“You don’t ever want to look back and wish that you woulda or coulda lived life with more guts or taken more risks.” Alexis Jones, author of I Am That Girl

I’m currently reading Alexis Jones’ book, I Am That Girl, and, of course, loving every page.  You know when you read a book and feel as if you’re the author behind it?!  She hit so many points, but today I wanted to focus on living with no regrets.  Unfortunately, many women will go through life with big dreams that will never be actualized because they didn’t have the courage to try.  Living life on the sidelines because you’re too afraid or scared to get in the game, get dirty and fall a few times is no way to live.  But, sadly this is the choice many women make.  There’s been many times I’ve put something off because I’ve been too scared to try and face the harsh reality that I may fail at it.  But, ultimately I’ve come around and given everything a shot and I can honestly say that looking back I have no regrets with my life thus far.  I’ve gone after everything my little heart desired… even if I did fail miserably….ahem singing class at USC and performing “Let it Snow” in a recital (just one example, btw).  Even though it was super embarrassing, it wasn’t the end of the world and I’m still alive and doing just fine.

In our heads we come up with these reasons and play out these horrible scenarios that can happen about failing if we attempt to try and 1. it’s a great way to talk yourself out of something and 2. it’s never as bad as you make it out to seem in your head.  When you do end up attempting something you feared so much most of the time you realize it wasn’t so bad after all.  Getting yourself to try is the hardest part, but I guarantee you, you’ll be happier and proud of yourself for doing it. And, that doesn’t mean you can’t be scared while you try.  It’s not about being fearless, but about being courageous in your attempt.  I’m sure I’ve used this example before, but a baby is not scared or afraid of learning to walk even though she struggles when she attempts to get up on two feet and take the first steps just to fall down many times and repeat the cycle all over again.  I constantly remind myself of this analogy when I start feeling that “fear” feeling in my stomach and feel too chicken to try something. When you do commit yourself to those dreams of yours–start that blog, talk to that guy, send that email, take that class, etc, you’ll also realize that the moments you put yourself out there, make yourself vulnerable, and feel uncomfortable, are the moments that you grow the most.  Just like the baby doesn’t start off running, everyone starts off an amateur that needs a lot of practice.

So the next time you feel yourself playing small, jump in and give it a shot.  What’s the worst that can happen–you fail?  So what, strong girl?  We all fail, but it’s your choice to stay down or get back up, dust yourself off and try again!

xx