Facing Giants and How To Defeat Them
We all have faced Giants in our lives. All of us.
We are so very passionate about cheering people on to find themselves, love themselves and follow their dreams. But what about when it's scary? What about when there's healing or forgiveness or huge disappointment to face? The obstacles we face in life are our GIANTS, and if we only ever talk about the exciting stuff then others might be brave enough to take the first steps in following their dreams but run for the hills at the sign of the first Giant.
This coffee journey is such a learning experience for C.J. and I. And when I say "learning experience" I mean some days are so difficult I question if we made the right decision. I mean I know in my guts we did, but life was so much easier before we put everything on the line and followed our dreams into an oversaturated industry with no experience. This isn't a poor us statement. It's a reality. Taking risks is HARD. Going after new things is HARD. Making a place for yourself at the table is HARD. Right now our journey is filled with Giants.
This isn't the first time we've been in the land of Giants though. We were here years ago when we moved into my parents' basement and sent out support letters so we could be apart of bringing Sparrow Clubs to Southern Oregon. We were here when our oldest son was diagnosed with autism... and then again with our second oldest. We were here when we lost everything and had to move back in with my parents this time with three kids in tow. We were here when we were told Charlie, our 4th son, had a massive heart issue in utero and possibly downs syndrome (he was born healthy and is now 6). And we're here again.
The land of Giants is scary. There will be sleepless nights and fights with your spouse. There will be tears and maybe even a longing to go back to where it was safe.
Don't go back. Don't do it.
Everything you've ever been through. All of the battles you've had to fight. All of the losses and victories have prepared you to be in this place! You can defeat your giants!
Here are three things I keep in front of me when I feel like it's all too much:
1) Show up: The land of giants is filled with hard conversations and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. Showing up confidently as ourselves is the first way to combat giants. They seem to get smaller when I remember who I am and what I came to this place for in the first place.
2) Don't be afraid to change the plan: We come to this place with expectations, maybe a business plan or just a set of goals we think we have to conquer to be successful. Sometimes nothing can prepare us though, and the well thought out plans we made without real-life experience don't mean anything. We can't tie ourselves or our worth to those original plans. There's strength and energy in the courage to shift and grow away from what we thought would be.
3) Don't do it alone: We need each other. Having people around us on the journey will not just be a good comfort... so often what we see as Giants others see as an opportunity and they can help us see that too. Being open to hearing from others gives us insight, wisdom, and perspective that we might not get on our own.