You sense a glimmer of an idea, something new you want to do with your life.
You mention it to your spouse, your colleague, or your best buddy. Instead of the supportive response you hoped for, you get:
“What? Why would you want to do that?”
Maybe the person laughs. Or frowns. Or screws up his face like he just bit into a lemon.
What happens to your idea? It shrivels, like a raisin in the sun.
Giving Your Power Away
I read somewhere that power, if you don’t use it, will migrate to someone who will. In other words, if you don’t have courage in presenting your ideas, even to yourself, they will come across as weak, and the power behind them will disappear.
Think back to the sales people you’ve known in your life. Some could convince you that a plastic beaded bracelet was worth hundreds of dollars, while others couldn’t sell you the fanciest car on the planet.
The difference? Belief.
“You have to have the courage to embrace an idea, accept it, and believe it,” writes author Stuart Wilde, “before you have any real proof that the energy is there for you, or that the idea will work. By giving the infinity within you credence, you empower it to come to life.”
But What If Your Idea is No Good?
How can you muster up this belief, when you’re not really sure that what you have to offer is worth anything? That your idea is good? That you actually have talent?
“As we move through life, we get mixed messages from the various aspects of ourselves,” writes author Debbie Ford. “Some of our voices, such as the naysayer or saboteur, can speak so loudly that they drown out the voice of truth. Listening to your true inner voice—often the voice of understanding, support, and self-assurance—can help lessen and even resolve internal conflict.”
Of course it’s good to do your research. Find out if your idea’s been done before, and if so, how you could do it better. Test it out by working on it for a bit to see if your excitement holds. Give it a little time and see if the idea keeps nagging in your head.
If it does, it’s time to move forward.
Listening to the Kind Voice
When you listen to the kindest, most encouraging voice inside you, that’s the right one, and it won’t steer you wrong.
Hard to believe? Only if you’ve been used to doubting yourself all your life, or putting yourself down.
If your own kind words seem foreign, or too self-indulgent, ask yourself why.
Why must the “real” voice be critical and judgmental? Doesn’t it make sense that your true inner voice—the center of your soul—would want what’s best for you?
“Having the ability to believe in your inner voice takes a combination of intuition and self-confidence,” says Laura Day, author of Practical Intuition.
Trouble is, you have to summon that confidence before you see any proof of your talent, before you finish novel, and before you prove yourself right. It requires a leap of faith, but that’s what makes it exciting.
“We become used to overriding those inner messages, don’t we?” writes Wilde. “Agreeing to listen is important; acting on what you hear is even more important. It doesn’t matter if, at first, you get things a bit mixed up. You have to start somewhere—that’s the all important step.”
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