Keep Doing You. You're The ONLY One That Can.

Happy.....Friday? Yes, I am writing this on a day I wouldn't normally. I needed to mix things up a bit. I was feeling inspired and thought I should run with it.

Since I was a just a young one, I have always had a hard time making decisions. Whether it was deciding what to order at a restaurant or choosing "just the right songs" for my mix tapes (yes, I grew up during the time of cassette tapes and I LOVED it) or picking out an outfit to wear for school. Feeling solid with my decisions is something that has rattled me for as long as I can remember.

In my career, the indecisiveness turned into doubt and thoughts of, "Who is really going to believe in me" or "Why is what I do or create special or different than everyone else out there?!" These are still thoughts that creep in today- at the ripe age of 43, unfortunately, and often make me feel uninspired or dare I say- unimportant. 

I came across a passage in a book I am currently reading that told me exactly what I needed to hear. It gave the indecisive, unsure story I was telling myself the solid kick in the pants that it deserved. It's from a book called "Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life" by Jen Hatmaker. I have read a few of her books at this point and she makes me literally laugh out loud with her storytelling.

This is the excerpt and I hope that it resonates with you, like it did with me:

"There is no scarcity in creativity. The world always needs good offerings. We cannot have too much beauty. There is no such thing as too much wisdom and literature and story and craftsmanship. There is room for you. Don't be intimidated by successful makers; be inspired by them. Creativity doesn't divide but multiply, finding new expressions in everyone inspired by someone else's gift. We can draw from our favorite writes, artists, musicians, thinkers, leaders, teachers; they sharpen and stretch us, laying pavement for our own gifts, offering possibility and permission to be even better versions of our own creative selves. No need to feel threatened or minimized by someone else's amazing talents. It is all fed by the same river that has no end, no threshold, no limits.
Draw from your treasured mentors and then create what only you can; there is no one else who can do exactly what you do in the way you do it. Your story is yours alone. No one has already claimed your seat at the table no matter how similar the genre. Do your time; there is room for you."

We all have something to give, create and share and we should never feel like it is not as important or worthy as what someone else has to offer. Don't second guess yourself or question it. Someone out there is hoping to receive exactly what you are putting out there in the world. So I will keep creating and pushing forward to do what only I can do. Even if there are a million other people doing what I do- they are not me. 

As always, thank you for reading.
With Gratitude-
Rachel