Joy and Inspiration
I was recently asked for an inspirational quote to give my daughter.

Wow. What wisdom could I share with my daughter that she will understand at age 12 and also rediscover it at 21, 35, and age 42? Yes, I was overthinking it.

For some reason, I connected this simple request to where I am in life and to a recent conversation with a woman I just met. This woman finished her yoga teacher training five years ago, but the idea of leading a class paralyzed her with fear. She finally broke through her fear four years later to teach her first class. Less than a year later, she is a well-respected and passionate yoga instructor. I asked what helped her move through the fear. She said she had run out of excuses and realized there was never going to be a better time or a less scary time to jump in.

Sometimes, fear is a sign that you are moving in the right direction.

I felt an intense fear when I left corporate America. And again, when I committed to this work. I felt fear when I told my husband I loved him for the first time. That fear returns to me with each step I take into the life I’m building now. Sometimes, I even feel it when I send these damn newsletters. Slowly, I’m learning to embrace that fear, digest it and use it to propel me forward.

So. To my daughter, and as a reminder to myself when fear comes knocking, I bow to the words of Anais Nin.

One’s life expands or shrinks in proportion to one’s courage
– Anais Nin