Ever been afraid? How many times have we heard people ask, “Are you ready for that?” or “Are you sure you’re ready?” And our immediate reaction is to actually try to answer that question, but we do so full of doubt and fear that we convince ourselves that we might NEVER be ready.
We wonder if other people think we aren’t ready, even if we think we are…or maybe we just think we MIGHT be ready. Maybe we just a LITTLE bit ready.
Maybe not so much.
Somewhere along the line, we convinced ourselves that we cannot do anything unless we are “ready.”
What does that even mean?
Are we ever REALLY ready to do anything? Whether it be to start a new business? Try out for a college baseball team? Volunteer to feed 20 members of your family for the holiday meal this year?
For years, I never believed I was ever “ready” for whatever life was going to throw at me. Because some moments come to you, whether you are ready or not. Like having two babies within 13 months of one another. (Yeah, you do the math. I did.)
More than once ( maybe more like twice) in my lifetime, I ran when I began to doubt myself. I would bring myself to that moment just before “the point of no return” and would find myself turning away. Fear had won. For as many times as I had talked myself out of something, I needed to talk myself into doing what I know I am ready to do.
There is a little anxiety whenever we do something that intimidates us…asking a guy out on a date…running your first marathon…letting someone see you when you are most vulnerable.
We ALL have been there. Some of us never get past that point as the voice inside quietly whispers, “You’re not ready” and you believe it.
Whatever it is that is a little scary, don’t run from it. Allow that feeling of nervousness remind you why it matters to you in the first place.
But the truth is much more definitive, if you are brave enough to face it…
Ask yourself…
What will it take for you to finally, finally do this?
When does “someday” REALLY happen?
The next time you see someone doing something a little daring and they tell you they weren’t afraid, know this…they are lying.
The next time you hear someone saying something that’s difficult and leaves them exposed and they say it was easy, remember the tremble in their voice. They felt it too.
We cannot be ashamed of being afraid. We cannot allow that feeling of nervousness choose for us. Instead of hearing all of those questions, wondering if now is the right time, we only need to do one thing…
Announce to world, “READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!”
And no matter what it is, it will ALWAYS be the BEST time to do what you have always wanted to do.
Doing so will empower you. It will stir an emotion you never new existed and it will remind you, along with the rest of us, that you can do more than you think you can.
