Unleashed
Do you ever dream of doing something completely different with your life but you keep making excuses as to why you can’t do it? Well, I have had a dream to be a motivational speaker for a few years now and I have managed to hold myself back for the following reasons and more:
I have Multiple Sclerosis
I don’t have enough energy
I already have a full time job and can’t afford to switch careers
I need to be at home for my family
I don’t have enough training
Do any of these excuses sound familiar? Well, allow me to dismiss every excuse and unleash my potential so I can motivate you to do the same thing. Let’s start with excuses 1 and 2 from my list, “I have Multiple Sclerosis” and “I don’t have enough energy”. Having MS is a good thing because if I didn’t have this disease, I never would have found my passion. After having MS for 24 years, I have learned to find the humor in my challenging situations and more importantly, I have learned to keep things in perspective. I want to share this awareness with other people and help them find positivity and comic relief in their lives. Although I’m low on energy, it’s OK. I’m not going to be singing or dancing on stage; I’m just going to be speaking. The last 3 speeches I gave inspired me to continue on this path because I felt energized after each one and I wanted to keep sharing more information with the group. In addition, I realized that by staying true to myself, I didn’t have to stand at a podium and wear myself out. I sat in a chair and was able to be more animated since I wasn’t worried about falling down or my legs shaking while I was standing up. As long as I stay true to myself and I feel comfortable on stage in whatever position I choose to give my speech, it will be OK because it’s authentic.
Excuses 3 and 4 make no sense at all when I really think about them. As far as my job goes, I have been there for 15 years but it’s just a job; it’s not a career. I’m grateful that it has paid the bills and allowed me the flexibility I needed to be there for my daughter as she went through school but now she’s in college. She is following her dreams and it’s time for me to follow mine too. Although I might be out of the house a little more than usual, my husband and my puppy will be just fine. My husband has been telling me for years that I make a lot of excuses for not living my dream. He always says to me, “You choose”; thus I choose to be a motivational speaker because no one else can do that for me. Ultimately, I want to make myself and my family proud by living my dream and not just talking about it.
As far as training goes, I have given a few speeches and received positive feedback. I actually tried to join a speaking group so I could learn more before I jumped into my future but I just found out last Wednesday that the group didn’t have enough members to continue. At first, I was disappointed but then I laughed at the entire situation. I took it as a sign that I have to stop making excuses and just get out there and speak. Will I make mistakes? Yes. Am I scared? Heck yeah. Am I thinking about tripping or falling down on stage? Yes but I will get back up again and persevere. I feel unleashed and I am ready to follow my passion. No more excuses! You can do it too.