Now this is quite a big What If Wednesday, and represents something that I am struggling with big time right now. I am struggling – almost daily, to take myself seriously. “Taking myself seriously” means several things to me..
First it means describing what I do to people with out belittling it. This means: no air quotes around words like writer, mentor, coach, genius body image think-tank, etc. It also means striking works like kinda, sorta, well…, any words that I feel are directly matched with my inability to think about myself as a capable person that people should and do want to listen to. It means, standing tall, handing out business cards, not taking myself too seriously, giggling freely – and most importantly not allowing my nerves to impact my authenticity when I’m meeting people for the first time.
Second it means carrying this over to my online brand. [See! I wanted to use quotes around brand, because I think it's silly that I talk about myself as a brand when I'm not all that important and no one really cares what I have to say - that is the brain process. Here is the reality: I am building a brand. It's not a secret. I am not a total loser. Some people, somewhere care, at least a little about what I have to say.] To me this means – CAPITALIZING THE TITLES OF MY POSTS. For crying out loud. I literally drive myself crazy with this shit. I actually need to sit myself down and give myself a severe talking to, because this lowercase writing has got to stop.
When you are afraid to make waves or to really put yourself out there – you write in lowercase, you attach smiley faces to your statements because you are afraid they can’t stand alone, you speak as though you are always asking a question, begging for approval with every word.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly – having the confidence that I will be successful the tasks that I take on. Freelance magazine article? Great! I’m on it! Blog post about a really difficult topic? Dig deep! You can do this! Exhausted and don’t want to work anymore? Yep – you DESERVE a break sometimes! When you think of yourself as a professional, instead of a waitress-wineslinger-cabdriver-hoopfactoryemployee, you begin to believe that you deserve all of the things that you want. You set your own hours. You make your own rules. You don’t have to say yes to everything that comes along, even if it isn’t a good fit.
Wait. Be patient. Be calm. Be confident. There is so much magic in store – you just have to open your eyes to see it.
Need an extra dose of inspiration? I’m fairly certain that I do. Sal over at Already Pretty posted up my absolute favorite ever quote this week, and I wanted to repost it here to share it with all of you. I HIGHLY recommend printing this out and plastering it all over your house. Krikes, tattoo it on your forearm if you want to. This quote will make you a better person, and that I promise.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
-Marianne Williamson
How do you work to take yourself seriously? What elements are crucial to a happy work day for you? How do you balance your passions with your actual bill-paying-money-making necessities?
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