Do What Scares and Excites You at the Same Time

Last weekend, I attended the ‘Get Paid To Speak” bootcamp by Eric Feng in Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. I was chosen to do the after lunch session to “energize” the participants on Day 2 so they don’t fall asleep after lunch. I was excited initially, then got really nervous, especially after I saw the great job done by the “energiser” on the Day 1!

I was hoping they would cancel this session on Day 2 due to the tight schedule. On Day 2 morning, Eric confirmed my 10 minute session at 2:30pm. Yikes!! It’s too late to back out now. There was only one thing to do: go onto the stage and do the show!

I decided that I will get excited about it and enjoy myself. Once that decision was made, I continued rehearsing, even while walking back from lunch! I imagined the thrill of walking onto the stage, engaging with the audience, and just having fun! And that’s what I did.

Guess what I found out? It wasn’t as scary as I thought. And guess what else? It was quite exciting and fun! One of the things I realise from my own experience is this: when it is exciting and scary at the same time – always go for it! It is a sign to overcome the fear, and feel the excitement.

As I mentioned last week, do not let your Lizard Brain scare the shit out of you when you are doing something new, unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone. The Lizard Brain is doing its job of protecting you in case you fumble and embarrass yourself in front of a big crowd. That’s its job – to protect you. However, mistakes are lessons we can learn from – so that we can grow, improve, and reach a new level.

This is my invitation to you today: if you encounter a dream that is scary and exciting at the same time, do not let your fear stop you from pursuing that bold dream. Create a new chapter for your life!

Write the Story of Your Life

Do you like telling stories that inspire others?

Do you like listening stories that moves you?

Do you have stories to share that can impact others?

These were some of the questions that came to my mind as I attended a 3-day bootcamp in Singapore called “Get Paid To Speak”, by Eric Feng. I was very touched and enraptured by the stories that so many shared on stage during the three days. It reminds me that our life consists of a series of stories – the mundane and the extraordinary, the joy and sorrow, the high and low – all lived out daily.

The most touching stories were those borne out of tragic, sorrow or suffering. But it was also the most awe inspiring ones. They were shared courageously and authentically, the ones that can be described as “from ashes to beauty”. It is through courage and resilience that we bounced back from enormous setbacks or weather through the storms of our grief and sorrow. That’s why it is so important to never give up when we are in the midst of great pain, sorrow, or turmoil.

We all have many stories to share – some have great stories to share.

Stories that can change the world around them.

Stories that can inspire change in people.

Stories that can make us reach deep within ourselves.

Most of us think that stories are what we tell others. Let me tell you: we can create stories for our life. Imagine our life as a book, we are the author and we can write our stories. We can proactively write our dreams and hopes for our life. Our life is not just what happen to us – we can take control of our life and live it intentionally, pursuing our dreams and achieving our successes, according to our own terms. Our stories are ours to create. Don’t let others dictate our stories. Even if our stories were to be strewn with rocks and hailstorms, we can still dream of a beautiful rainbow glowing across the vast sky.

You are the Author of your Life. Write your story and make it Amazing!