I often get asked; Christina, how did you get to where you are today?

To be honest, I went through a ton of fears, uncertainties, setbacks, struggles, and failures!

The road to achieving a worthwhile goal is rarely paved with lavender and confetti. Nope, it’s more like big rocks and huge walls to climb. 

In order to make it and create your dream life, you got to trust that all the struggles and challenges are not there to STOP you!

Setbacks are NOT a sign that you’re e not good enough!

Frustration, insecurity, rejection, and fear are not signs that you should give up on your dream. They are signs that you are on the right path.

Climb those walls. Move those rocks. Bring your own confetti because you’re going to need it.

I think when we’re willing to say “it is totally normal to be afraid of messing up, it’s totally normal to fail” then failing no longer seems as scary. Acknowledging this feeling is what can push us to try something we wouldn’t normally do.

And if we can take it one step further and realize that our failures can teach us so much more than our successes – that is when we can truly discover the joy and freedom of living life to the fullest. That’s when we’re able to create freely.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey, it’s that every day you don’t cheer on yourself and trust your own strength is a sad day. It’s like ignoring and disrespecting all your superpowers and resources.

So when you’re berating yourself or freezing up in fear, take a moment and breathe, shake it off….

Take a moment to give yourself a little bit of grace. Take a moment and recognize all your efforts. 

When you acknowledge that it’s okay to be afraid everything gets easier. And then fear is no longer a bad sign, but a feeling you recognize when you’re about to do something great!

Don’t wait for the right moment; don’t wait for things to get easy. Easy will not take you to the top! Easy will not get you the results you desire. YOU can do this! You can make it. But it all starts with you trusting you! 

F.E.A.R. A little four-letter word powerful enough to stop you from reaching your goals and dreams. All the stories you make up in your head about WHY you cannot do something; fear is behind ALL of them.

Some of the most common fears creatives experience include:

• The fear of looking or sounding stupid.
• The fear of what other people will think.
• The fear of not having what it takes.
• The fear of annoying people.
• The fear of investing time and hard work in the wrong things.
• The fear of making the wrong decision.
• The fear of being rejected and getting a NO.
• The fear of disappointing yourself or others.
• The fear of proving your inner critic right.
• The fear of not moving fast enough.
• The fear of not making enough money.
• The fear of entering a saturated market.
• The fear of failure.
• The fear of success.

If you feel fear; it’s nothing to be ashamed of. If you are human, you will experience fear in some form or another. There’s no way escaping it.

Fear will always show up when you strive for great things and take risks because fear hates an uncertain outcome.

The brave is not the one who doesn’t feel afraid. It’s the one who feels the fear and ACT in spite of fear.

The sooner you accept that fear is a natural part of life, you can allow your dreams and goals to be greater than your fears. 

Instead of wasting time waiting for the fear to go away you ACT. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Make the “fear of missing out on the life you were meant to live” be the biggest fear of them all. 

Repeat after me; “I feel fear, but I won’t let it stop me”.

>> Dreams + Fear + Doing It Anyway = Success

Need inspiration + motivation to help you create your best life? Listen to The Empowered Creative Podcast or follow Christina on Instagram.