When I decide on a specific goal, I get super focused. I can see the big picture, but I am also aware that it takes small steps to reach the ultimate goal. I understood this concept at a very young age. As a member of The Girl Scouts of America, I had to complete small tasks to earn a badge. I remember how my obsession and focus left me with a sash full of badges. Understanding this, mixed with a born competitiveness, allowed me to accomplish a lot in life from my Masters Degree in Education, to a job as a TV News anchor, and the title of Miss USA.
However, just like many of you out there, when I set big goals, fear often creeps in and can begin to cloud my view. A voice inside my head will say things like, “How dare you think you can make that happen?” or “You don’t have enough time to fulfill that dream.” This is my favorite one, “What if it fails and I get criticized?”
Fear can immobilize us. It can stop a dream in its tracks. Fear makes us procrastinate, find excuses, blame others, and even give up. But I am here to tell you that I am learning ways to conquer that monster.
One of the major ways I accomplish this is by allowing and accepting that the universe will give me signs to remind me that I am doing the right thing. When I decided to start a project or movement around kindness last year, I got frustrated because I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what that should look like. I mulled over it for months and often I would think “Maybe it’s not the right thing to do.” But what kept me going were the signs that kept showing up -The sentence I read in a magazine article, or the billboard that referenced kindness in the most indirect way. I took them as signs that I was on the right path.
Now that Be Kind and Co. is up and running, I have hopes for the company, hopes for myself, for my speaking engagements, community events, and kindness products. The list goes on and on. And even though I have been good about working on conquering my fear, it finds a way of sneaking back in.
However, recently while driving to work on Sunset Boulevard, I got a new sign! (A literal sign.) While at the light, I looked to my right and sitting on the sidewalk was a homeless man holding a sign. It read “Kindness Isn’t Hard.” Just when I needed it, there it was! One sentence that reminded me that I am doing the right thing. I am on the right track. I yelled out the window and said ‘I love your sign.” The man and I shared a quick smile before I drove away. I hope to find him again soon so I can thank him properly.
