Doing My Life Better Series
(In hopes of helping you do your life better too)
I will be writing a series of blogs about how to do my life better. I always find something in other’s stories that resonates with me, and I hope the same is true for you. I will not try to find the parallels; you will have to do that. The first part is to excavate. That means looking at my defining moments. Those moments that changed you in some small way or changed the trajectory of your life in big ways. We do not recognize these moments until later. Some of mine are funny, some are somber and some just are. I hope you can see something in these that is meaningful to you.
Living Out Loud
There have been many times that I have taken risks that looking back do not seem to fit who I am. I am shy, insecure, and dying to be recognized but scared at the same time. I have lived with anxiety that I was not enough for so long that I do not even hear the voice in my head anymore. After years of personal development work and diving deep, I realize that I am both. I am strong and scared; I am a risk-taker and insecure; I am confident and unsure. And I believe that you are too.
So the risk-taking moments are those moments that I did something scary. I call that living out loud. Doing that thing that feels too big and jumping in anyway.
A few of my Living Out Loud moments:
- Junior Miss Pageant – since I was fourteen, I wanted to be in the Junior Miss Pageant. I had never been in a beauty pageant and no one had ever suggested I should. As my senior year approached, I signed up. I had no apparent talent and no experience to rely on. I remember it as the scariest thing I had done. There was a part of me that did not fit with the other girls and yet, I somehow knew I was supposed to be there. I did not win Junior Miss. I won Miss Congeniality. Winning was never the goal but showing up was. I remember feeling so proud.
- Mississippi Director of Tourism – I had been in the tourism industry for almost twenty years when the State Director job came up. I would have never even considered it, but a friend said I should. I decided to throw my hat in for a job that was the biggest, scariest job I could imagine. I would not have gotten the job if I had waited for someone to recommend me. I asked for what I wanted and got it. Scary, risky, and rewarding.
What I know is that the times that I have overridden the fear, my life has always landed in a better place. And, I am so glad that the ‘just do it voice’ was louder than the ‘I can’t do that’ one. What are your living out loud moments? How did they change you?
Start Your Virtual Coaching Journey Today
If you’re ready to set out on your journey toward happiness and personal fulfillment, contact me today.
Click on the link to find out more and sign up today for my Virtual Coaching program.