When anxiety stops you from showing up, the community teaches you how to show up for others, and you discover the path to show up for yourself
What if every limitation you experienced was a result of living with dirty glasses? Glasses you have worn for so long you forgot what wearing clean glasses looked like.
When our life glasses get the debris of our everyday lives accumulated over time our view becomes hazy, distorted, and unclear. Straining to get a clear view causes a ripple effect of painful symptoms such as headaches, burning eyes, exhaustion even neck pain and stiffness. If that is the effect dirty glasses on your eyes what effect is it having on your life?
I want you to think of a time you said YES to something scary. YES, when uncertainty and doubt were creeping in. For me that YES is Toastmasters. I’ve been a member of a Toastmasters Club for 3 years now. It is a group of people that connect every week to practice communication and leadership skills. When we have guests join us for a meeting I always try and watch for that yes moment. For members who have been around for a while, I like to catch those moments where they are reminded of their YES. The thing that brings them back week after week. I often wonder what that first YES moment was for them.
A few months ago I published my first book, one I have had in my heart for years.
They say writing a book is like having a baby I say it’s far worse and I’ve had 4 children. Naturally. There is nothing natural about birthing a book.
I’ve been trying and failing at writing this book for over 5 years and it wasn’t until I surrounded myself with people who were doing or had done the thing that I wanted to do that I was able to finish the book.
I had gotten to a point where I was so frustrated with my lack of progress, I literally burnt my manuscript … TWICE
Despite my best efforts to move on, this book would not leave me alone. It would keep me up at night and I’d come back at it with new resolve and rewrite and do it again only to scratch it and give up again.
I found this community of authors, it not only gave me a roadmap to what was possible but it gave me people who knew exactly how I was feeling, Who could help guide me when I had those moments I just wanted to give up… again… but this time I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Tears. Tantrums. Reasons. Excuses. More tears. Doubt. all of it invaded my space. I was working so hard to try and avoid the storm I had to walk through. I had to go THROUGH the process. There was no other way.
You see people ahead of you showing you what is possible, showing real proof that it can be done. Hearing your own fears and insecurities in their stories. You see people just starting and you see yourself in them. You realize you are part of a greater system.
Not to mention accountability. Not only do your excuses fizzle out when you try to give them to people who have already done the thing you are trying to do, but you feel a sense of responsibility to be the example for the person who feels that maybe they can’t do this.
I believe that Toastmasters attracts a special kind of person. A person with vision, an appetite for learning, and a greater commitment than just getting through the day. One that inspires leaders and growth.
When I started at Toastmasters I was awe-struck but how speakers in our club and clubs I visited. It felt so impossible to think I could ever get to that point.
I felt so dumb when I stumbled over myself, and stuttered when I forgot things. My mind would literally go blank when asked to speak on the spot.
I had gotten to a point where I was more afraid of what I would become if I continued to let my fear guide me. I didn’t want to wish I had taken a chance. I vowed, there in that bathroom stall where I was hiding, hoping my foot wouldn’t slip into the bowl, not daring to make a sound, all in the effort to avoid any sort of interaction with other parents, while waiting for my oldest daughter to finish hockey practice, that if it scared me, I HAD to do it.
The Toastmaster community is powerful, never comparing you to anyone, but are excited to see your growth, where ever you are. One of my favorite Toastmasters quotes is “We become one another's project”
I could not have written this book without the support and guidance of the author community, I could not have developed skills as a speaker and learned to convey my message without the structure and support of the Toastmaster community.
I want to circle back to YES moments. Think of those moments that made your heart lept out and said yes? What keeps you showing up?
Your fear will only be silenced by action. It will never go away. Inspiration and motivation only works if its followed by action, HOW EVER SMALL, only you know if you are moving forward, if you are stretching yourself to show up. When you show yourself you can do scary things, those things become easier.
3 things I want you to remember:
1) When part of a community, if it feels scary do it, not only do you teach yourself you can do scary things but you inspire others to have the courage to show up for themselves too.
2) Ask for help (don’t be shy to reach out to your mentors, anyone they are there for you and want you to grow. When you grow the community grows stronger.
3) Accept where you are and compare yourself with the self of yesterday,
I urge you, to step up and see how your life can unfold, and who you can impact because in the end if we just keep all that we have learned to ourselves what’s the point if it dies with us?
It’s time to clean your dirty glasses and start seeing a world of clarity and possibly, of your possibility and impact to honor that part of you that whispers YES!
Hi, I’m Leah spelt Ligia, thanks for reading!
I am an artist, a writer, and a speaker. I love to notice all the little things in life that teach us lessons worth paying attention to.
This is my journey into the world of following my creative dreams. I’m the author of “Living with Dirty Glasses” if you are ready to clean your life lenses and start creating the life of your dreams you can grab your downloadable life glasses cleaning book here.
Thank you for reading. This is my journey into the tumultuous world of following my creative dreams.
You’re welcome to join me for the ride (:
