Believe in Wonderful You and Get Your Glow On!

We all go through periods of self-doubt when we think that we’re not good enough. This often happens when we compare ourselves to others and think that we don’t match up.

I experienced a crisis of confidence recently. I was invited to a corporate function, as they wanted me to be the speaker at their next event.
The speaker that evening was a survivor of a terrorist bomb blast who had lost both his legs, and survived to become a long-distance runner.

As I listened to him I realised that I had always thought of myself as extremely lucky – and one my luckiest things ever was that I had been at the same restaurant as this guy - the night before!
And I was looking after other people’s children (one of whom had snuck out of boarding school – but that’s another story! ☺) so I still feel weak and hugely relieved every time I think about it!
But of course I didn’t want to tell that story. Especially after I heard what he’d been through. It was beyond harrowing. It wouldn’t have felt right to turn around and say how lucky I was to have been there the night before, after what happened to this guy!

And that’s when I started to doubt myself. And the self-defeating thoughts started going around in my head:

“Who wants to hear about how lucky you are? No-one cares how lucky you are. They want to know how you’ve overcome tremendous challenges. How you’ve survived bomb blasts or cancer or swimming in ice. Who do you think you are? What have you ever done that’s so impressive? What’s so inspiring about You?”

I confessed to a group of close friends that I didn’t think I was up to the task of being an inspirational writer and speaker.
Who would be interested in my story? I wasn’t a top CEO who’d built up a billion-dollar business. I wasn’t an ice swimmer saving the planet. I hadn’t survived some life-threatening situation. What did I know anyway? What inspiring credentials did I have to write a book, or stand up and speak to a crowd?

Thankfully, there’s nothing like good friends to help you get over yourself. ☺

They reminded me that I inspire and encourage many people every day!
My writing, talks and workshops always get fantastic feedback!
And then I remembered why I do the work I’m doing and that my credentials are my gifts that I’m sharing every day – the gifts of insight, intuition, humour and tongue-in-cheek wisdom that support and encourage people to enJOY their Life’s journey.

“We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were 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

I’ve made a folder on my computer called “Nice Stuff” which contains wonderful messages and heartfelt Thank You’s from clients and people who’ve heard me speak, or read my work – and if I find myself having a mini meltdown I open this up and read the messages to remind myself that I’m on the right track! ☺

And when we are on the right track the Universe does kindly affirm it for us. ☺ Recently I gave a workshop which was attended by a woman who works for the ice-swimming, planet-saving Lewis Pugh – one of my personal heroes.
She came to thank me after the session and I admitted to her that her boss’s impressive credentials had me doubting my own contribution. She looked around the room and pointed out that I was succesfully achieving what I wanted to do. And she sent me a follow up email to thank me for "facilitating a wonderful session". ☺

Often the biggest challenge we have to overcome is the way we see ourselves!

We disempower ourselves when we compare ourselves to others and think that we’re not good enough.

We erode our confidence with our own self-doubt that stops us from expressing our unique gifts that we were born to share.

So what if there are a zillion people who do what you do. No-one else can do it exactly like You! 

We’re all travelling our own unique journey and we all have our own unique story to share.

"There are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our encouragement, who will need our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give." ~ Leo Buscaglia

When we appreciate and honour ourselves and all that we are, we believe in ourselves and emPower ourselves to shine our Light and share our gifts.

"Every achiever that I have ever met says, My life turned around when I began to believe in me." ~ Dr. Robert Schuller

Don’t allow your own self-doubt to stop you from doing what You came here to do.
Believe in Wonderful You and Get Your Glow On! ☺

With Love,

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• Stay True to You and Follow Your Own Path
• Trust Yourself and Power Up :) 
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