I did it!

On Tuesday night I posted a link to my blog on Facebook and have been so overwhelmed by the wonderful response I received. Lots of my lovely friends and family took time to leave encouraging comments or congratulate me which made me SO happy! Isn't it wonderful when you're reminded how lucky you are to have great people in your life? 

The funny thing is, I was utterly terrified of putting my blog out there for the world to see. I was so afraid of judgement, criticism, negativity etc. I've considered starting a blog before, and even got half-way to doing it a few times, but I always gave up due to lack of confidence in myself. It's a real shame I allowed these scary feelings to hold me back for so long. 

Yesterday I sent the link to Leah Cox (the coach I met up with recently in Hyde Park) asking for her feedback before sending it out to everyone I know on Facebook.  I guess I was looking for approval or some sort of validation, someone to check it first and tell me it was good enough to share with others. I told her that I finally felt "comfortable" sharing my blog with her and would value her comments. Leah sent the most amazing reply...    

"Why do you need to feel comfortable in order to share your blog with me, Celia? Comfort kills. Discomfort is where we grow, discover our greatest potential and realise our greatest strengths. Would you value my comments, or would my comments make you feel more comfortable with sharing the link to a wider audience? You are far more awesome and powerful than you realise, Celia. You do not need my comments." 

What a great response! Leah was dead right of course, and hearing her say this was just the push I needed to be brave and get on with it by sharing the blog with my little world. It sounds like a tiny step but actually I was really dreading it. 

I must try to remember that every time I've done something exciting and scary where I'm pushed out of my comfort zone I have felt afraid and lacking in self-belief, but that is usually when amazing things start to happen! A few examples spring to mind right away:

• Signing up for a Raleigh International expedition to Costa Rica. I left behind everyone I knew for 4 months to volunteer and travel – this ended up being one of the best experiences of my life!

With Polly and Bella (I'm in the middle) on our incredible Raleigh expedition in Costa Rica, 2005

• Going to university. I knew this was something I had to do for myself and my future but leaving London for Newcastle and starting fresh in an unknown city, hours from home, where I didn’t know anyone was really scary.  Of course this turned out to be the best decision ever and the most wonderful and fun experience (and I met my future husband there!).

With my wonderful mummy on graduation day in Newcastle, 2004

• Leaving my job at Deloitte to work as a chalet cook in a French ski-resort.  I went alone and arrived towards the end of the season when everyone had already formed close bonds.  I had never done a ski season before, never worked as a professional cook and wasn’t great at skiing! This was super scary but I just went for it anyway because I’d always wanted to do a ski season and didn’t want to look back one day and regret not being brave enough to do it when I was young and had the chance. This one didn’t work out as well as the other 2 examples here because I basically hated every minute of it apart from the skiing! But, I’m so proud of myself for giving it a go. Now I have zero regrets and am not left wondering “what if”?  After all, the saying goes that we generally only regret the things in life we didn’t do, not the things we did.

Getting my cookery qualification at Leith's School of Food and Wine in London, 2004
(couldn't find any pics of my ski season!)

Right now I'm pretty scared as I face experimenting with my career for the first time and making brave decisions to try working in a completely new way. 

But I must remember that if I force myself to step out of my comfort zone everything will be ok and if I'm lucky something amazing could happen!