Fear Not

Please find your voice and find your purpose before it’s too late.  – Nicki Minaj

Have you ever had that moment where you are so sure but something called “FEAR” holds you back?! I have had that moment. Many times. And every single time, I push through. Regardless of what I think the outcome will be. And it most cases, I’m never right!! The outcome always surprises me and it’s in those moments that I wonder, “What the hell was I so worried about?!”

Sometimes we have to take a great leap of faith without really having a plan to find out exactly who we are and what we can withstand. This year has been a trying year, but my oh my, has it been such a great year!

This time, last year (2014) I didn’t have a concrete plan. It had been a thought but it hadn’t really formed into anything more until that morning. As a Zimbabwean – an African child – I have always prided myself when it comes to my work ethic, my work mentality and the commitment to the various projects I work on. So, when I quit my job it came as a surprise to some, but not really to others. I quit my job and thrust myself into the unknown abyss with no safety net. Scary -> Yes. Liberating ->Yes. Plan -> No. And despite all of the crazy emotions I felt, there was a sense of calm, because it was the right thing to do. Psalm 23 (NIV) 

When you step into fear, you step into faith. – Jeannie Mai

For anyone who knows me, for the longest time, I have always said that my strongest passions involve me bringing a character to life and channeling my inner fierceness in front of a camera. If someone asks me what I want to do, I tell that I want to work in film and TV. After my name I see,  Actor/Entertainment Reporter/TV Personality/On-Air Host/Philanthropist/Role-Model … and the list is endless! The hats are inter-changeable because with more experience, more doors and channels will open. And while those doors are opening, I will be creating my own doorways. I want to be my own version of Oprah. Or Jessica Simpson. Or Terrence J. Or Whoopi Goldberg. Success on the big and small screen. And I will be using my degree and any future higher education pieces of paper I collect because there is no cap on learning. I keep telling myself that these people who I look up to and that are revered by many – their success did not happen overnight! It takes a lot of hard work, and a lot of conviction in yourself [one] to know that nothing is standing in your way other than you. It all starts with one step in the right direction! Hello Google commercial!

At 48 seconds, we be like … *scared face*.

When I quit my job, I decided to use my voice and follow my passions to create the life I always wanted. People can be shady but you see their true shade when they want to be your friend when you’re making moves and things are working out in one form or another for you. But for you, the grind is real. Personally, it’s with my faith, passion and drive, that I am chasing my dreams and pounding the pavements, working long days and sleeping for a few hours. IT. IS. REAL. I already took the leap into the unknown, and while I do have a paying job that funds my personal projects, the faith is alive and the grind is real. I’m doing something for me and I love it! Fear back off!

Fear gears you into greatness. – Tamar Braxton-Herbert

In all the chaos and pandemonium of life, you have to always tell yourself that it isn’t about making other people happy. It’s not about them and it’s never been or going to be about them. It’s about you. ME. It’s about what you want for yourself. What you will for yourself. What you affirm. What you dream, breathe and speak into existence. From your mouth to God’s ears.

I guess the key take-away from this is that, taking a chance and leaping (despite how scary and uncontrolled the situation is) and pursing your life and your passions is not a lost cause. Sometimes it is in the tough choices that we make that we find our inner strengths to reach for what we thought unattainable. As long as you have faith and drive, and you keep the grind alive, you will see results. Family will always support you, and I am so happy to be a part of this family because my support system is amazing and the guidance and love I receive daily is unfathomable. I am blessed.

Remember to check your #selfvalidation at the door and move right on ahead because life is meant to be lived without letting that little thing called fear creep into your head, bed and conscious. It’s your life, so live it unapologetically.  Caring about what others think about you will literally drive you insane, and while time and their lives keep moving, you are stopped dead in your tracks. So LIVE.