Today, I’m sharing a third post in the series, Small Business Tips.  You can catch the first post on fear and the second on living abroad & researching.  I’ll do my best to make these posts both relevant to small business and life so that non-business folks can reflect and enjoy, too. It comes from my journey with my online shop, Gadanke.

Today, my helpers – my own my brother and sister - are ready.  Are you?  Here we go…

You have to believe in yourself and your creative ideas before anyone else possibly can begin to.

I struggled with this idea for a long time because I didn’t think I was supposed to have a creative career.  I didn’t think I was good enough or artistic enough to create something that people would actually want to pay money for.  What could I possibly make?  How could I pay the bills with making?  I was trained to be a left-brained thinker.  I told myself there was no other solution.

I journaled and journaled about it, never really noticing that perhaps it was indeed all this JOURNALING that could ultimately become that creative business outlet.

Tell yourself that your ideas are okay.  Your craft is good enough.  You are good enough.

I want to tell you a little story.

For a long time, I was our family co-pilot.  (I’ve written about that struggle here.)  It’s so much easier to follow in the shadow of your spouse than dare to meet your own potential.  Plus, in my case, it’s really cool to hear Martin’s stories about aviation or how he’s studying renewable energy.  People love that stuff!

So I got a pilot’s license, and I’ve been determined never to be “just the co-pilot” in our life together ever again.

My life as a life pilot was recently tested.  A few weeks ago, the owner of the tire house had a friend who would be staying with us for a couple of days.  She was really excited about Martin’s professional plans.  We weren’t even past the front door!  She was just so excited to hear about Martin’s dreams.

Being polite, she naturally turned to me after a bit and asked what I studied back in college.

“Business and English,” I told her.

“Oh, that’ll get you, what?  A good waitressing job?” she asked, and flung her hand into the air.  It felt like she was throwing out me and everything I was with her arm in that simple gesture.  Clearly, Martin’s focus was COOL; mine was nothing.

I retreated to my journal that night.  I wrote, “I AM ENOUGH” over and over.  Like I said, you have to believe in yourself for anyone else to.  I kept confident from that night on.  By the end of her visit, the woman was fascinated by Gadanke and my mission.  In fact, we sat there and brainstormed about all the things I could do and the stories people could capture as she flipped through the books I have made.  I hold her in the greatest of regards today.

At first, it’s going to be hard to justify what you do when you chose a path that doesn’t fit into a box.

As far as I know, there is no checkbox that says “professional journaler” on a list of career choices.  In fact, “journaler” isn’t even a word in my dictionary.  But I’m okay with that.  I’m starting to define myself as “journaler”, and I’m starting to LOVE that.

What are you becoming?

Be okay with who you are and what you want to do.  In fact, celebrate it!

Practice telling yourself, “I am a ____.  I am a ____, and I love it.”

There’s something to be said for following your heart.

Start telling your family, “I am a ____.”

And finally, tell the people you don’t know.  Declare it!  And yes, they might brush it aside at first or forever.  But that doesn’t matter.  There will always be people who truly believe in you and your idea, and there will always be YOU.

You can do this.  You can.

In the comments today, I’d love to invite you to fill in this sentence:  I am a ____, and I love it.