Don’t Let The Butterflies Stop You! Don’t let the butterflies you feel before you embark on something new stop you from reaching your full potential.
Months ago, I posted this on my Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsWCj5Mhigt/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Don’t Let The Butterflies Stop You: {Affiliate links are used in this post. You can read my disclosure HERE.}
I put this saying on my wood letter board after having a talk with one of our kids. (I love my Emmerie Lane’s Wood Letter Board. Find them HERE). One of our kids was dealing with some nervous feelings that were making the thing they were nervous about so much bigger than it actually was. A little pep talk helped and in the end, the thing wasn’t as nerve-wracking as they thought it was going to be. PHEW! Thank goodness. ☺
After I shared this on Instagram, I hung the board in my office because I also need this pep talk from time to time. I especially need the reminder with work-related things. Waiting for a business-related phone call from someone new can evoke some butterfly activity. A new collaboration can contribute to a butterfly influx. When I need to reach out to a new opportunity, the butterflies are usually accompanying me. Sometimes, putting out new content and not knowing how it will be received will have the butterflies fluttering around.
Years ago, the butterflies could be paralyzing – stopping me from moving forward. I would end up talking myself out of it. I would let the nerves get the best of me. And, every time I did that, I would beat myself up about it. I would get so angry with myself. What was I doing? Why wasn’t I strong enough to push through the nerves? The unknown was too scary for me and my comfort zone was, well……. too comfortable.
The worst part about that time? I didn’t grow or learn a thing. Never did I push past my nerves to see what was on the other side. I didn’t get to fail, succeed or learn. I just stayed still. No progress. Even as I write this, I get angry about it. I have come so far and learned so much that I know those times would have been bountiful in some capacity. Would I have grown faster? How much farther would I be? Would I have made fewer mistakes along the way? I will never know.
The butterflies that come with fear, being nervous and the unknown are a blessing.
They are there for a reason. They are the excited sign that comes with anticipation. Anticipation is a part of everything we do in life. It shows up in our every day lives. We anticipate our doctor’s appointment. We anticipate the mood our kids are going to come home with after school. The anticipation that comes with things that we have never experienced before usually produces some butterflies in our stomachs. They are natural when stepping out of our comfort zones. They start the process that is going to help us learn and grow. Even if the thing that brought the butterflies doesn’t turn out how we expected – we will still get something positive out of it. We may not see it in the moment, but down the road, it will reveal itself to us and we will understand then.
The butterflies should be received with open arms.
They are ready to welcome something new. The beginning of something we haven’t experienced before. They are excited to be embarking on something we are unsure about. The butterflies get us revved up before we are about to learn, see and/or do something fresh. They are our inner alert system that tells us to hang on. We are about to experience new feelings, some growth and gain knowledge about something we didn’t even know we needed to learn.
I need this pep talk less than I did years ago, but I still need to hear it. I still get butterflies all the time, but the way I view them is different. If I don’t have butterflies, I question whether it is something worth my time. If I am not nervous, am I even pushing out of my comfort zone? When fear shows up, I need to get as excited as the butterflies are so I can crush it before it gets too big.
The butterflies are always going to be there. It is up to us to make the most of them and see them for what they really are.
When was the last time the butterflies stopped you from moving forward?
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If you liked this “Don’t Let The Butterflies Stop You” post, you will also enjoy these:
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I Am More Than The Titles I Hold
Unexpected Outcomes (a.k.a. Failures)