An Alligator Ate My Leg
I want to share a story with you.
It was a typical summer day in the desert of Phoenix, Arizona. The temperature was supposed to top out at 102 that day.
I was in my office writing an article and listening to Mary J Blige.
The dogs started to bark, and I wasn't sure why. I ignored them because it was probably Amazon delivering a package.
I heard a loud boom, and before I knew it, I was on the ground and in pain.
I couldn't believe my eyes. An alligator was biting my leg!
I don't know how I did it, but I was able to call 911. The paramedics rushed me to the hospital.
My leg was gone. Forever.
Soon after, I lost all of my clients, and my vehicle was stolen, my house was foreclosed on (even though I own it outright), my savings vanished, I became homeless, and [insert other scary thoughts].
I'm sure you realize by now that no, this didn't happen to me in real life, but it did happen in my mind. My mind likes to create the scariest, most outlandish stories to keep me safe, secure, and playing small.
Maybe you know the feeling and have created your own crazy stories?
One of my goals is to grow my TikTok following. I committed to posting one video daily (except for the weekends).
I have been inconsistent and beating myself up because of it.
I have all the tools I need, but the fear is still there. I managed to create a story in my mind that would excuse me from doing the scary thing. I made it really, really scary!
You see, if I created a huge mountain of fear, I'd feel good about not even attempting to climb it. I mean, I could fall down, and that would hurt - right?
I struggle with fear about recording TikTok videos. These thoughts came up for me:
What if nobody watches my videos?
What if I'm not good or smart enough?
Who am I to speak on that platform?
Maybe similar thoughts come up for you when you're scared?
I've created 6 tips to help you Build Your Courage, Become Greater, and Win. You'll move from goal creation to execution.
Here's an opportunity for you to level up, and it requires courage, of course. That's why you're here, right?
Here's the link to the fillable PDF, which includes impactful exercises.
https://www.shermainmelton.com/s/Building-the-Courage-to-Be-Greater-Fillable-PDF-8-19-2022.pdf
6 Ways to Build Your Courage, Become Greater, and Win
1. Make your goal real.
Get your goal out of your head and out into the universe. Communicate it to someone you love and trust. Something will shift inside you when you put it out there. BEWARE: Doing this will help to remove some of your goto excuses. The intention is not for the other person to hold you accountable. It is for you to practice being courageous with your voice.
2. Shine light on your fears.
Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. Your mind is good at creating outlandish stories to protect you. It can slow you down and even paralyze you with fear. Think about the scary goal you've created. Take notice of the thoughts and feelings that are coming up for you that are not serving you. Shine the light on these fears, doubts, and insecurities. Fear is afraid of the light which is inside of you.
3. Empower yourself.
Create a new empowering story. Think big here. Create your own empowering story that will excite you, make you smile, and cause you to want to step forward because of the importance and value of what you're stepping towards. Here's my empowering story example:
I woke up to a notification. The notification said that I was now at 100,000 followers on TikTok. I checked my email and received something from a follower. He thanked me for being courageous enough to talk about the things that mattered. He went on to say that because of my videos, he created a non-profit serving people of color in disadvantaged areas. His non-profit has helped 50,000 families. He invited me to come and tell my story. I graciously accepted and spoke to a room of 2,000 people - helping them Be Greater. Saying yes to this opportunity allowed me to create a waiting list for clients. I never dreamed this would happen.
I don't know about you, but now I'm excited and feel called to do my best and reach as many people as possible. Did you feel a shift happen as well?
4. Do the thing.
Take a small step forward. No alligator is coming for you. Do it!
5. Celebrate yourself.
Reach out to the person you shared your scary goal with and tell them that you did it! The goal is to celebrate your action, not the outcome of the action. Most high performers skip this step. Please don't skip it!
6. Recharge your batteries.
Take care of yourself. How are you feeling? What you did required courage. If you're feeling drained and need to recharge your batteries, do that.
There you have it.
Being greater takes work. I'm honored that you're here. Please share this with anyone you love and trust that you feel can benefit.
I'd be honored if you followed me on TikTok. I'm @shermainmelton.
https://www.tiktok.com/@shermainmelton
Remember: No alligator is coming for you. Even if it feels like it. 🐊
Be Greater. Be Authentic. Be Courageous.
Shermain
