Final Jeopardy & Nerves of Steel

Last night I had my life coach final.

If successful, upon graduation I would become a Professional Certified Life Purpose & Career Coach with a Life Coach designation. Hours of preparation, studying and coaching went into this. If you're in school or have been, you know the drill.

Well, all of us were nervous and under a lot of pressure. We had to answer a series of questions orally and then coach someone "on the spot." When it came my turn to be tested, I thought I'd try a little humor and answered my first question exactly opposite of what we'd been taught. I thought it was obvious...

DEAD SILENCE. Then I said that I was just kidding. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and started laughing. It broke the ice and put everyone at ease.

Throughout this entire process, I learned many lessons. Chief amongst these include:

• Despite how I felt physically, I could persevere, overcome and be successful.
• I had a lot more ability/capacity than I gave myself credit for when it came to accomplishing things.
• What I set my mind to I can do, in spite of appearances.
• Fears are deceptive and rarely have merit or basis in fact.
• I have the power to choose: my responses, my mindset, my thoughts and beliefs.

So, my encouragement to you is to go for your dreams and desires, persevere in the process and before you know it, you'll be past your comfort zone and into a whole new world!

EndNote: We all passed except one person and will be certified by the end of February or sooner!

Fear Failing Forward

FEARS can immobilize, paralyze and keep you stuck. Forget about how unrealistic they are or that they may not make any sense at all--to anyone but you. Fear can keep you from achieving your potential and stretching outside your comfort zone into someone you desire to become or doing something you've wanted to do for a long time.

Fear can be gut-wrenching, sickening and depressing. It is also one of the most LIMITING BELIEFS someone can have.

But don't give in to the pressure or the LIE that is holding you back, whatever that may be. Be courageous and stand up to it--believe me, in time you'll be glad you did. And, I realize it won't be easy. Doing great things usually isn't.

Someone once said that F.E.A.R. stands for: False Evidence Appearing Real. Nothing could be more true. When you internalize this and walk in it, you will find freedom to become who you desire to be and do things you never thought you could do.

Here's an encouraging snippet from Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inaugural Speech. I hope you find it uplifting and that it helps to move you forward. (Let me know what you think or if you have anything to share regarding this post.)

Our Greatest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest far 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, 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.

You were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you. 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're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.