Baby Steps and Reaching for the Moon.
12 February

Baby Steps and Reaching for the Moon.

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Twenty-two eyes all on me in the hot seat. Nervously wringing my hands, getting to the truth in my heart. Everyone was sitting safely behind their table in the small makeshift classroom in the attic of an office building in Buda, Texas. Home of the official wiener dog races. I was being grilled by the wizard himself, Roy Williams, in the third class ever offered at the now world famous Wizard Academy. Some saw me as confident, creative and daring. But truthfully I was so wrapped in fear, I was paralyzed to move ahead in my life. The ropes that were binding me began to loosen that day. Because someone cared enough to make me uncomfortable. He wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and I needed a difference in my life.

When asked to nail down three specific things I wanted to do or overcome in my life, I did not have to search too deep. I knew what they were, well kinda. One was to be a good mom to my kids, but I won’t expound on that one here. Next was to do ‘something’ with my photography. This was in 2000 when digital cameras were just hitting the scene and not everyone was a photographer. But the biggie…the one thing I knew I had to overcome. The one thing that was holding me back from anything else I could even dream of doing, was talking to people. I could call it public speaking. But really, it was much more than that. I was fearful of speaking to more than two people at a time. Not quite what you would define as public speaking.

Roy explained something to me that he calls exponential little bits. It’s something I live by now to accomplish any of my goals, and dreams. No matter where you are and no matter how big your dream. Do something, even a tiny little something that is towards that goal. Do not let your head hit the pillow at night, until something has been done towards that goal.

bubsybathSo how does a stay at home mom of three kids overcome speaking to people in public? At the time I had just taken up scrapbooking and a new scrapbook store had just opened. I applied to teach a class on some techniques I was using. My first class was four people. I was so nervous. My next class was eight people. Before I knew it, I was teaching photography, my true passion to sold out classes of twenty-five. Within a year I had started a little business doing scrapbook events where I would plan a weekend retreat for a dozen women to work on their scrapbooks together. After three events, I earned enough money to buy my first digital camera, then a set of used studio lights and by the next year, I had started a portrait studio in my basement. All because of exponential little bits. The baby steps that get you a tiny bit closer to your goals and dreams.

What’s stopping you? Do you have a dream you want to fulfill? Something you want to achieve? Maybe a complete change, a life overhaul. What are you doing every day that gets you closer to it, or are you just dreaming?