A while ago, we found a young wood pigeon at our backdoor, afraid and completely exhausted. I called my dad (who used to be a pigeon fancier) for advice. He said quite wisely that I couldn’t do anything: “the creature is learning to fly and just needs some time”.
Needing the time to muster up courage to just go and do something is something I certainly recognise.
Don’t believe everything you think
I had been toying with the idea of starting my own company as a self-employed person in a secondary occupation for quite some time. In the past ten years, I’ve done, learned and experienced so much. It felt high time to give some of this back to others.
But nothing came of it. I deluded myself with all sorts of stories: I can’t possibly contribute anything valuable to someone else’s life, my experiences aren’t relevant for other people, no one’s sitting around waiting for me to be their coach,… So, I did nothing.
Despite the support of my husband and the belief and confidence of my closest friends, I felt like an ‘imposter’. I didn’t feel sufficiently competent to be of value for someone looking for support, help, someone to hold onto,… Even though I repeatedly receive the feedback from the people I coached in various training courses: “this suits you down to the ground”.
This ‘imposter syndrome’ is a tale with which your Frik Unik (yes, mine too) tries to keep you safe on familiar, well-trodden paths and sufficiently far away from new (and potentially dangerous) adventures.
Birds are meant to fly.
It eventually took me more than two years before I managed to silence my Frik Unik long enough to make an appointment with the small business advisor to officially start my business. I still recall skipping to the station afterwards, as happy as Larry that I had finally taken the plunge.
And that feeling has stayed with me, even though it can certainly be terrifying and I now and again have to gratefully ignore my Frik Unik, whenever the same tale rises to the surface.
My business is not exactly in full flight yet, but I’ve at least opened my wings. Just like that young pigeon who after sitting on our doorstep for a few hours eventually found the courage to do what it was born to do.
If you feel that something really suits you, take a leap and do something with it.
What if I fall?
Oh, but my darling, what if you fly!