Quite by accident, I’m writing this exactly one year later.
Last year, I wrote that my theme, quite unwanted, was safety.
It wasn’t what I wanted to focus on, but it’s what I needed.
One year later, what I realized (thanks entirely to Leonie’s yearly planner) is the RESULT of all that safety.
Instead of putting up walls, instead of creating a hard shell, focusing on safety allowed me to open up, blossom, and risk things I never would have imagined.
Quite unexpectedly, 2011 was about saying YES, even when I wasn’t sure I was enough.
I said YES to two big clients who sought me out, doing completely new-to-me kinds of work, things I never would have dreamed selling.
I said YES to a sudden goal to get a book deal before my 30th birthday (which is still 6 months away). Even stranger, I said YES to that book deal and to a writing schedule that might just result in having a finished book by my 30th birthday.
I said YES to the bizarre idea of the Starship. And then I said YES to putting in the daily work to build it, to lead it, and to support all of the captians aboard it.
I said YES to travel. I said YES to writing.
I said YES to the things I (secretly) wanted.
I said YES to things I thought I was afraid of.
And with every single one of those things, I had a clear, panicked moment “Me? Really? What? Can I even DO THIS?!?”
And then I did it.
Because I sought to cultivate safety and internal (and external) support, I had the confidence for YES.
Because I make sure I feel safe and cared for, before I say yes.
Because I (finally!) prioritized what I deeply need.
I still have so much to say about safety and where I found it and how it surprised me and what it taught me, but that will come later.
For now, I’d love to know:
What did you say YES to? What do you need before you can say YES?
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