My story. At 43, I’m just getting started.
I loved Doritos and The Price is Right.
I wasn’t super cute, had lousy social skills, and needed friends.
So when the crowd that invited me in didn’t attend class or show up at high school often, neither did I.
When they partied, I did. I was desperate to be liked, and on my list of priorities, showing up to school ranked maybe in the Top 30.
So when it came time to graduate, I wasn’t eligible.
Later that summer, I finished up my high school studies to zero acclaim and furious, sad parents.
After high school, I had continued a few steps forward, then stumbled backward occasionally when the same habits of not taking care of me and my future would crop up, because I still didn’t know my purpose and how important I was.
I won no awards in high school.
Six years after high school, I did get my name called, earned a diploma and BA in Business Economics, to the joy of my family.
I now own a business and serve leaders across the U.S. with my genius husband and a strong team. I have two amazing kids. I’m building this platform where I impact hundreds across the globe every day.
And at 43, I am just getting started.
Call me a late bloomer. I’m still learning, healing, facing the future with strong confidence in who I am and who I was created to be.
Sometimes the shame of my past is intense and saps my confidence and strength. I feel it for a brief time, then talk my heart through it. If nothing else, it’s what helps me know if my kids try to escape my watchful eye one day ;)
Each of us have a story.
There are women that are years ahead of me. Younger women than I work in the White House, run companies… but I’ll stop there. Why?
If I dwell in comparison, my joy and confidence for my own journey is sapped. Gone. And I’ll be a terrible mom, wife, leader, human that day under the weight of comparison and no confidence.
I share this journey with you for a reason - I want you to know that there’s so much ahead of you.
That maybe like me, you know you wasted years of time and life and even today, you feel like you’re being wasted, that you don’t know what your purpose is, no one sees your value, and you have no idea how you’re going to make it through this tough time of life.
You were made for more.
And right now, even in the lowest or most depleted moments, you are here today with breath in your lungs and a unique area of influence.
There is purpose, there is hope, and if you give up on developing your platform right now, you’re going to miss incredible things ahead.
I needed community.
I needed vision.
And so do you.
You have to believe just a smidgen that you have incredible things ahead. Get doggedly optimistic. Speak out of your mouth that you will lead, you will serve, you will make an impact, and yesterday is behind you and your future is bright.
You are a force to be reckoned with.
(Your words are a leash to your brain. Your mind needs you to drag it along like it’s a tired toddler.)
You don’t need to believe in you right now.Just believe what I’m saying about you.
I, and many of these leaders around you, are not that different than you.
No one decides who our thought leaders will be.
It started with one decision, and another, and continued the steps in the right direction.
I have a headshot that looks darn good. I have a strong idea of how I help and where I help. I’m really good at it.
But if I doubted myself, I would never be where I am today. Partnering with leaders becoming thought leaders, so they can change the world in their unique and powerful ways. It’s incredible.
And like many thought leaders, I have a past and a history that in aren’t impressive.
What separates you from a lot of the visible leaders around you?
A fancy headshot. A strong personal brand. A belief in myself.
A decision - That I am going to show up confidently, speak up for my business, and the causes that I believe in.
You are a decision away from becoming who you want to be.
You might be the only one who knows that you were made for more.
Find community.
Find a vision for your future.
And get your feet moving in that direction.
You are not disqualified.
Steward this place and time like it’s you standing here today, and a long line of your ancestors lived and died so you could be here today.
What will you do with your one life?
Julie is the founder of DIY Influence. She believes you shouldn't wait for recognition, that it's time to recognize yourself. She has partnered with 100+ thought leaders in the US and across the globe to drag the genius out of their brain, so they scale their impact - and to own it on LinkedIn. She hosts How To: Thought Leadership and co-hosts Live on Cyber with Dr. Stan.
