I have been pretty candid with you guys about my journey with fear and starting this whole studio venture and the effect it has had on my life. I have learned SOO much about myself through this process, it’s stupid. I decided a long time ago I was going to be pretty honest about pretty much everything with you guys because I know so many of you are on a similar journey so it is nice to not feel alone in this place. Plus, I tend to write about the things I am always thinking about and you guys just have to suffer through on the receiving end of that ;). With that being said, I thought it would be appropriate to share a little uppy datey on how I have been feeling.
So at the moment I am writing this it is exactly two weeks away from opening day of the studio (<insert panic?> actually not so much)… Ok I could be in utter denial and repressing the ‘ish’ out of it (which is absolutely possible) or I could actually be OK. I am pretty sure it is the latter but don’t quote me. A mysterious and wonderful thing occurred about three weeks ago removing that heavy ‘someone chubby is sitting on my chest’ pressure, all doubt, and petrifying fear. People have been asking me like crazy how I am doing and feeling (which I SOO appreciate) and when I tell them I am pretty cool like a cucumber (that’s a saying right?) they are surprised and so am I! I started to assess this cool cucumberness to find out what happened and how to keep it and I thought I would share some of these priceless secrets.
First and foremost, I am stupid and this has very little to do with me. I put so much pressure on myself and how “I” had to do everything to make sure the studio was successful. Wrong, wrong, more wrong. I am dumb that is all. Ok a little more…. Once I gave God the reigns and was like “OK you started it, you’re going to finish it” a peace came like no other! Don’t get me wrong, I still worked (I work my a$$ off) but I stopped stressing so I was able to dedicate more energy to my work, it was more enjoyable, and things got done faster. Who would have thought?
I surround myself with the best of the best! Tomas makes fun of me (in a cute way) because I have always been picky about my close close friends and have been really careful about who I let speak into my life. Peeps, I think that has saved my emotional-life on many accounts. I am where I am today because of the people who built me up and encouraged me along the way. They spoke life into me and believed in me when I didn’t. Each one of them knows who they are and I think this has made a tremendous difference because I started listening to them. I surround myself with the most positive and dream chasing people and I leave every conversation empowered and a better version of myself. Show me your five closest friends and I’ll tell you who you are. It’s a thing peeps, and it matters!
Next one the list, thought stopping. Thought stopping is the idea/practice where when you have a thought you don’t want to have you replace it with a positive thought or stop it all together. I have not let my mind run with the “what if’s”. There is absolutely no point in stressing and worrying, it gets you no where fast. See #2 because this is WAY easier when you are surrounded by positive, uplifting people.
Lastly, the fear of not opening up the studio and never pursuing my dream was trumped because I couldn’t NOT do it and stand live with myself. That was my alternative- not doing it and that seemed and felt more painful, so if I was going to do it, I might as well go for it 100% and not get caught up in all the stress, worry, and fear.
Nothing I shared with you guys is new, life-changing, or something you’ve never heard before; and same for myself. The only difference is I started implementing these things into my life and have experienced the results. I know I’ll probably have fearful thoughts again, and I still have them from time to time, but it’s nothing like before! I get through it, and move on. I CAN’T afford to get stuck and neither can you!!
*I wrote the post last minute because I originally wrote something else so the pics were slim pickins! But here are a couple of shots from my trip to LA this past week! Everyone takes a vacation two weeks before they open their business right!??! 😉
