“You must be the person you have never had the courage to be. Gradually, you will discover that you are that person, but until you can see this clearly, you must pretend and invent.” ~ Paulo Coelho
Let’s Play Pretend
Close your eyes. Wait. Scratch that so you can keep reading. I want you to pretend that you finally made it big. Big can be anything.
Ok, now what is that big thing? It’s okay if you don’t know what you want. It’s normal – trust me. I remember in high school they always asked me to pick. “You have to pick something now!” What do you want to do for the rest of your life? Pick a major or vocation.
If you did happen to think of that big thing in your life that you could see yourself truly loving, good for you. Visualization is the first big step. If you can imagine what you want to do with your life, then there is a good chance you can achieve it.
“Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it. believe in it. Make your mental blue print, and begin to build.” ~ Robert Collier
Now it’s time to start. Pick something that will get you pointed in the right direction. Now here comes the awesome advice: Start faking it. Everyone is doing it. Pretend like you know what you’re doing before you know how. It is only half “fake it until you make it”. The rest is about stretching and embracing freedom in a new way. It’s about giving yourself permission.
Stop sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else. Do you want to live you entire life like that? Who cares what people think? Why not be so interesting that people are curious and want to converse with you?
Learn On The Fly
For the next few days, weeks, and months, I want you to say yes to everything out of your comfort zone even if you don’t know anything about it. You may think this is crazy, but if you don’t know something – you can always learn on the fly. Think of all the information you have access to in this day in age. You can literally learn anything you want.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you will learn from them. The best part is that you finally start to figure out how to “do” things. You won’t know until you truly try. It’s like moving to a new city or area. You have to go through the drudgery of learning the all the roads, street names and places. The best way to do this is to just start driving! Trust your instincts and dive right in. The water is only cold initially. Then, it starts to feel normal.
It’s all about having confidence in yourself. Think of someone who has already achieved what you want. They were just like you! Can you believe it?! They had to learn things. You can do the same.
It’s Not Easy
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This isn’t going to be easy. No one likes to be uncomfortable, but learning to jump outside your comfort zone can help you grow leaps and bounds in your personal life. It sounds scary – because it is. There are no shortcuts. It takes hard work, but I promise it will be worth it. Eventually, you won’t be faking it.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” ~ Neale Donald Walsch
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