I didn’t want to do it. 

A while ago, I went live for a Q+A on my Instagram and I truly didn’t want to do it. 

And I know what you may be thinking. “It’s just Instagram, I go live all the time.” But being an introvert and a 9 on the Enneagram, I like to tell myself that people don’t want to hear what I have to say. 

I was afraid no one would join me. I was afraid no one would ask me any questions. I was afraid that maybe the lies I tell myself are true. That people, in fact, don’t want to hear what I have to share. But then I had to ask myself, “Why are you going live? Is it because you just want people to listen to what you have to say?”

And the truth is, my whole purpose for going live had nothing to do with me and everything to do with my desire to spread a little light in such a heavy season, to provide a community for those in need of connection, and to forget for just a second that we aren’t together with our friends and family as much as we wish we could be.

And so I let go of my fears, I shut out the lies, and I did it. I went live with my husband, Mark, and we had such a great time. We answered some really awesome questions, we enjoyed some time together as husband and wife, and we laughed. A lot. We got to hear from friends who we miss dearly and even made some new friends and connections in the process. For an hour of our evening, we forgot how heavy the world is right now and we hopefully brought a bit of joy to those who joined us. And I learned that there was nothing to be afraid of. It was so good for me to block out the noise of my fears and just do it anyway.

It’s been a few months since that very brave live of mine, but I can’t stop coming back to the idea of doing things that scare us, even when we’re sure it’s too hard. For you, going live may be the easiest thing in the world, but for me? It was really scary to put myself out there like that. But whatever it is that scares you, whether in life or in business, I want to encourage you today to do it anyway. Take the leap and prove to yourself that you can do scary things. 

You have a light within you that is meant to be shared. And the world needs your light now, more than ever. Don’t be afraid of the things that hold you back. Don’t listen to the lies that tell you your gifts aren’t needed. Don’t let the things worth doing slip by simply because you’re afraid no one needs it. 

Trust me, we need it. And we need you. 

So write that post. Share that story. Do that dance. Go live and answer all the questions. Don’t decide you don’t want to only because you’re scared. Instead, tell yourself that your voice is valuable and that the world needs what you have to offer.