The Trick is to Do It Afraid.

Being 20-something can be quite a deceitful experience. Surely, I can't be the only one who constantly loses herself in the fable of "you've got time..." I have constantly bemoaned to you all about my fear of not being happy in everything I do and taking the right steps to making sure that I am, yet somehow, I get sidetracked - distracted by my current life and the little it is offering me in terms of satisfaction.

And as such, once again, I have become gravely dissatisfied with where I currently am. I am itching, desperate even, to begin to tick the boxes that suggest that I am very much on the right track to becoming Maniaphobe 2.0. I can't continue to be the person who on Sunday night, longs in fact, begins to lust after Friday. How is it that before the work week even commences, I am already desperately seeking the next weekend? It's my fault and no one else's. I know exactly what I want, but I am afraid. Of what you might ask; of myself, of rejection, of Doubting Thomases and of failing. I recently took a few days off work to head home to Nigeria to catch up with family and friends, and in that time I thought extremely hard about my life and where I am now. I am not failing, things are certainly moving at a snail's pace but I am not failing. However, I am getting dangerously comfortable with this even though I know for a fact that I am not satisfied with my current situation.

One of the main reasons I went home was to deliver the welcome speech at, and be a part of Genevieve Magazine's greatly inspiring Morning Dew Readings. Morning Dew is a column that my mum writes in the magazine and has done for 10 years. In it, she discusses her life, the obstacles she battles each day and how continues to get over. So at the Dew Readings, inspiring women of all ages comes together to highlight our favourite article, and share with each other the ways in which it spoke to us, even inspired us.

One of my favourite Morning Dews, is Still Running. My mum talks about how even though life can sometimes prove to be in your way and not on your side, you absolutely must not stop running. Let your passion fuel you, let the cheers of your family and friends from the stands be the wind beneath your wings, but most importantly let your own dedication to reaching your goal motivate you to pick up the pace and keep going.

When asked how, at 45 my mum decided to start Genevieve Magazine, her simple answer was; "the trick is to do it afraid." It took me a minute to truly appreciate what this means. Once you have an idea, a dream or a goal, you will be met with all sorts of reactions - from the people you tell about it but also from yourself. The voices in your head have a way of playing cruel tricks on you, left side telling you all the reasons why this won't work and the right side telling you all the reasons why it will. We spend so much time considering the left side that we cripple ourselves with fear don't we? I'm guilty. I have in so many ways stifled my dreams by paying far too much attention and giving too much weight to the left side before I even begin to listen to the naysayers who for whatever reason strongly believe the idea won't fly.

The trick is to do it afraid. Close your eyes and jump. Your dream won't work if you don't, etc...

I've said it so many times but I feel that mine, as much as yours maybe, is a slow journey in which a lot will happen behind the scenes before they come to light. So though it may seem that very little is happening in terms of getting started on achieving my goals, I assure you, they are. I just need to quit stalling in the middle because I am afraid. I need to remind myself that this is not where I want to be but it is certainly enroute to where I'm going... I'm excited, I'm pumped and I guess writing this has helped with that.

I have to constantly remind myself that no one is responsible for making my dreams a reality but me. No one will be passionate about your ideas if you are not and in fact even then, they will not match your enthusiasm. It is your duty to yourself, to prove that you can indeed do it. And then you must. Whatever ideas you have, whatever your dream job, role or idea is work tirelessly to make it happen, regardless of whatever fears you might have. If you believe enough in it, then you will be able to power through. After all, if your dream doesn't scare you, it isn't big enough, right?