This is something that I’ll tell you every day in a hundred different ways – you have a gift, you have a message to share, you have something that sets your world on fire; it’s time to stop hiding and just do it, ok?
And whatever fear or not enoughness is holding you back from fully embracing that, you need to find it, face it and squash it.
Gifts are funny things, but here’s something I know for sure: gifts are for sharing.
So take me, I’m a classically trained soprano – not a lot of people know that, because I do it for me for fun. I have lessons every Tuesday evening after the kids go to bed, and sometimes I sound really good, and sometimes it sounds pretty bad, and I’ll join in with a sing a long with friends, love nothing more than a Christmas carol service, and am always singing around the house whoever is around – but that’s something that only has happened in recent year. Before, the thought of anyone other than my teacher hearing me sing, made me feel sick.
Which is why back when I was first training for my exams as a teen, I hardly told a soul what I was doing, because if I did, they might actually ask me to sing for them. And the fear of having how good I was or wasn’t judged for something I did simply because I loved it, would totally and utterly ruin it for me.
So I never talked about it.
But that’s ok. The world was none the poorer for my musical stylings…
But what if say, Adele, felt like me?
Or Beyonce?
Or Mariah Carey?
What if they were so scared of someone saying, “Sorry love, I prefer a bit of Bowie.” that they only sang for their besties, or in the shower?
Now that would be a classic case of fear stealing your destiny, wouldn’t it?
And that’s a much sadder tale to tell.
The thing is, the female entrepreneurial world is FILLED with experts and prodigies and leaders, who only let themselves sing in the proverbial shower.
Because here’s the truth: bushels (the light-hiding kind) come in many different forms: faceless brands, soul-less copy, layers of corporate speak, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, years and years of procrastination, that famous phrase “one day…”
But imagine Gaby Bernstein decided she wouldn’t write that book she’d been yearning to, and The Universe Has Got Your Back never got published?
Or if Jenna Kutcher only ever talked about that podcast she wanted to start: “Oh well, it’s not like it would have been life-changing or anything…” she’d say.
Or Marie Forleo decided that she didn’t have a face for video…?
If this was the case, they’d all still probably be floating around in the online space, relatively unknown, growing their expert status one client at a time.
So just in case this is touching a nerve with you, here’s a gentle nudge from me to you…
If you have a gift… A bigger message to share… A different way of seeing things… And a yearning to share it from a bigger stage…
Right now is the right time to stop being the world’s best-kept secret.
Because my lovely lady… You’re ready.
xx
ps Have you had a listen to my podcast The Content Download? Tune in for weekly inspiration for showing up and shining your light in a way that feels good. You can also join the free facebook group here.