What do you want?

It’s not a trick question.

If you took off the limits.

If you had the money.

If you had the time.

If you stopped judging it as impossible.

Do you know what you want?

We often think in terms of what we DON'T want. Enough already!

I want to hear about what you want.

What inspires you? What lights you up?

It doesn't have to make sense. You don't need to know how to do it. 

What would you stay up late, or get up early to do?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get to the end of my life wondering if I lived it to the fullest.  I want to “suck all the marrow out of life.” I don’t want to miss anything.

I want to hear about what you want. The sky's the limit. Shock me. Wow me. Inspire me. Make me think. 

Tell me what you want in the comments below. Just writing it down might spark some magic around making it come true.

Be brave. Tell me.

What to do when you don’t feel brave enough

Life if full of opportunities to step up. 

To say “yes.” Or maybe it’s “no,” that takes more courage.

It takes courage to be authentic.

To speak our truth.

To open a business, write a blog, or ask for a raise.

I remember when I went to work after being a stay-at-home mother for 10 years. That was terrifying! I had very little confidence. I felt like an imposter every day.

How can we prepare for such things?

Sometimes we can anticipate that we’re going to get an invitation to be brave. Other times, it’s unexpected.  

I suggest you practice. What do I mean? Practice being brave?

Yes. So often we try to avoid anything that feels risky. We avoid doing something we may fail at.

Big mistake! Bravery can be practiced. It’s a skill you can build by doing it. By doing it often.

Start small. Ask for a free coffee at your favorite coffee shop. Will they tell you no? Probably. There. You just survived a rejection, a disappointment. You might have been embarrassed or felt foolish. Other people in line heard you make a ridiculous request. Let the embarrassment roll by. Smile. Hold your head high. Say “thank you” to the barista. You’re in your own training regime. That’s all that matters.

When you leave you’ll feel the feeling of being brave enough to do it. And what if… What if the barista says “sure.” You’ll be giving yourself high-fives for being so brave!

If this seems ridiculous. I’ll give you the method to my madness. You see, it doesn’t really matter whether the barista says yes, or no. For you, it’s about the practice of asking for something that you wouldn’t normally ask for. That’s part of what being brave is. Doing something you wouldn’t normally do. It doesn’t have to be jumping out of a plane.

Here’s the other reason it will strengthen your bravery muscle: you’re not attached to the outcome. I mean, really, it doesn’t matter if they say yes or no. The point is being brave enough to ask. Being detached from the outcome is a freedom all it’s own.

The real magic?

When we practice being brave in situations that don’t matter, that aren’t important, we are much more likely to be brave when it is important! How can I expect myself to be brave in speaking my truth to my lover, spouse or boss, when I can’t be brave with a barista about something that isn’t even that important? With a little practice you will be able to tap into that practiced bravery when it matters.  

Are you brave enough to ask for a raise or promotion?

Not feeling brave enough?

Today is day 10 of 12 Days of Enough.

It's the time of year where there are often opportunities ask for a raise or promotion, or for those entrepreneurs out there, raise your prices. 

If you aren't feeling brave enough, here's my Lifestyle Advice: Bravery takes practice.

Bravery is a skill, like any other. I was watching a great interview with Tim Ferris and Marie Forlio. They were talking about practicing in small ways for big moments. That way, when the big moment comes, you’re ready for it. Tim was talking about all the publishers who rejected his best-selling book, The Four-Hour Work Week.

He was rejected tons of times before the book was finally accepted. He said he would practice being rejected in small ways. Asking a barista at Starbucks if he could have a discount on his order. Just to hear the “no.” To get used to it.

Bravery is similar.

Practice it in small ways.

Ask for the table you want at your favorite restaurant. You may not always get it, but you will sometimes.

Being brave isn’t about getting your way, it’s about being willing to ask for what you want.

If you don’t practice bravery in small ways, chances are, you won’t have it when it comes to something big like a raise or promotion.

You can cram for this if necessary! Depending on how soon you need to ask for the raise or promotion (or raise your prices), you can start with doing one brave thing a day. If you don’t have much time, make it two or three things a day.

Remember it’s not about the outcome. Of course, we love it when we get a “yes” for our bravery, but the win is in the act of doing what scares us. Period. Give yourself the credit for doing it.

Being brave is a skill. It’s like a muscle. If you haven’t been exercising it, it’s probably pretty weak. As soon as you exercise it, the strength builds and then it’s there when you need it.

Because, you are brave enough! You might just need a little practice at it. :) 

Please feel free give the gift of being enough to your friends by sharing this with them! They can click here to get the series delivered directly to them.