The last time we met here, I had just returned from an amazing trip to Spain where I learned to surrender to the unknown. I learned to be vulnerable and open. I got back in touch with my inner artist, my inner voice. The inspiration I carried back from that trip was immense.
Before I left for that trip, I was still trying to sort things out in my new direction. I was taking on client work to keep bills paid and mouths fed, but really wanted to focus on building my own products. I took two months off, a big risk as a freelancer, to focus on developing my first idea. This was something I had never done before and when I thought about it too much I really scared myself!
And then there came set-backs in the product design. And I became overwhelmed by the huge amount of work it would take for me to make the product a reality. I took on more client work because I began to worry that I wouldn’t be able to get more work when I needed it later. With the new client work I had less time to focus on the design of my own product. I began to lose confidence in my idea, in my ability to execute it, in my capacity to juggle clients and my own product work effectively.
My self-doubt left me unable to overcome the hurdles I needed to make my dream come true. Then this amazing trip to Spain happened, and my inspiration and creative energy blossomed.
I returned and suddenly found ways around the setbacks. Within weeks I had brought together all of the pieces that before the trip seemed overwhelming. In a few months after returning from Spain, I found myself launching my first product. I was now living what I had only dreamed about a year before.
Looking back now, it amazes me that I was able to complete my journey to launching a product when I was so certain it was impossible months earlier. And it also amazes me that I was letting some small setbacks get in the way of what I knew I needed to do, and could do. I have always been one of those people that believe anything is possible if we put our minds to it, yet, I had been closed off to the possibility that I could make my product happen. I psyched myself out at a time that nearly prevented me from ever making my dream come true.
With a more open and vulnerable heart, I was able to plod along and create without worrying about if and how I might finish my work. I just trusted the journey, I surrendered to it.
We stop ourselves from achieving so much. We keep ourselves from realizing our dreams. But if we look back over our previous accomplishments, we find that we can really do anything our heart desires.
We just have to forge ahead with our hearts open.