The awesome thing about putting your thoughts into an online blog is that you (and the rest of the world) get to see your growth in black and white. For some of us, putting ourselves "out there" can be overwhelming. We've stayed "safe" for so long, that anything that deviates from our normal tendencies seems terrifying to say the least.
Take me, for example. I couldn't possibly tell you all the thoughts that went through my head before creating and sharing my first real blog a little over two years ago. Should I really do this? Can I write well enough? Will people care? These thoughts swam around for a while--even after I clicked "Publish" on my first few blog posts. I subscribed to what I like to call "online megastars" and saw how hundreds, even thousands of followers. And then, of course, comparison kicked in and my feelings of inadequacy tried to kick in as well since I carried only a handful of supporters-most of whom were already in my network. But I kept writing anyway... ...and I nearly fainted every time I published a post to my website. :-) But here's the thing, one day, I woke up and realized that I was tired of being the "safe" girl-the one who never really rocked the boat. The woman who hated to be in the public eye and would do just about anything, including ignoring it, to make unwanted attention go away. I will tell you this, however: Something happens when you've got people looking up to you. It's as if you actually want to become the person you know you were designed to be so that those coming behind you will be empowered and fearless in their own pursuit of liberty, freedom, and greatness that is wrapped up in being themselves. So here we are now, letting this little light of mine shine like a disco ball in the middle of 1985! And I had the nerve to actually write a book, too! (Click here on this shameless plug to check it out in paperback OR e-book). And honey, let me tell you something: If little CYNAE can do it, SO CAN YOU! It doesn't matter how many or how few degrees, jobs, experiences, or dollars you have. If GOD put it in you, then you have everything you need to share your gift with the world. While we may still have to work that 9-5 job to keep the house lights on, I can honestly say that there is nothing more fulfilling than betting on yourself and your gift! This might mean getting up early in the morning, or going to bed well after everyone in your household is asleep JUST so you can work on that THING-that gift, business, or craft that is unique to you. However, DON'T QUIT! Make a promise to yourself and KEEP IT! See it through to completion. Be encouraged, friends! And whatever phase of your journey you're on, I would LOVE to hear about it! You're not alone in this journey we call life. Whatever it is, let it shine, shine, shine!!! ~Cynae
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#MyHistory2016
~Cynae As a musician, my favorite things about movies are the songs that bring them to life. The song, "Pure Imagination" from the movie Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, has always played a role in my life as one of those random songs that always gets stuck in my head at the strangest times. I can walk around my office for hours singing, " If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it. Anything you want to do it. Want to change the world? There's nothing to it." Seriously. If I'm not singing it, then if you spend enough time with me, you'll more than likely catch me humming the tune. Besides the fact that I have always loved Gene Wilder's voice (and portrayal of Willy Wonka), there is a clear message that always jumps out at me. Just look around. Often times we focus so much on what we don't have that we fail to see what we do. In fact, we have our sad violin story down to a science. The story that we tell so well is how we have either missed out, been looked over, don't have, or can't achieve something when in all actuality, we have everything we need within our reach. When there is plenty, I skip over the basics and immediately go to the excess. But instead of moving me forward, the excess can sometimes be a distraction. I can get so caught up in the bells and whistles of things that I waste time with trivialities instead of pressing forward with what I'm really supposed to be doing. So now, I find that while they may be unpleasant, my most profound moments of clarity are those when the money is tight, when the deadlines are a breath away, and when all we can do is bet on ourselves. These have come to be my favorite moments because that's when I have no other choice but to simply look around and take a real inventory of what I have to work with. Many of my artistic visions, scholastic ideas, business ventures and most creative solutions have come when I am down to nothing-when there is no extra money in the bank, when my supervisor doesn't give me sufficient funds to make a project work the way that I want it to or when the folks whom you thought had your back are the ones who have tried to destroy your efforts. Is it easy to get to this particular place of growth? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But those things that are easy are rarely the things we need in our tool kit to get to where we want to go. Identifying the actual NEEDS in our businesses, projects, ventures, and even relationships can eliminate unnecessary baggage and waste that we sometimes carry around with us to our destinations. If we would follow Mr. Wilder's words and simply look around, we could actually see that we are already in resource paradise. What we actually need to succeed many times is right at our fingertips. Happy New Year! ~Cynae |