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My No. 1 Tool to Build Rock-Solid Confidence in your Work
Do you fear the fear?
When you put yourself out in there in a bigger way, take new risks in your career, or venture outside of your comfort zone, it’s completely normal to have feelings of fear, insecurity, and doubt about your work.
So, the first thing I want to do is normalize (a therapeutic tool) these feelings: I want to normalize feelings of fear and insecurity when you’re trying something new and taking new risks in your career. It’s totally normal.
But even though it’s normal, that fear can hold you back. And when it does, that’s not OK. As Susan Jeffers said, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
I want to give you tools to help you live your best life, achieve your goals, and offer the world your own particular brand of magic.
I shared a video message on Facebook and Instagram on this topic of moving from fear to rock-solid confidence in your work. You can listen to important takeaways in the videos here:
2:35: Having fear is inevitable and it will accompany you anytime you’re reaching out of your comfort zone and anytime you’re stretching yourself to do a new project.
4:19: The key is offering yourself in service.
6:27: You are here on this planet with your unique makeup, your constitution, your astrology, your personality type, your dreams. How do you choose to use and offer that particular brand of magic?
9:28: Shift the focus on you to focus on them.
Offer Yourself in Service
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~ #AnaisNin
When I do research and reach out to my communities on social media, I find that many people are holding back because of insecurity and self-doubt.
From my own personal experience, I know that to move from insecurity, fear, self-doubt to unwavering confidence in my work is a really simple (yet not easy) shift in my state of mind.
Anytime I expanded my work and tried something new whether I launched a new project, recorded my first meditations or yoga DVD, started a podcast. . .I felt fear and insecurity. Anytime you reach out of your comfort zone it’s inherently new, so your system doesn’t know how to deal with it. . .yet.
Having fear is not a big deal. It is inevitable and it will accompany you anytime you’re reaching out of your comfort zone and anytime you’re stretching yourself to do a new project or try something new.
So, the way you shift your mindset is to offer yourself in service.
When you really focus on how you can add more value, be in more service with the people that you’re with whether students, clients, followers, viewers, etc. and offer more quality service to them, you can move past the fear and be of service.
This is a classic yoga principle. This is the principle of karma yoga that we are in service.
I truly believe the purpose of our lives is to be in service to others. How can we all uplift humanity on this planet?
As an entrepreneur, creative, artist, visionary, teacher, leader, or whatever you’re doing, you can face your fears when you shift your focus from yourself (almost the narcissistic need of validation, feeling loved and good about yourself, or any other external validation such as money, likes, shares followers, etc.) to how can I be of service, what do people really need, how can I offer myself as a vessel for spirit.
You and only you can offer your particular brand of magic. You’re the only one on this planet with your unique makeup, your constitution, your astrology, your personality type, and your dreams.
You come with your personal history, your lessons, and as soon as you offer yourself as a vessel of spirit and ask how you can be of service, it takes the onus off of you. . .you’re offering it up to spirit.
Say, “May I be an open channel for spirit, may the work I’m doing in the world be of benefit to all.”
And keep asking yourself how you can be of even more benefit, what are the tools and content people are looking for and more. You then totally flip the script from a selfish, self-centered approach to one where you show up in service to others.
Isvara Pranidhana as a Business Principle
In yoga practice, we have a principle called isvara pranidhana. Isvara translates into the god or goddess of your own understanding. Who do you resonate with as god: is it the universal spirit, a certain deity or archetype, what is your image of god, what do you really worship and feel connected to? Pranidhana means to surrender; to offer up.
Therefore, isvara pranidhana: I’m offering up the benefits, the boon, the result of my work to spirit. I’m simply showing up and doing my very best as a vessel for spirit. The results and the rewards are not up to me. I’m not concerned about what comes back to me. Because I know that if I show up and keep showing up and doing my best and work hard, I will be rewarded in kind. This is a universal law.
In your own work, consider how you can best show up for others. When you do that, the rewards and results will come.
Shift the focus from you to them.
You can show up perfectly imperfect. We’re all perfectly imperfect. Nobody has it all figured out.
The truth is that we show up in spirit and offer our gifts, talents, energy, our time, and attention as a tool to uplift and serve.
Your work is not about you. Your work is about who is receiving and what they need.
Learn by Living
Here’s my super quick meditation/prayer that I use before starting any new project or venture.
I place my hands on my heart, hold them in prayer position, or open my palms and then say a prayer and ask:
May I be an open vessel for spirit. May whatever needs to be heard come through me in a way that’s helpful, articulate, and that’s in the highest good of all.
The No. 1 tool to build rock-solid confidence: Simply offer yourself as a vessel and invite the spirit in.
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Thank you Ashley, beautiful and inspiring. A good start for the week ahead.
I will for sure say a prayer very morning.
Much appreciated
Love and gratitude your way
Chantal