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The truth is, I’m terrified.
A few weeks ago, I met a man who has created an organization that supports (financially and through community) entrepreneurs who are working to make big changes in the world.
When I say big changes, I mean big changes, like tackling climate change, world hunger, and potable-drinking-water-for-millions-of-people big changes.
His name is Daniel Epstein, and he is the founder of Unreasonable Group.
He told me his full story of creating an incredible, ethical, and thriving organization all the way back from his childhood.
After he finished his powerful story, it was my turn.
I told him how I grew up. I lived in a rural area where we were allowed to run rampant in the forest with our friends. I was connected to nature daily. I read lots of books. I danced.
My family went through hard times. There was a period of time where the toxicity, divorce, addiction, and domestic violence in my family were in the forefront of my mind and thoughts every day as a preteen and teenager.
I reached my rock bottom when I was 16, when I found myself questioning life. But I got help. I got support and therapy, and I started getting better. I started reading books and articles about self-help. I started meditating. I started practicing yoga, writing, breathing, taking things slower, listening to my heart instead of chasing external validation through people pleasing, wanting to look better, do more, or change myself out of a lack of love for myself.
I slowly realized that I wanted to pivot.
I had been studying to be an engineer for years, which I loved, but I knew in my heart it wasn’t for me. I thought I would stick with it for a few years at least, but that changed sooner than I imagined it would. I was pushed out of it by the words of supportive friends and a health scare with my dad after a few months of working at my job.
I realized life was short.
I wanted to start my own business that was a force for helping people love themselves, love others, and love the planet.
I wanted to connect with people on a deep level. I saw people who were hurting like I had been, and I wanted to help them see that there is a path that can be fun, joyful, and rewarding if we listen to our hearts using dedication to some simple tools and practices.
I wanted to speak up and take action for our planet and animals, and teach others how to do the same. I wanted to have the means to give back. I wanted freedom and flexibility with my precious time on this earth.
I told Daniel that I was still new to all of this. I’m figuring it out as I go along. I’m creating things that I feel like are making differences: my podcast, my shares on Instagram and my website, my guides, my immersive worthiness course, my classes and retreats. It’s going really well, I said. I have a lot of ideas that I’m excited about.
Then, something came out of my mouth that I was not expecting to say to this man that I just met.
“The truth is, I’m terrified most of the time.”
Then, Daniel said something that brought me so much comfort:
“That’s how you know you’re doing something right.”
The truth is, the fear doesn’t go away.
Life is a dance of feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
We all want the same things deep down, just in different ways. We want connection. We want to feel seen. We want adventure and fun. We want safety and security. We want to help others feel the same things.
Connection requires communication and opening up. Feeling seen means putting ourselves out there. To have adventures we must try something new. To have fun we have to loosen up and not take it so seriously. To feel safe and secure we must acknowledge that things will always be changing and that life is not promised, thereby finding finding joy in simply being alive. To help others feel the same, we have to be open to sharing our stories, or resources, our energy, and our money and trust that there is enough for us now.
Scary, right?
Again, we have to feel the fear and do it anyway. We have to realize, over and over again, through thinking things through, through not thinking at all, through getting into our bodies, through being present, and through deep breaths, that there is this force around us that wants us to have these experiences.
Call it God, call it the Universe, call it our ancestors, call it our higher self, call it whatever you will, there is some force out there that wants us to be happy, wants us to be cheerful, wants us to feel safe, wants us to enjoy life, wants us to forgive ourselves, wants us to know our goodness, and wants us to help others have the same experiences.
Don’t let the fear stop you from doing what you love, from loving yourself, and from loving others. Speak up for what you believe in. Get help and support when you need it. Invest in your education, health, and wellbeing. Volunteer. Talk to people. Have courageous conversations. Get inspired by the hardships of the world.
Take the actions, make the choices, and have the conversations that are based on love, not on fear.
You have the power to make that choice, over and over again.
Feel both, but choose love over fear.
IMAGE: @MELISSA.MOFFET
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