Don't Play Small

I left a dream on a shelf because I felt that my voice didn’t matter. I slid back into the shadows unconsciously and put my own aspirations and dreams aside because I was constantly bombarded by feelings of insignificance and not being able to realize my own gifts. I simply forgot that I mattered in this world. I put thoughts in my own head that sharing my stories, experiences, etc. would be laughed at and outside opinions mattered more than my own. When someone told me I wasn’t a great writer, I took that to heart and believed them. I didn’t take the constructive criticism into consideration and use it as a catalyst to improve my writing. I shut down their opinion and stopped writing. Why did their opinion matter more than my own? Why did I let them control my dream?

The truth is the critics out there will always doubt you. They will always put you down because they don’t feel like they are any good either. They try to get you to stop believing in yourself, instead of providing critiques that will help you improve your craft. Sometimes people out there just want to bully you, they want to make you feel small and unimportant. If another person feels that they don’t matter, they will try to make others feel the same.

Knowing that our voice matters and that we are good enough for this world is one thing, and believing it is another. Are your thoughts out of sync with what your mind and heart truly want? Do your thoughts repeat ad nauseum with “I’m not good, no one will care about this, or I just don’t have the experience to share this story?” You definitely aren’t alone.

We all come with different backgrounds which are unique unto ourselves. Your story of overcoming something is not the same as mine. Your breakthroughs in this life may help someone 1,000 or more miles away find out who they are, and then they may decide to share their story with another. This creates a beautiful ripple effect in the world where people from all walks of life come together and inspire others.

What are your strengths? What do you believe? Where did you come from? Did you fight an illness and win? Did you overcome anxiety or come back from serious defeat? You have a story to share. You can change the world with just one action. You’re not just a tiny blip in the universe with nothing to give anyone. You are uniquely you with so many traits that are amazing.

I’ve been fighting to find my gifts, pushing myself through my doubts and falling in love with myself again. My own beliefs that been challenged and I have been up for hours over-analyzing all of these emotions.

Starve your fears. Don’t feed them anymore. Push those thoughts out of your head and give yourself a chance to show the world who you are. It is never about being a perfect individual with no flaws. A flawed person still has a story. Our opinions and feelings are valid whether someone tells you that or not. Put your heart out there. Dig deep into the very core of your soul and find your magic.

Look for inspiration wherever you go. There are people out there who truly love you and want you to succeed. They believe that you are important. They want to cheer you on when you go after your dreams. They will not judge you if you fail. You only fail when you don’t try. Keep going.

If you’re reading this today, I want you to share a story where you overcame something or you made something happen that you never thought was possible. I want you to write down all of your thoughts, putting all of your doubts aside, and trust the creative process. This story WILL make a difference. Someone will be moved by it and create their own story and in turn it will go around the world like a ripple effect.

You must believe in the power of your words. That they will make a difference. Someone told me that I should write a blog. Who? Me? Why? What did I have to share with the world? I didn’t think that I could do it, but I realized if I never got started, I would never know what could happen. Am I making a difference? Does that even matter? It only matters to me that I’m doing something I feared. That I am opening myself up to be vulnerable in sharing my fears, strengths, and heart. It is overwhelming, and sometimes I do get scared. But being scared will be the catalyst that will push me through the doubts. My doubts are no longer preventing me from believing in myself anymore. I believe in the power of my own experiences and that this is just the start of something beautiful and amazing. Will I fall off the train sometimes? Yes, but I’m going to get back up again and again and prove to myself that I matter. That what I say may make a difference in someone’s life.

I hope this leaves you feeling good, and validated. Don’t forget you’re somebody. I believe in you. Keep smiling. Someone out there needs what you’re giving, but most of all YOU need what you’re giving because you know that you love what you’re doing.