Take a Chance on Yourself

I have a note posted to my frig that reads ‘If not now, when?” I put it there to motivate me every morning of every day to get my ass in gear to do whatever it takes to live the life that I choose to live.

Like most people, I suppose, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of my life trying to please others—to do the so-called right thing whatever that looks like for others—because like most people I want to be accepted. I want to belong. And then I woke up and realized “this is it, baby! You’ve got one life to live and you can either live and enjoy it on your terms, or be filled with regrets at the end of it for all the things you wish that you had done, said or experienced but didn’t." And who would be at fault? ME! 

No matter what stories we tell ourselves, the only person stopping us from living the life we imagine, having the things we desire, experiencing all that we would like to, is US! The blame is not with our parents, teachers, bosses, partners, children, spouses, friends, dogs or cats. We can either go after what we want—full-on, no excuses, make or break—or we can play it safe and settle for what we think we’re supposed to have based on other people's opinions, fears, and idiosyncrasies. (Did you ever consider that sometimes when people are advising you to do what's safe, it's because it feels safe for them.)

Growing up, I never wanted to be ordinary and yet somehow I managed to settle into being just that, not willing to take a chance on myself to stand out and be great. So afraid of being ostracized, ridiculed, disowned, or rejected, I settled. I let my dreams of making a huge impact in the world fall away, and fell in step with the expectations of family, friends and society. I learned to color inside the lines. Only a little at first, then a little more, and then a lot.

Again and again, until it was 20 years later and looking in the mirror I realized that I didn’t recognize myself. I had no idea who I was. But, it’s never too late as long as you’re breathing to turn things around.

That’s what I’m doing now—turning things around. And it began with a choice, rather, a series of choices. I am now choosing what I want and going for it, whatever it takes, starting with a change in mindset that it really IS okay to be uniquely me. It's okay to be different. It’s okay to stand out. It’s okay to have my own mind and opinions that don’t agree with those of family, community, political leaders, or clergy. It's okay for you, too. It’s okay to bend the rules or, hell, make up your own!

I’ve decided now is the time to take a chance on me. What about you? If not now, when?

Need some help getting started? Learn how you can free your mind and change your life.

We Are Meant to Shine

Are you playing small? Do you find that you expend a lot of effort trying to fit in with the crowd—family, friends, work colleagues—so you can be loved and accepted?

Standing out is scary, sometimes it can even feel quite lonely. You want to be a leader, a visionary. You want to venture where no man or woman has dared go before. But you feel that pull to conform to those around you, so you shrink back; you stay small. Yet, playing small serves no one, least of all you. You are more powerful than you know. Embrace your power to create the life of your dreams on your terms.

1. Decide what it is YOU want—what you really want, not what someone wants for you or thinks you should want or have. And then, give yourself permission to have it. 
2. Write it down to make it "real." Writing down your goals or desires sends a message to your subconscious that you're committed to achieving them.
3. Take action in the direction of your dream—one step, one moment at a time. Throughout your day, consider whether your actions or choices bring you closer to your dreams or lead you further away from them. It's all about behaving in ways that are congruent to what you want to accomplish.
4. Watch your words. As you speak, so you create.
5. Believe all things are possible. Many of the items we use on a daily basis—computers, cars, smart phones, radios, televisions, GPS—were once considered impossibilities. If you can imagine it, there's a way to get it done. "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove from here to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20)

Remember, we are all meant to shine. 

Learn more about how to use your powerful imagination to make your dreams come true!