My biggest struggle in running my business is this; I suck at grammar and spelling! You see, English is not my first language, and after living in three countries, mixing different languages, I’m a pretty grammar-confused woman in general.
I’ve grown to embrace and attack this challenge with playfulness and optimism. Luckily, I love to learn. I see myself as a longtime student of the beautiful English language.
When it comes to my blogging, I sometimes get emails from readers telling me how they love what I write, but that they find it full of spelling and grammar mistakes.
I don’t get offended by this, and I don’t consider these individuals language bullies – the opposite actually. They kindly offer to help me proof edit my writing for free and honestly, I love them for that! These people have big hearts. They mean well.
I always give them the same reply though, because the thing is; my errors and flaws are important! Why? Because my life purpose is helping creative women believe in themselves and follow their dreams – even if they are not ready and even if the circumstances are NOT perfect.
Here’s an example of how my usual reply sounds:
Dear x
Thanks so much for you kind words and concern about my writings.
With time I´ve come to love my grammar and spelling mistakes. In the past, it was a huge confidence struggle for me, and I´ve also had proofreaders employed earlier in my career.
But I learned along the way to embrace my imperfections – I can´t be perfect in all areas – nor do I want to. And if I waited for perfection I would never write a single word,
I want to show my audience that it’s possible to grow a successful business – even though their grammar/spelling is not perfect.
Many of my students and clients are not native English speakers. They come from all over the world and many struggle with English grammar, and it keeps them from moving forward with an International career.
If I can inspire just one person not to hold back from writing. If I can inspire just one woman to start a blog/creative career/magazine/business/online course in English – even though English is not her first language – I´m happy. It can be the key to changing her life!
Thanks again for your kindness,
Christina
You see, I used to believe I needed to be perfect before I could do anything! And it limited me big time!
Luckily, I soon realized how wrong I was! Like-minded creatives started to follow me even though I was a complete novice in photography. (This was back in 2009).
People liked my photographs even though my results were far from perfect and they started reading my blog despite ALL my spelling mistakes…
By being myself with all my flaws and imperfections, I was able to build a solid client base + a great network of creative people. I grew my business from scratch with a simple Blogspot blog and a lousy camera.
Many things have changed since then. I finally have a better website and an excellent camera – and though my writing is still full of errors, it has improved tremendously.
The key is, I don’t worry about it anymore. I know now that I don’t have to be perfect to be successful. I just need to be me – and ask myself how I can serve the world?
One of the biggest causes of creative dry spell is the need to “get it right.” We strive for perfection, and when we fall short, we feel less than and worthless.
What we don’t seem to realize is that CREATING something and being WILLING to put ourselves out there is an accomplishment in itself, regardless of how many times we “don´t get it right.”
NEVER let spelling/grammar struggles stop you from doing what you love.
Never let the lack of applause keep you from creating. You don’t need to be the best to succeed.
You don’t need to get it perfect all the time. And you certainly don’t need other people to approve of your skills.
The moment you realize that being kind, loving and supportive towards yourself and those you serve – everything changes. Your creativity will blossom, and you become unstoppable.
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect to create your dream business. Start without the perfect circumstances, begin without that beautiful logo, offer your service even though your product or skills are not fully developed yet.
Don’t wait for doors to open! CREATE your own door and invite abundance in.
BE the best YOU you can be and step out of the shadow to shine in your own wonderful accomplishments.
Success isn’t about your circumstances it’s about your thinking and your habits. The fastest way to let go of your limiting beliefs is by taking action. Just start. Take one tiny step every day.
You can do this!
With Love & Passion