Recently, I’ve come to the realization that I may not be my biggest advocate. It’s a terrible thing to know that they only person standing in your way happens to be the very person you see in the mirror.

Fear is a very paralyzing mechanism. The positive takeaway is that I’m learning that I need to make a conscious daily effort to stay less in my head and more into the world. Everyday I make a 3 columned list: My Fears/Anxiety, Reality, and the Takeaway

For Example:

Fear/Anxiety: My writing is terrible and I can’t hack it doing it full-time. I’m going to live in a box down by the river with the whole world pointing and laughing at me.

Reality: I have contracts with several companies maintaining their blogs. I’ve been published in reputable magazines that paid me for my work.

Takeaway: I need to tell my negative thoughts to STFU and continue on the path I want to lead. I can do this if I choose to; and I choose to.

When I do this exercise, it helps me realize that my fears are unfounded and that life is not all “doom and gloom”. It also shows me how scary being locked inside of your head can be. The world isn’t as scary as we make it out to be. My hope is that if my fellow bloggers/readers struggle with standing in their own path find ways to get out of their heads as well. What do you do to keep yourself positive? Let me know!