Your playing small does not serve the world 🌎

Dec 12, 2018

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#WednesdayWisdom

"you’re allowed to trust your process and yourself. you’re allowed to take risks. you’re allowed to fail before you succeed. you’re allowed to not know what the hell you’re doing. you’re allowed to try." — alex elle

Morning Musings

Let me tell you about that time my friends told me about myself. A few months ago, I'd applied to speak at Alt Summit's annual conference.

I'd heard about it in one of those roundups of best conferences for women last year and was determined to apply this year when the Call for Submissions opened up. I submitted my application and thought nothing of it.

Fast forward a few weeks later and voting starts for submissions. Ugh, I thought, I really don't want to ask people to vote for me, especially when it involves more than just a simple click.

So, I didn't tell anybody and assumed no one would be the wiser. An Instagram follower DM'd me to say she'd seen and voted for my submission, but otherwise it was my little secret.

When the organizers emailed me a little while after voting ended to tell me by submission was still in the running, I shrugged and told myself, "if it's meant to be, it'll be." And again, thought nothing of it.

Until last week when I received an email telling me that my submission had been selected (AHHH!!!). Immediately, I texted my accountabili-buddies, Anuli and Chasity, and explained what had happened.

After congratulating me, as friends do, they promptly (gently) scolded me for not telling them about the voting round. I know better than that, I do. But I'd let my pride and ego get in the way of my friends (and followers) supporting me.

I'd essentially tried (unsuccessfully) to sabotage myself. Why? Well, surely that will be the discussion of next week's therapy session. Perhaps I didn't want to burden my friends with feeling obligated to support me. Maybe I didn't *really* want it in the first place, or thought I didn't deserve it. Impostor syndrome much?

Either way, my friends gave me a swift (but loving) kick in the pants ... and you can bet I'll never make that mistake again.

Moral of the story: people can't support you if you don't a) ask and b) tell them how. And there's no glory in playing it small, y'all. Remember what our dear friend Marianne Williamson once told us: "Your playing small does not serve the world."

I repeat, "Your playing small does NOT serve the world."

Love,
L'Oreal

ICYMI

So, remember how I shared that I was becoming a regular contributor for Shine Text? It's official!

Check out my latest piece about failure and let me know what you think.

IRL

Jan. 9: I Can't: Land My Dream Job

Jan. 30: EvolveHer Future Launch Event & Fundraiser

March 24-29: Altitude Summit (use promo code LOREAL to save $50 off your ticket ... special holiday pricing ends Dec. 31!)

Links I Love

My Latest Obsession

While hanging with my homie Sierra over the weekend, we stumbled upon the trailer for Dumplin', a Netflix original based on the novel of the same name.

Give me a good story about a pageant any day and I'm there. Although I haven't read the book, I can say the movie was cute and entertaining. Somehow I feel like overbearing pageant mom is the role Jennifer Aniston was born to play.

Fair warning: there is a LOT of Dolly Parton in this movie, but somehow I don't mind (even if the only Dolly song I know is "9 to 5." #DontJudge

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