When You’re Afraid to Tell Your Story

For a long time, I was afraid to share my story.

Friends. Family. Random stranger on the internet.

What would they think?

Many struggle with sharing their story.

In fact, if you don’t have this fear, you’re probably in the minority.

Somehow we’re afraid of sharing who we truly are.

We’re afraid of being ourselves

We’re afraid of doing the only thing that we can, and must, do.

You see, you can’t be anyone else. Your purpose is to be fully yourself, and share what you have inside of you.

Yet so many of us are afraid of doing exactly that.

We’re afraid of being rejected, because it may have happened in the past.

The truth?

If you want to get paid to do what you love, you have to stand out, and you have to let your own unique strengths shine.

People want to connect with you.

They want to hear your worldview, your opinions, and above all, your truth.

I know it’s not easy.

I don’t think the fear ever goes away.

The problem then isn’t the fear, but how you relate to it.

The more you listen to that fearful voice inside your head, the more you sink into obscurity, and the farther away your dreams drift.

But you have a choice

You can give into your fears and doubts. It’ll lead you to a life where the walls keep closing in on you. You’ll eventually develop claustrophobia.

Or, you can realize that your fears are just thoughts that you’ve decided are important.

Now, it’s not as easy as just seeing that your thoughts are thoughts, although it can be. You’ve developed a habit of worrying and thinking.

You’ve grown accustomed to the what if mindset. It may take time to break.

But it starts with seeing through the illusion that you’ve created for yourself.

Here’s how the illusion works

You feel inspired to share your story, but uh oh, a thought pops up, “What will people think? Who do you think you are?”

And you respond to it. You believe it has validity and power.

You defend yourself without realizing that you’re arguing in your own head.

So what’s the solution?

The solution is to not react, to let the thought drift by, like a fallen leaf riding a stream off into the distance.

Thoughts don’t hold power. They can’t command your attention. If you watch them and let them pass, they float away.

At first, they’ll call their friends and family. But as you let them pass, they’ll dissolve into imaginary dust.

This is what’s worked for me. Whenever doubts come up in my mind, I still feel them, but I also don’t take them seriously.

I know they’ll pass. I know I’ll feel better, and when I do, I’ll think differently, because I’m in a different mood.

The bottom line

You need to tell your story.

It may seem mundane to you, but it’s not.

People need to hear your story in order to trust you and feel like they know you.

Your lifestyle business will be built around you and your story. People want to buy into you.

It may not be great at first, but the more you share it, the more you’ll learn what inspires people, and what works.

It all starts with challenging your assumptions and fears.

It starts with looking at your fears and saying, “So what? If the worst has to happen, then let it happen, but I’ll do what I love or die trying.”

So, What are you waiting for?