Dear whoever is reading this,
It is never too late to start over. It is never too late to start on a project you once thought of, never too late to begin a new journey or a different path. I think for most of us, we always come up with these feelings like we aren't enough of something, we aren't good enough, smart enough, patient enough, or ______ enough to create. You have to realize that no matter what, these feelings are going to pop up, we are born with them and they are molded into our DNA. There is no hiding from them, so you may as well acknowledge them, right?! Look, feelings are like people. If you are mean to them or ignore them, they are going to bite you in the butt later, okay? So when you feel fear creeping up on you, when you feel inadequate or small, accept this feeling. Talk to it. "I know it's your job to scare me, and I now realize that, but please let me do my job and we can both go on happily, alright? Thank you."
You have to realize you are so much more than you know, you really are. And when you get an idea, when you have the inspiration to create, grab the idea and run. Don't worry about what those annoying voices in you head are saying. You are YOU and everything you bring into this physical world is of worth, and you must always remember that.
Acknowledging your fear is one of the first steps in becoming courageous, and I learned this from the amazing Elizabeth Gilbert. Because really, if we weren't born with fear we would all be dead. Like she says in her book, Big Magic, if we didn't have fear we would walk into traffic, play with wild animals, mess with deadly weapons and do crazy things we know are scary and could kill us. The point is, we have two kinds of fear: fear we need and fear we don't need. When you realize the fear that is holding you back and saying dirty words to you is the fear you don't need, you open up a whole new realm of courage and creativity. When you feel inspiration and ideas come flying at you, its inevitable that fear is going to come and knock on the door as well. Because that's what fear does. It comes when there is unknown outcomes, such as when a new idea comes to mind. It's brand new and there are infinite possibilities to take with it. And fear doesn't like that. It likes staying safe and quiet and to yourself, right?
So practice talking with your fear. Invite it in, and give it a talking to. It's going to be with us forever, so you may as well become friends with it :) Fear is just another feeling apart of our intricate beings and there is nothing to be ashamed of about it.
Maddie