Avoidance wears many spiritual disguises. I have so much grace for the early phase, when your nervous system is catching up, when you’re still building the inner scaffolding and it’s truly not time yet. But there’s a point when “not yet” becomes “never,” and when you’re not actually waiting anymore… you’re avoiding.

Starting something new automatically means stepping into uncertainty and risking imperfection. It means making yourself visible. It’s vulnerable, and it forces you to be open to both rejection and reward. With the overwhelming mix of emotions in play, it’s no wonder so many people never make it past the starting line. 

There are very few things in life you can count on. People will leave and identities will shed like old skin. The world will change around you. Money will come and go, happiness will ebb and flow. Life will happen, and as it does, almost nothing will stay the same. But you do have one thing that will never abandon you: your voice.

Impostor syndrome doesn’t care about your resume, your accomplishments, or your intentions. It sneaks in quietly and asks, “Who do you think you are?” It whispers doubts, second-guesses your abilities, and casts shadows over your successes.

But here’s the truth: your voice is already valid.

You might think that given all the content I produce, both for myself and for my clients, that I’ve somehow graduated from the chaos of the creative process. That I’ve transcended the doubt and disarray. That I sit down to write and something clear, potent, and original filters through my fingertips like magic. But you would be wrong.

Inside me there are at least two voices—no doubt more, but let’s start there. One is loud, sharp, and extremely opinionated. She’d make a great lawyer—fast, ruthless, never unsure of herself. That’s my ego. The other is strange and ephemeral. It floats somewhere around my mind, occasionally landing right between my eyes like a nagging thought. It doesn’t tell me what to do. It just gestures quietly, like: That way. That’s the voice of my gifts.