You Are Worthy

I sit here trying to think of something to write and all I can think about is that I no longer have anything left. That I can no longer be of service to anyone. The feeling really sucks. It does not make me want to do anything and it feeds into itself. It is a never ending cycle of not believing I have nothing to offer until I take action.

What you are reading right now is the exercise I am taking myself through. Writing down that I have nothing to offer, really made me think and realize that I do have something to offer, I just needed to do take action which is the hard part, it is hard to create something that will improve someone’s life when you do not believe you can.

Fear is used a lot to describe why people will not do something, live beyond their limits and take chances. I used to think that people were very fearful, however now I do not think that is the real reason. Fear may be an output but the input is the fact that so many people believe they are not worthy of living a great life.

What is it the really drives fear? It is the belief that you are not good enough to accomplish what you want or the belief that you will fail because you are not good enough. If we believed that we were good enough and that it was okay to fail imagine how much we would get done.

Here are some ideas that have helped me get through my struggle in believing that I am not worthy.

1) Realize that everyone deals with this shit. Everyone at one time or another has believed they are not worthy. You are not a mistake, a screw up or broken. You are an incredibly amazing human being.

2) The struggle is part of the journey; it is not a road block or the voice telling you to stop.

3) Take one step: At times we get stuck in the belief that we are not good enough and that makes it hard for us to do anything. The key is to get moving and to stop worrying about creating something great, that will come but you have to get started.

4) Do it daily, it will keep you going. I have taken breaks that were supposed to last a day and instead lasted a year.

5) Forgive yourself, we all screw up. It happens, just keep going.

6) Aim for greatness not perfection: Perfection is not a good thing; it is a horrible thing. When you become perfect at something you are no longer growing.

7) Write what you are feeling down, and examine it to make sure it is actually true. It helps to write down what you are thinking because it makes you actually see it on paper.

8) Know that you will always have someone that believes in you, even when you do not believe in yourself, me.

Facing Our Personal and Professional Fears

Of all the obstacles we encounter in business, fear is by far the greatest. The same fears that plague us in our personal lives creep into our professional lives. Building our ideal life includes our ideal work, and creating a healthy balance between them. How is this achieved? By getting out of our own damn way.

Fear of Failure 

We all make mistakes, every day. In life, in work. We miss our flights. We hire the wrong people. We forget to pay an invoice. Mistakes are not failures, and they are easily overcome. With every missed opportunity, there is an opportunity to learn and grow, to do better.

Businesses fold for many reasons. Your funding disappears, society changes course, a recession hits, competition edges you out… There are any number of outcomes that are beyond your control. Look at any major publisher. You know the names of their most successful books or magazines, but what about the several that didn’t make it? Look at any major retailer or restaurant. You see locations everywhere you go, but what about the several that didn’t survive in their marketplace? No company, great or small, is exempt from making mistakes. But the heads of Random House or Target don’t close their doors, because their successes always outweigh their setbacks.

Fear of Inadequacy 

Many people are paralyzed by their fears of inadequacy. They question themselves, their talents and abilities, their products and ideas. Am I knowledgeable enough? Am I experienced enough? Is my product or service good enough? Questions like these can cause us to sabotage ourselves, either by preventing us to follow our dream in the first place, or crippling us along the way.

Everything is figureoutable.

Knowledge and experience can be gained. Products and services can be improved. Look at any food manufacturer. How often do you see words like new and improved, now with more…? Nobody has it perfect out of the gate, and nobody expects you to. In fact, making improvements is one of the best excuses to sporadically re-approach your ideal market.

Fear of Taking Risks

It’s a psychological fact that people view loss to be twice as powerful as gain. We work hard for what we have, and often we settle in life and work, because it’s a gamble to go for our dreams. We think of entrepreneurs as big risk takers, but truthfully, entrepreneurs take calculated risks and accept them as part of doing good business, and of living a good life.

Taking a calculated risk means considering all the advantages and disadvantages. It means considering all possible outcomes, being aware some outcomes may not be ideal, and being prepared. We buy bicycle helmets not because we expect to fall, but because we might. Helmet or no helmet, we still ride.

Fear of Financial Insecurity 

Nothing is certain when starting or growing a business, and that constant state of flux promotes insecurity and uncertainty. Some people choose to save up and start small, some find investors or take out loans and go for it. There is no wrong way, but there’s a right way for you.

I had a full-time career when I decided to start my first company. I planned for months while I still had a steady paycheck. I made sure I had six months of living expenses on hand. I made sure I had multiple income streams established. This is how I fought my financial fear. Ten years later I still practice both, but they are no longer about financial insecurity, they are about financial freedom. Six months of living expenses on hand means I can take a break anytime I want to. Multiple income streams means I can drop anything that’s no longer working for me.

Fear of Criticism

Our relationships influence every choice we make, and we listen especially hard when we’re about to do something big. Because humans are sensitive creatures. We care if our friends and family like our significant other. We care if our coworkers and classmates like our new haircut or outfit. That won’t change. But we can choose whether or not they have the ability  to change our minds.

Generally speaking, we won’t lose someone we love because we made a choice they didn’t agree with. Sure, you’d like others to believe in you and support your goals and dreams. But what’s really important is that you believe in yourself and do what calls to you.

It’s okay to change your mind. About the work you’re doing. About the life you want. About the company you keep. About anything, anytime. You get one life, do it your way. No matter what anyone else thinks.

Fear of Growth and Success

It may seem silly to fear your own growth and success, but it’s a very real and very legitimate thing. Growth and success often means adding to staff, opening additional locations… It means things start to get complicated. You need more insurance. You pay more taxes. More paperwork. More everything. More becomes a frightening word rather than an exciting one.

We live in a time where it’s never been easier to make our mark on the world. We also have an unprecedented amount of resources and assistance available to us. Smart solutions exist. Again: 

Everything is figureoutable.

Fear isn’t something we can expect to eliminate, but it is something we are capable of acknowledging and moving beyond. For every fear we have, there are multiple ways to circumvent it with knowledge and confidence.



Erika L. Block is a professional writer, artist/designer and art director working exclusively with the art, film, publishing, music and fashion industries. She is the owner of Creative Studios and Factory Girl, and the co-founder of BRAVE. Find her on facebook: facebook.com/erikalblock

What I learned from Ironman

Ironman some say it is the toughest thing you could ever do, to me it is one of the greatest things you will ever do. I love endurance athletics because you get to push your mind, body  and spirit to new limits and all of the les

sons that you learn while you do them. Here are some of the lessons that I learned about life and success from completing an Ironman.

Focus on where you want to go. I signed up for Ironman being a very poor swimmer and now; I am just a poor swimmer. I can always get better and that is the point, I can get better. I knew my weakness and what it would take but I focused on where I wanted to go Stop waiting for the right time because there will never be a right time. There will always be something wrong. Stop waiting for when you are ready because there will always be an excuse. Forget what you do not know or what you cannot do, you will get there, just commit to getting there.

One small step. Is how you complete an Ironman, change the world or change your life. One step after the other. An Ironman  is really not that complicated. You just need to keep going. One stroke after the other, one pedal stroke and one foot in front of the other, if you just keep moving you will get to your destination, never give up. It is a balance of figuring out how far you have to go and focusing on that next step. Just keep moving in the right direction.

Everyone travels at a different pace, but all that matters is getting to the finish. It does not matter your pace as long as you keep moving forward and meet the deadline. We get too caught up in trying to keep up with everyone else that it ends up hurting us. As I said before I am a poor swimmer. If I were to try and keep up with the great swimmers I would be dead on the bike and the run and I may not cross the finish line. This happens in real life. We see the success of our friends and we get happy for them but we get mad at ourselves. We tell ourselves that we should be there and we should be that successful. If we would have just worked harder and done more, we would be there. We look at all of our failures and tell ourselves we are not good enough. We stop, give up and are out of the game. Remember that your pace is your pace and you will get there. Whether that be crossing the finish line or reaching another goal that you have, you have what it takes. Some parts will take you longer and others will take you shorter, just focus on getting there.

Ask for help. Surround yourself that have the same passion as you but have different insights. My friend Kare Anderson is an expert in this area. How can your differences help the people around you and how can their differences help you? From reading this post you know that I suck at swimming.  I take every opportunity that I can to learn how to be a better swimmer. I also take every opportunity I can to help push people past their limits to live more. I will help people in any way that I can, not for the recognition but to see that person grow. It is amazing to see that your investment in a person can truly become a lifetime of change. Even it is not a lifetime, just for a moment it is worth it.

Embrace what sucks. Stop doing what is easy and what does not hurt. It is okay to become broken, worn and be filled with pain, because that is where all the growth happens. We think that when we fall or when it gets hard we are weak and that is a lie. The truth is that we are truly the weakest when it becomes easy. There is no challenge so there is no growth. Whether we want to believe it or not, we are tough enough to do anything that we want. Stop looking for the easiest way out because it is the easiest way for a reason, there is little value in taking the easy way if any value at all.

Thank the people that help you get there. Ironman is amazing for a number of reasons but one of the biggest ones for me are the volunteers and the spectators. Here are people that get up early, stay up late, stand around for hours, travel, take time out of their day, cheer for you and help you and they do it all for you and ask nothing in return. I know that you have those people in your life. Remember to thank them for being right there with you before, during and after your journey. Far too often we focus on proving everyone wrong that told us we could not do it, we waste time that we could be focusing on those that knew we could all along.

Forget about the medal. I get joy in the experience and the relationships that I get to build during not only these events but during the training. I have made some of my best friends over endurance events and you can talk these people about anything. Medals get lost and they get dusty, these friendships, memories and lessons will never fade. Not only do you get to see how great you are, you get to see how great others are and how far they can go. The takeaway for this in real life is to stop focusing on the extrinsic values and start to focus intrinsic values. Do not be successful just to be successful, define why you want to successful and what will motivate you to get there

Your end result is all about what you put into it. We hear a lot about overnight success stories. The success is not due to luck but because the person that had the success stayed up all night and working their ass off. This is not only true for endurance events but in life as well. If you are not getting where you want to go; give some more, try harder and try it a different way. You cannot expect excellent results when you only give mediocre effort.

Remember why you started. When it gets tough and when it starts to hurt, remember why you started. When it gets easy, you start to enjoy it and you begin to smile, remember why you started. When you feel like giving up, remember why you started. Ironman is a journey and life is a journey.  Making a choice to live bolder is a journey. There will be times when you want to give up but don’t, always remember why you started; it will fuel you to accomplish anything that you want. Always remember why you started.

Show your appreciation. Ironman is amazing for a number of reasons but one of the biggest ones for me are the volunteers and the spectators. Here are people that get up early, stay up late, stay around for hours all for you and ask nothing in return. I know that you have those people in your life. Remember to thank them for being right there with you before, during and after your journey. 

Your end result is all about what you put into it. We hear a lot about overnight success stories and my guess is that it is not due to luck but because the person that had the success stayed up all night and gave everything that they had. This is not only true for endurance events but in life as well. If you are not getting where you want to go, give some more, try harder and try it a different way. You cannot expect excellent results when you only give mediocre effort.

The Starbucks "FIasco"

I will admit it, I was not a huge fan of the #RaceTogether campaign that Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz started earlier this month. I understood the concept but I thought the vehicle he chose to deliver the message was ultimate not the right decision. That being said Schultz also had a big hand in buying a 3.8 million dollar business and turning it 13 billion dollar giant, that started a movement of coffee houses to pop up all over the world, so chances are, he may know a thing or two about business and as big of a mistake as the #RaceTogether idea may have been, Schultz once again proved why he will continue to be successful in business.

He is not afraid of failure. When the #RaceTogether idea was first announced, not many people bought into it. I am willing to bet, Schultz knew that it could be a failure but he did it anyway. He took a chance and it did not turn out well but the key is, he took a chance. While everyone else was poking holes in his idea, he was out on the battlefield taking a risk and seeing where it would take him and the organization. He did not just talk about it, he did something about it. How many times in your organization has your leader talked about making a change but has never pulled the trigger?

I know that today when the news came out that it was being cut, cut back, removed or whatever you want to call it, many including myself at first yelled “I told you so!” the only unfortunate thing is that I was in Minneapolis and Schultz was not by me. In this reverse course is further proof that Schultz will continue to be successful and another lesson for not only for business but for life as well, when you are going the wrong direction, change course. Schultz may have had to eat his words but the fact is, he was not afraid to do it. He did what was best for the organization and put the fact that it would make him look bad on the back burner; he put the long-term goals of the organization ahead of the short-term. In everyone’s life there has been a time where you have had to change your course even when you knew it would suck.

There are a few lessons from this #RaceTogether that you can apply to not only your business but your life as well. The first is to stop being afraid to make mistakes, mistakes will always happen. You can choose the mistake of not trying or make a mistake while trying. In one you know the results; in the other the doors are open. The second thing we can learn is that if you want to see change, you must take action. Schultz did not want change he tried to create it. While most people just sit around and wait he took initiative. Another lesson I want to touch on is the fact that too often we only focus on the results. Far too often it is either a pass or fail grade. We forget the most important part, what we learned in the middle, those critical lessons that we must learn to be successful and that made us successful. The final lesson I want to point out is that no matter how right you think you are, never be afraid to change your course when you see a mistake. Would you have stayed on the Titanic while it was sinking because of the “fact” that it was unsinkable? Pay attention to your surroundings and focus on the best term solution, instead of being right. 

fearLESS

I have made an awesome choice to join a group that is truly changing the world. The name of the group is my Team Triumph-Wisconsin. For those of you who do not know the short story of this group is they help disabled athletes compete in endurance events. I am sure you will soon see that is just the surface.

Fear is something that we all have to deal with. The world creates fear around us daily and rewards us to give into it. We fear we will not fit in, so we buy the clothes, home and care we cannot afford. We are afraid we will lose our job, so we agree and go along for the ride. We are afraid that we actually have the potential to change the world so we let the evil take control and let our soul be taken. I do not write this as a judge of the rest of the world, I write this as someone who has done it and continues to do it.

However as life does almost every day, people are put into our life that changes it forever. This is where my Team Triumph comes in. I had the great opportunity to run with a group of Angels and Captain Mary to train for the Cellcom. The path had hills, more hills and then you guessed it another hill. However what struck me most about the run was not the miles, the scenery, pace or finishing it. It was a simple comment made at about mile 12. We were going up a hill (there were a lot) and I was able to push Captain Mary up the hill. The whole time we had “light thoughts” to help us get up the hill faster, it helped. Mary told me about the time she went out on a hot air balloon. The experience, seeing other balloons takes flight and the scenery. She talked about how she saw the horses in the field, then moved on to the time she rode a horse. While this may not seem like a feat to many, what you may not know is that Mary has Muscular Dystrophy. Many of the things that you and I take for granted and many of the things you and I complain about doing, she cannot.

What struck me about this conversation was not the fact that she rode the horse; it was what she had after “I have very little fear”. Mary has many problems, so few of us could imagine. She has to deal with difficulties most of us could only dream about, yet she chooses to not let fear hold her down. She puts fear to the side and takes on whatever life gives her. Mary will not let fear control her life, she chooses to control the fear. This may be the point where I say if Mary can make this choice, we can too. However that is unfair to Mary, you and your future. The fact of the matter is, we should be making the choice to not live in fear regardless. Comparing our self to someone else builds fear that we are not good enough. Just like the hot air balloon, it is not until we let go, that we can see all the world has to offer.