I needed to be at VBS at 8:30 this morning. I got up at 6:30 a.m. ready to start the day. Today was my first ever shot at being a Crew Leader. I was excited. I got ready. I had wanted to leave by 8:10 so I could settle in and help out if needed. I left at 8:25. At 8 a.m. the realization hit me: I’m going out of my comfort zone, again. Suddenly my head was sharing the space of my toilet. 

It wasn’t like today was much different from an evening with the Rainbows. I’ve been a part of the church for over a year. I’ve met most of the kids, hung out with them in class or at softball games. I’ve hung out with most of the staff members. This was like any normal day doing things with the church family. Except it wasn’t.

I didn’t think I was going to succeed as a Crew Leader. In fact, during the whole time at VBS I felt like I was inadequate and was going to not be the person those kids needed me to be. I felt sick most of the morning worrying about it. But, despite the crazy amount of kids to Crew Leaders, the sweltering heat in and out of the building, and the fact that I had no clue if I was doing anything right, Group B made it. I was reminded that I was able to help keep all the kids safe and alive so it was a win. And you know what, she was right.

Shawn Achor said, “The more you believe in your own ability to succeed, the more likely it is that you will.” How so very true that is.

Often times we are faced with incredible tasks and we have so little faith in our ability to complete them. Example, my husband was at the bottom of the totem pole as an Apprentice Chemist when he started his job back in Decemberish. He knew nothing about what he was doing. He had little faith in himself. But, he has the ability to be an amazing chemist. And no, I’m not saying that because he’s my husband. Or because I’m his wife. He’s incredibly smart and is willing to learn. He never gives up, keeps asking questions, and pushes through. That, my friends, is a man who wants to succeed. And succeed he did because seven months later he went from Apprentice Chemist to Safety Manager to Production Manager. He sits third in command in a flourishing company.

Yes, guys, yes, I did just puff my husband up. But, seriously for good reason. He didn’t believe in himself. He didn’t think he could succeed. And if I would have been like, you do you boo, he would have looked at his situation and said peace out. Well, not really, but he’s one of those people who never thinks they will amount to something. With a little push, a little faith from others, he believed in himself just enough to take the first step. And then just enough more to take the second step, then the third and the fourth. Little by little he believed he’d succeed and he did.

Same goes with me. While I wasn’t teaching lessons today at VBS I made it in one piece, and the group was in one piece. Success. The world is so negative that we often see ourselves in a negative light. We often see that people are better without us. We often feel like we are disappointing people. We have so much going against us that we fail to recognize that if we don’t give light to those very things, that if we just look in the mirror and see that we are beautifully and wonderfully made we can change the world. We’re too busy seeing ourselves as inferior. What about believing there is good in you? Even if it’s just a tiny small rice grain of good? Believe in that good, believe in that ability to do something great. And the more you believe, lovelies, the more passion you have, the more faith, the more you’re willing to work hard you grow the chances exponentially that you’ll be able to succeed in anything you do in life.

You only fail when you stop trying. xoxo