Epiphanies in Hindsight

Yesterday, in a moment of defeat and doubt, my best friend asked me “What would your 15 year old self think of you?”

Talk about a question that sparks a change of heart. We often hear, “remember where you started” and our minds drift to the beginning days of our business. I challenge you to consider where you were before you ever even had the first dream about your business.

Before the epiphany of your girl boss dream, how did you imagine your future?

Would your 15 year old self be surprised if someone shared your story with her, promising that in less than 15 years, she would be where you are today?

Would she be shocked to find out that she would be an entrepreneur?

Would she laugh in disbelief if someone told her she would leave the Corporate world to chase a new found dream?

Would she be distraught to find out which so called “friends” fell by the wayside when she announced her decision to chase her dreams?

Would she have butterflies upon hearing that she proved the doubters and naysayers wrong?

Would she be amazed at her courage to push through when the people she loved dearly could not whole heartedly support her decisions?

Would she laugh at the adversity that tried to shake her along the way?

Would she understand the courage it took to walk her own path instead of following the crowd?

Would she second guess her present security and comfort zone?

Would she be awestruck to find out that God really was there with her during the tough times and that he actually did use them for good?

Would she proudly tell her friends that she not only took a leap of faith, but actually did not fall flat on her face or skid her flawless pumps?

Would she be pumped to hear of the community of life-long friends she was bound to meet along the way?

Would she believe that one day she would overcome her fear of failure?

Would she learn to embrace her weaknesses?

Would she cry tears of joy to hear that she will get to build her dreams instead of slaving over someone else’s?

How will she react to know that her journey and successes actually inspired others?

Will she look forward to her life of passion?

How proud would she be to know that her dreams didn’t die upon joining the workforce, but instead ignited a whole new flame that was intense enough to light up a city, a nation, or the world!

Would she finally realize that the circumstances that she wanted so desperately to change at the tender age of 15 were actually the very things that shaped and polished her to be able to do all of this?

Would she acknowledge and admire the journey of faith, confidence, self-development and leadership that lay ahead of her?

How peaceful would she sleep knowing how far she was to go in less than 15 years?

Now, how does it feel to know that as long as you keep moving forward, in another 15 years you will…

Accomplish more dreams than you can dream of;

Speak life into your friends;

Pioneer advancements in your industry;

Inspire others to reach and exceed their dreams;

Start a fire in someone that inspires them to make world changing decisions;

See prayers answered that you secretly doubted you would live to see;

Have financial provision beyond your wildest dream;

Have people who spotlight and admire your work and your journey;

Be considered an expert in your area;

Make a decision that will literally change the world for the better;

Realize that the current circumstances that seem impossible to overcome will actually be forgotten because God was in control every step of the way;

Share wisdom and lessons that will be the foundation for the next generation;

Be grateful for the lessons learned the hard way because they will be the most impactful and meaningful lessons of your life.

The next time fear and doubt set in, reflect on how far you have come since before the start of this dream. Remember that the goals you are shooting for right now are only a fraction of the full fruition that is coming your way!

Your childhood self would be a confident (but humble) diva if she knew what she was about to do. Consider that and strut along like the boss you are. If you knew where you will be in 15 years, you could easily brush off that fear and doubt that you are feeling today!

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Cortney only recently began embracing her creative side.  After years in the Corporate world as a CPA, she took a leap of faith and left her career to pursue public speaking. By sharing her story, Cortney’s mission is to help others understand that their current or past circumstances won’t limit their future, unless they let it. Her passion for story telling and inspiring others prompted her to create a platform for people to courageously share their personal stories of overcoming adversity via her site www.ThursdayThrive.com .