that you will be okay regardless of if those fears come true or not will help you move forward more confidently in reality.

I have so many more thoughts on this topic I want to share with you guys, but I'll leave it at that for now.

Thanks so much for reading! Wishing you an empowered week!

 
 
RELATED POSTS:
Who Are You Giving Away Your Power To?
One Simple Exercise To Recalibrate Your Life and Business
The Hidden Key To Cultivating Confidence
Why Creating a Shared Vocabulary Is Crucial To Effective Communication
What To Do When Living Your Values Gets "Inconvenient"
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Create Your Own Mindset Revolution

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Did everyone survive the holidays in one piece?

I hope so. Jason, Plaxico and I had an amazing time with family and friends and I’m so glad our road trip to Florida meant we could spend quality time with the people we care about.

On the other hand, though, I will say I’m with Emily McDowell on this one, I’m a little relieved to get back into the swing of non-holiday life. 

Next on the agenda, Jason and I are packing up once again and heading to a modern cabin in northern Georgia to ring in the New Year with some much needed relaxation. It’s becoming our tradition of ours to do some type of travel the first week of the year in an effort to decompress from the holidays and start the new year off feeling refreshed. 

Predictably, since it is the final newsletter of 2015, I want to offer up my two cents about how to get your mind right before 2016 shows up.

It’s possible that many of you are making resolutions as you read this right now. Promises to yourself to read more, exercise more, love more; drink less, worry less, buy less. 

And while I believe those intentions are (theoretically) a fantastic way to bring some ownership into your life, this year I’m feeling a bit like we need something... more. 

Yes, resolutions can be helpful. Tiny commitments to yourself to get in shape or stay in touch with friends or keep things organized are all good and well. But do you know why the majority of people fall off the wagon? Because they don’t take the time to confront the mindsets that cause them to drop the ball on those things in the first place. 

If you don’t take time to understand why you’re lacking in those areas to begin with, then resolutions are just like temporary band-aids. (And, as the great poet Taylor Swift has taught us, band-aids don’t fix bullet holes.)

Instead, I say we need revolutions, not resolutions.

Yep, we need to start a revolution in our own minds. And listen, I know, “revolution” sounds kind of extreme. But I use that word purposefully because it sounds abrupt and important and downright rebellious. That’s the kind of change that’s necessary to stick to something you’ve never stuck to in the past. 

Think about it, a revolution marks the being of a new era, a different story, a divergence from what came before. If you’re in the boat of people that are looking for that, this could be your ticket. 

No longer do I make resolutions, but instead, I look at the year ahead and ask myselfwhat MAJOR (revolutionary) mindset shift could make the biggest impact for me. 

In other words, I answer this two-part question: 

  1. What do I want the MOST for my life right now? 
  2. What story that I’m telling myself is holding me back from that?

Because if you find a way to flip just one destructive or fear-based script, all those tiny resolutions will pale in comparison to the revolution you can create for your own life over the course of a year. 

Now, it might help to give you an example: 

At the end of 2013, I found myself completely exhausted with one year of entrepreneurship under my belt. I felt like I was working all the time. I was constantly worried about what other people in my field were doing. And it was creating a major imbalance in the way I lived my life. (No exercise, my mind racing before bed, major anxiety.)

As 2014 approached, instead of resolving to “make more time for relaxation” or “work less on the weekends” etc, I knew there was an underlying mindset that had to be dealt with. 

Using that trusty two-part question above, I realized that what I wanted MOST was a blend of life and business that allowed me to actually enjoy the perks of running my own business (as opposed to being enslaved by the never-ending list of to-dos.) I wanted a day-to-day that made time for art and hikes and mid-day movies and reading and fun as much as it made time for to-dos and answering emails. 

Ultimately what I realized was holding me back from that was this story I kept telling myself that if I didn’t take advantage of every opportunity, the business would suffer and ultimately fail. 

But, I had to ask myself, was that really true? If I stopped working 10-hour days would things fall apart? And did I really need to be a "six-figure business" like some of the other entrepreneurs I'd seen or could I be content making enough money to support my lifestyle and live as my happiest self? Suddenly I started investigating this story and realized that I had the power to take back control of how I run my business. It takes will power and practice, but I no longer worry if I pass up an opportunity or if I leave revenue on the table or if someone else has their business on hyper drive.

Throughout the entire year, when I found myself wanting to take a break or step away from my laptop but my inner guilt/anxiety was rearing its ugly head, I simply repeated to myself: “When you’re happy and refreshed, the business thrives.” Andthat’s the true story. 

I can honestly say that was a completely revolutionary concept for me and it led to the happiest and most balanced year of my life. (The irony also being that because I was my happiest, most balanced self, I had more ideas and focus this year than I could have imagined, leading to six-figure business revenue anyway. 😱That proves to me that I was right about the business thriving when I'm a balanced version of myself.)

So, now let me ask you, instead of setting resolutions for the new year, is there one major mindset shift that could change the game for you? 

Try answering the two questions above and see what comes up. 

In order to make lasting improvements on our daily lives, we have to continue to understand ourselves better and the things we tell ourselves. I hope this week’s letter helps you do just that in preparation for the new year!

Happy Monday, friends! 

Did everyone survive the holidays in one piece? I hope so. Jason, Plaxico and I had an amazing time with family and friends and I’m so glad our road trip to Florida meant we could spend quality time with the people we care about.

On the other hand, though, I will say I’m with Emily McDowell on this one, I’m a little relieved to get back into the swing of non-holiday life. 

Next on the agenda, Jason and I are packing up once again and heading to a modern cabin in northern Georgia to ring in the New Year with some much needed relaxation. It’s becoming our tradition of ours to do some type of travel the first week of the year in an effort to decompress from the holidays and start the new year off feeling refreshed. 

Predictably, since it is the final newsletter of 2015, I want to offer up my two cents about how to get your mind right before 2016 shows up.

It’s possible that many of you are making resolutions as you read this right now. Promises to yourself to read more, exercise more, love more; drink less, worry less, buy less. 

And while I believe those intentions are (theoretically) a fantastic way to bring some ownership into your life, this year I’m feeling a bit like we need something... more. 

Yes, resolutions can be helpful. Tiny commitments to yourself to get in shape or stay in touch with friends or keep things organized are all good and well. But do you know why the majority of people fall off the wagon? Because they don’t take the time to confront the mindsets that cause them to drop the ball on those things in the first place. 

If you don’t take time to understand why you’re lacking in those areas to begin with, then resolutions are just like temporary band-aids. (And, as the great poet Taylor Swift has taught us, band-aids don’t fix bullet holes.)

Instead, I say we need revolutions, not resolutions.

Yep, we need to start a revolution in our own minds. And listen, I know, “revolution” sounds kind of extreme. But I use that word purposefully because it sounds abrupt and important and downright rebellious. That’s the kind of change that’s necessary to stick to something you’ve never stuck to in the past. 

Think about it, a revolution marks the being of a new era, a different story, a divergence from what came before. If you’re in the boat of people that are looking for that, this could be your ticket. 

No longer do I make resolutions, but instead, I look at the year ahead and ask myselfwhat MAJOR (revolutionary) mindset shift could make the biggest impact for me. 

In other words, I answer this two-part question: 

  1. What do I want the MOST for my life right now? 
  2. What story that I’m telling myself is holding me back from that?

Because if you find a way to flip just one destructive or fear-based script, all those tiny resolutions will pale in comparison to the revolution you can create for your own life over the course of a year. 

Now, it might help to give you an example: 

At the end of 2013, I found myself completely exhausted with one year of entrepreneurship under my belt. I felt like I was working all the time. I was constantly worried about what other people in my field were doing. And it was creating a major imbalance in the way I lived my life. (No exercise, my mind racing before bed, major anxiety.)

As 2014 approached, instead of resolving to “make more time for relaxation” or “work less on the weekends” etc, I knew there was an underlying mindset that had to be dealt with. 

Using that trusty two-part question above, I realized that what I wanted MOST was a blend of life and business that allowed me to actually enjoy the perks of running my own business (as opposed to being enslaved by the never-ending list of to-dos.) I wanted a day-to-day that made time for art and hikes and mid-day movies and reading and fun as much as it made time for to-dos and answering emails. 

Ultimately what I realized was holding me back from that was this story I kept telling myself that if I didn’t take advantage of every opportunity, the business would suffer and ultimately fail. 

But, I had to ask myself, was that really true? If I stopped working 10-hour days would things fall apart? And did I really need to be a "six-figure business" like some of the other entrepreneurs I'd seen or could I be content making enough money to support my lifestyle and live as my happiest self? Suddenly I started investigating this story and realized that I had the power to take back control of how I run my business. It takes will power and practice, but I no longer worry if I pass up an opportunity or if I leave revenue on the table or if someone else has their business on hyper drive.

Throughout the entire year, when I found myself wanting to take a break or step away from my laptop but my inner guilt/anxiety was rearing its ugly head, I simply repeated to myself: “When you’re happy and refreshed, the business thrives.” Andthat’s the true story. 

I can honestly say that was a completely revolutionary concept for me and it led to the happiest and most balanced year of my life. (The irony also being that because I was my happiest, most balanced self, I had more ideas and focus this year than I could have imagined, leading to six-figure business revenue anyway. 😱That proves to me that I was right about the business thriving when I'm a balanced version of myself.)

So, now let me ask you, instead of setting resolutions for the new year, is there one major mindset shift that could change the game for you? 

Try answering the two questions above and see what comes up. 

In order to make lasting improvements on our daily lives, we have to continue to understand ourselves better and the things we tell ourselves. I hope this week’s letter helps you do just that in preparation for the new year!

 
 
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Confidence And Learning To Trust Yourself

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Happy Monday from the road, dear friends!

Over the course of the past week, Jason and I have played on the sand dunes in California; stopped in Sedona at our favorite inn, El Portal; traveled to Taos, New Mexico where we stayed for two days in something called an Earthship; cozied up to Waco, Texas to stay in one cool #FixerUpper; and passed through Lafayette, LA where I now find myself on the road somewhere near New Orleans. Phew, I’m exhausted just typing that! 

The adventure has included many, many miles of podcast episodes, road trip beef jerky, my poor attempt at navigation, and, thankfully, a few surprisingly weak moments on Jason’s part when he agreed to let me listen to Christmas music (GASP! - Pentatonix Deluxe Christmas album anyone? Big fan right here.) 

As I type this now we are heading to our last stop — Seaside, FL — before arriving in Jacksonville on Wednesday just in time for Thanksgiving. Woohoo! 

Road trips are my very favorite for SO many reasons, but this trip actually has very little to do with what I want to talk about this week. 

This week I want to talk about something interesting that popped up following last week’s letter on “actionizing.” Some of you might remember that at the bottom of the newsletter I asked you to email me with anything that you might need right now -- something I could help with as a small act of sending love out into the world.  

Well, about 40 of you wrote in (thank you for that, by the way!) and I did my best to make time to write back to each one in between road trip activities. What astounded me about your replies though was the fact that the majority of you said that you needed more of the very SAME two things: confidence and motivation. 

Over and over the responses came in with those two words calling out to me. So, I’m taking the hint here and this week I want to tackle one of those (one that I especially struggled with in my first year of business), and that’s confidence. 

The problem with this, though, is that confidence is not a simple problem with a simple solution. 

How does one encourage another to have confidence? How can I give someone something that so clearly has to come from within? 

But that’s when I thought to myself: I may not be able to GIVE someone confidence, but maybe I can help someone see their own confidence in a new light. Maybe I can uncover a new way of looking at confidence, a new angle that might allow some of you out there to finally have that light bulb moment that could make all the difference. 

So I asked myself: What exactly is confidence? Where does it come from? How do we relate to it? 

I thought about all the times I have to call upon my confidence: 

  • When I stand on a stage and deliver a speech. 
  • When I speak up and share my opinion at a dinner party. 
  • Every time I share a piece of my art on social media or hit send on an email to you guys. 
  • When I walk into a room full of strangers and have to introduce myself. 

Each one of these moments requires confidence. And when I broke each of these situations down further, I realized that in each of those moments, the thing that allows me to walk confidently or speak confidently or share confidently is that I have built up trust with myself.

“Confidence is really about being able to TRUST yourself.”
  • Do I trust that I’ll be able to deliver the speech without blanking? 
  • Do I trust that my opinions are well thought-out and sincere when I speak up? 
  • Do I trust that I believe in my artistic talents enough that even if no one likes my photo or shares my email, I won’t stop creating?
  • Do I trust that even if I introduce myself to a stranger and they have no interest in what I do or say that it won’t affect my self-image? 

The trust you have with yourself is what your confidence rests on. 

And so that’s when I started wondering, well if confidence rests on trust, how do we build trust with ourselves? Because if we can understand how to build trust, then maybe we can better understand how to boost our confidence too. 

Thankfully I remembered this fascinating talk by Brené Brown called "The Anatomy of Trust" that I might have shared with you guys a few weeks back. 

In it, Brené talks about the fact that the research shows that “trust is built in very small moments” — these tiny opportunities in which people choose to show us they’re worthy of our trust. 

She compares trust to a marble jar, where others can do small things to demonstrate they’re trust-worthy and each time they do we add a mental marble to their jar. Only when the marble jar is full do we feel we can trust someone. 

In other words, trust is earned.

People have to show us that they’re deserving of our trust because that’s how we feel safe and protected from betrayal.

Brené goes on to break down the “anatomy of trust” into its parts, which can be remembered using the acronym B.R.A.V.I.N.G.: Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Non-judgment, and Generosity. (I recommend giving the talk a watch now if you want to better understand what each of the elements of trust pertains to. It’s a great talk!)

But the reason I want to share all of this with you is because while Brené's talk is in the context of trusting other people, I was struck by how transferable all her points were to the practice of learning to trust ourselves. 

Just like trust, confidence is built in a series of small moments. 

We have to demonstrate to ourselves that we are deserving of trust, and thus, that our confidence is not misplaced. 

How do we do that? The same way we would show others we’re trustworthy. Through B.R.A.V.I.N.G. 

  • By protecting the boundaries we create for ourselves. (Saying NO when we need to, protecting the time we set aside for ourselves, etc.)
  • By proving to ourselves we’re reliable. (Keeping the promises we make to ourselves, not just once but over and over.)
  • By showing accountability when we’ve come up short. (Acknowledging our short-comings, apologizing and moving on.) 
  • By being a vault for ourselves. (Not disseminating hurtful words and thoughts to others about ourselves, keeping what’s sacred to us sacred.)
  • By showing integrity. (Practicing our values in tough situations rather than just professing them.) 
  • By showing compassion for ourselves and non-judgment in our moments of needing help. (Eliminating negative self-talk when we feel at our weakest.)
  • By assuming the most generous thing about our own intentions and behavior, (Choosing to see the best in ourselves.)

That last one in particular really stuck with me as the crux of this trust/confidence business: generosity. 

Are you generous in your assumptions with yourself?

In other words, do you see the best in yourself? Do you give yourself the benefit of the doubt? If not, I’m betting you find it hard to trust yourself, and if that’s the case, you probably also find it hard to muster confidence at times. 

So often we think of confidence as something that is dependent upon the behavior of other people. That our ability to approach a situation confidently relies on whether or not other people will accept us or reject us. But if we continue to think of it that way, we’re giving up our power to build our confidence and improve it over time. 

Instead, we have to think about confidence as an inside job. We have to think of our actions as marbles in the jar of trust we have with ourselves. If we can build up enough trust to KNOW that the actions or responses of other people won’t prevent us from continuing to go after our dreams, then our inner selves will feel safe enough to create confidently. To share confidently. To speak confidently. 

So, this week, I challenge you to take a hard look at where your confidence is right now.

Do you have trouble trusting yourself? If so, try to pin point why that is using Brené’s BRAVING model above. Is it because you break your promises to yourself? Because you’re afraid you’ll judge yourself if you put yourself out there? Is it because you have trouble living your values in moments that are challenging? 

Whatever it is, I want you to identify it and decide one way you can start building more trust within yourself. Maybe it’s a commitment to talk more kindly to yourself or to make it your mission to follow through on your next promise no matter what. 

Whatever you choose, remember ultimately that confidence has to come from within you.

You have to fill up your own marble jar with enough tiny moments to know that when you encounter a situation that requires you to be confident, that you have your own back. 

Hope that gives you something to chew on this week!

Wishing you a happy holiday filled with food, family and gratitude! 

 
 
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What To Do When Comparison Kills Your Confidence

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Is it just me or does it feel like we're hitting maximum capacity with digital downloads and online courses and membership sites and 5 reasons you should __________ blog posts? 

I know it could just be that I'm primed to see digital products everywhere because that's my primary business model these days, but there's a part of me that is starting to feel like the walls are closing in a little bit. 

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a beautiful thing that people are teaching others what they know, and that, in the process, they're able to create joyful lives full of flexibility and freedom -- heck, I'm one of those people, and I'm a prime example of the value and impact that online learning can add to a person's life! 

BUT, if I'm being honest, it can be difficult to run a business in an arena that seems to be getting larger and more crowded by the day. 

Every time I come up for air I feel like I'm seeing a new blog, a new podcast, a new brand, a new webinar. He's doing it bigger, she's doing it better, they're all doing it faster and smarter and OH MY GOSH HOW WILL I EVER STAY RELEVANT?

Any of that ring a bell? Hopefully it's not just me. 

Tell me if this sounds familiar...

  • You start with an idea. One you're pretty excited about, actually. 
  • You (innocently enough) do a quick Google search or Pinterest hunt to see if anyone else out there has the same idea or has done something similar. You know, just to learn, right? 
  • You find the website of someone in your niche and before you know it you're devouring every corner of their site, like a moth to a confidence-killing flame.
  • You're not sure how, but what started as a little light reconnaissance has quickly turned into second-guessing everything, and no longer are you as excited about your brilliant idea because for pete's sake EVERYTHING HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE so why's it worth doing at all?

Let me tell you what, boy have I've been there. More times than I can count, in fact. 

Those dreaded comparison gremlins not only have the power to drive you crazy, but they find small and sneaky ways to absolutely CRUSH your confidence.

So, how do we fight back? How do we find the motivation to press forward even when we feel like everyone's ten steps ahead and there's not an original bone in our body?  

Well, I'll tell you what I do at least. 

I return to what I KNOW is authentic about myself. 

(Authenticity, you beautiful thing, there you are rescuing me again!)

I know it's probably bad form to talk about all this on the day I'm re-launching a shop full of, yes, digital products, but that's why in some ways I think it's even more important to talk about. 

We all know I'm certainly not the only one writing e-books and building online courses and designing worksheets on the internet. FAR from it, as I've pointed out. 

But what keeps me making them is the fact that I love it. That I truly believe in the power that these resources can provide in the form of knowledge and support and motivation. More importantly, though, I believe in the unique spin I'm able to bring to everything I create. 

THAT is what I want you to remember when the comparison gremlins come knocking. I want you to remember that:

Your individuality is your secret sauce. 

It's the secret family recipe that keeps your customers begging for more. The thing that keeps your tribe coming back AND (conveniently enough) the one thing that no one can steal from you. 

But here's the realllllly important caveat to using your secret sauce to stand out in a sea of seemingly similar businesses: 

YOU have to believe you're special before anyone else will.

“YOU have to believe you’re special before anyone else will.”

When I say that, I don't mean it like a vague inspirational poster. I mean it like a direct order handed down from a drill sergeant. An imperative statement. I'm writing it again just to make sure it really sinks in: 

You HAVE to believe you're special. 

When you're floating aimlessly in a sea of self-doubt, you have to anchor yourself to reality with the unwavering belief that no one else on this earth can do what you do quite LIKE you do it. 

Otherwise, it's just too easy to get swept away by comparison. It's too easy to feel like it's all been said, it's all been written, it's all been done.

(And if that comparison keeps you from creating the beautiful work that I know is in you, well all of us are going to be the poorer for it.)

To put it simply: The best way to be original is to ignore what everyone else is doing. 

To remember that your uniqueness is inherent, innate, and indelible.

To press forward towards your dreams with vision and confidence, regardless of if those around you are pointed in the same direction.

I know we're just talking e-books and online courses here, but on days when I get discouraged that maybe I have nothing new to say, I remember that I have A LOT to say about not having anything new to say, and that just might be MY secret sauce. :)

This week, whatever you're working toward, I want you to dig deep and remind yourself why you are the ONE PERSON in this world that is best-equipped to make that happen. 

Then, do whatever you need to do to really believe that. 

Now, if you have't already, go check out the new shop!!

Wishing you a wonderful week. 

 
 
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