My Birthday Gift to YOU: My Secret to Success

My birthday is coming up in a couple of days. (Not gonna lie, about 50% of my thoughts right now are daydreams about birthday cake.)

In this past year, I reached some pretty a-maz-ing professional milestones. I launched the 100% Human brand and my 100% Human Podcast. I found an incredible publisher for my book, Stop & Shift. Success Magazine invited me to become the host for their podcast, In the Details. I’ve gotten to speak to companies and organizations all across the country and connect with inspiring people who are changing the world every day.

Let me tell you, my heart is overflowing right now.

I am also lucky to have people in my life cheering me on, telling me how happy they are that my hard work is paying off. How proud they are that I’ve really put myself out there in pursuing this purpose of mine. How excited they are for my success.

And you know, this year that encouragement has pushed me to reflect on what it takes to achieve our goals. When we’re building to our dream, we sometimes feel like we’re just trudging forward, putting one foot in front of the other until we can look up and see that achievement right in front of us.

We can forget to embrace the moments along the way and appreciate what it really took to bring that dream into reality.

Achieving my goals has been an incredible feeling, but I also want to honor and reflect on all I did to get to this point.

I want to embrace every moment along this path. I want really hear the encouragement from the people I love and respect, and I want to acknowledge and honor all of the steps that brought me to this point.

And I want to share what I’ve discovered with you.

The biggest realization I’m taking with me from this year is that my success is built on two things:

I build, and I believe.

That’s the magic equation, the secret to success. I wholeheartedly believe that it’s the recipe for manifesting your goals in your life.

We need to build, and we need to believe.

Maybe you’re thinking, “What does that mean? And what does that even look like?”

Here is my advice, friend…

Build.

Build your success through hard work and solid effort. Do everything within your power to chase your goals—

step outside of your comfort zone, push through your fears, make all the calls, build all the connections, turn over every stone, and dig into the hard work it will take to bring that life into reality.

Develop a mindset that allows you to create your life in a very intentional way. Build rest into your operating system so that you can bring your best self to the table. Take the time to build a mindset that supports clarity and creativity.

Take action, try your hardest, and do everything within your power.

And then take a deep breath.

Step back.

And,

Believe.

Let go and have faith that what you need will find its way into your life.

Leave room for the way the journey was meant to unfold, not how you think it should unfold.

Trust things that are unseen and know that if your heart is in the right place, those things unseen will be blessings that carry you forward.

Release perfectionism and recognize you can’t control everything. As much as we want to believe that our success will be 100% a result of our own efforts, that’s just not the way the world works. Not every effort is going to lead to the result you want, and your success is never single-handedly built on your own efforts.

Sometimes someone will open a door for you.

Sometimes the big award will go to someone else.

Sometimes a world-changing even—like, and I’m just spitballing here, a global pandemic—will knock you off your perfectly planned track.

Releasing control doesn’t have to be scary or disheartening.

I have learned that when I open my heart and just believe, there are blessings from God (or the universe or whatever you believe in deep in your heart—I’m going to say God, which is what feels right for me, but you can insert whatever force you hold dear in this space) that will intercede and carry us further than we ever could’ve imagined.

Which is why we need to build and believe.

One without the other will only keep you stuck.

People who only build are often disappointed or frustrated or overwhelmed with the worry that comes from trying to control of every single detail of their lives. When something disrupts their plans, they think that their hard work was for nothing, and it can feel easier to just give up.

People who only believe are often disappointed or frustrated or overwhelmed with worry too. They invest deeply in hoping and wishing and envisioning the things they want, genuinely believing that this will bring those things into their lives. They put energy into envisioning their success, but because they’re not taking any action, it’s empty effort. And when things don’t work out, they feel like fate just isn’t on their side.

What I have witnessed—what I’ve seen unfold in my own life and in other people’s lives as well—is that when you do both, that’s where success lives. That’s how you stay in flow and keep moving forward. That’s how you create a life that you truly love.

Build, and build with focus, determination, and the best of intentions. And then believe. Leave room for God to sweep in—for all of those other unexpected factors that will support and uplift and accelerate your efforts.

Build, believe, and celebrate 🥳 every step along the way, my friend.

I am so grateful to be stepping into another year of growing, learning, and embracing this community of beautiful humans.

Thank you for being part of my success.

Big love.

xx