Called, not qualified

They say you do the work you most need to exist in the world.  

I guess they’re right.  

I’m the girl who spends her time focused on helping women replace the negative stories in their minds with truth and love for themselves and others.  I encourage women to lean in, to pay attention to what’s in their hearts to do in the world and last week, I found myself thinking this.  So I journaled about it: 

You should just quit and do something you know how to do. You should let the people who know about fashion, fair trade, and for that matter, business in general, handle online marketplaces. You should let journalists and “real authors” handle the writing, Crystal.  You’ve never even been able to spell.  And while you’re at it, stop trying to help all of these females social entrepreneurs. They don’t need you.  There are far better people out there than you, who are trained in this sort of thing. . . In fact there are courses and professors, all kinds of people who know way more about what they’re doing than you do.  You should just give up.

That’s it.  Live for your listening pleasure, my personal negative soundtrack about my work.

But I can’t stop.

It’s in my heart, it’s in my soul. I need to do it. Even if no one responds.  Even if it doesn’t “work”.  It’s part of my path to do it.

If I can help one woman keep going today, doing the things she knows she’s meant to do, then it’s worth it.  If I can encourage one woman who is considering following that voice, that little tiny voice, she hears in her heart to do something more meaningful, it’s worth it.

 It’s true, there’s a lot I don’t know how to do.

I’m just a goofy girl, who likes to have fun, a mom, with a background in medical sales, who decided to take a leap to solve a problem I don’t know a lot about, to encourage hearts and write.

I might be the least qualified person.

But every day, I have to choose to replace that negative soundtrack with the truth about who I am and remind my mind (does that even make sense?) how much I love connecting women to each other and to the stories in their hearts.   And I can’t do it alone.  For me, it takes me being open in a spiritual connection with God and a physical connection with people to get past it.   The struggle is real, sister.

If it’s real for me, I’m guessing it’s real for you too.

You can’t face it alone.

What is it you feel called, but not qualified to do? 

What soundtrack is playing that keeps you telling yourself you’re not experienced enough?  Not talented enough? Not pretty enough? Not connected enough? Not whatever enough?

Your not knowing, your not … enough is what enables you to see things the ones who know can’t see.

Get it out.  

Journal it.  Share it with a trusted friend. Connect with God.

Whatever you do, don’t quit.

We need you.

We don’t need you to be qualified.  We simply need you to say yes.

I’m cheering for you!

(strange blue “diamond armor” hat and all)

To more love,

Crystal