There are so many opportunities to be had in this life....so many dreams worth chasing after. And with the dawn of each new day, we are blessed with yet one more chance at everything we ever wanted and then some. But what stops so many of us from achieving greatness or happiness or love or success or memorability? I believe it is simply a lack of confidence in ourselves--a persistent doubt in the person God destined us to be and instilled with all the qualities and fight necessary to reach our highest potential.
When I used to meet people for the first time and they asked me what I did for work, I would never say that I was a writer. I was afraid they would get that sympathetic look in their eye that tells you that the dream you're chasing is a lost cause and better left abandoned. I didn't believe myself in the beginning that I was a writer so I never said it out loud. Then last May at a graduation party, I sat down next to my dad who was talking to another guest at the party. After noticing me, my dad quickly introduced me to the man next to him. The very next thing he said was, "My daughter's a writer." It was the first time I had ever really heard someone say it out loud. I was a writer. It was at the moment that I realized that the first step to me becoming a writer was simply acknowledging that I was one.....and saying it loud and proud to anyone who asked. Confidence, despite all the naysayers and sad puppy dog eyes confronting you, is key.
Confidence in not only who you want to become, but the fact that you will be one of the best at it, is the next step. I saw a black and white picture of Muhammad Ali once frozen in a fighting stance. A quote emblazoned across the top of the photo said "I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was." One of the greatest professional boxers of all time didn't start out as one of the greatest professional boxers. But what led him to achieving greatness? Confidence.
This past October, I had the esteemed pleasure of taking a pilgrimage down south to Memphis, Tennessee with my father to visit Graceland---the home of a dreamer. For those who know my dad, you know he is a huge fan of Elvis. I grew up hearing about Elvis like he was a distant relative. He was present in biographies on the bookshelves, photos along the walls, and old rock 'n' roll tunes rolling off a record player in the basement. When my dad first mentioned us taking a trip to Memphis together, I thought it would just be so he could bombard me with more Elvis memorabilia and history. I mean, I always thought Elvis was cool, but what was so important about seeing his house? What I discovered in Memphis was the ultimate power of a dream envisioned, believed in, and pursued after with every breath and ounce of strength in a man's body.
When I was in Memphis I saw photos of the little shack of a house that Elvis first grew up in in Tupelo, Mississippi. I drove by the public housing building where his family had to live when they first moved to Memphis. I stood in Sun Records, on the same tiled floor Elvis did, when he recorded his very first song. I saw the store window of the original Lansky's clothing shop, which later made custom clothing for Elvis. When Elvis first went there he didn't have a single dollar to pay for a shirt, but he told the owner that once he was rich he would come back and buy him out. I walked up the driveway to Elvis' beloved Graceland that he purchased at the astounding age of 22 years of age. And I hovered over the grave of the the King of Rock and Roll, a grave walked past by millions of people since his death.
In just a few short days, I saw what a man can accomplish in 42 years.....and it all started with a dream.....and confidence.
It doesn't matter who or what you want to be in this life. It doesn't matter how big or small, how certain or completely impossible your dreams might seem in the beginning. The only thing that will ever prevent you from achieving any of it is a lack of confidence. Know who you are. Tell yourself that and everyone you meet everyday.....and don't your dare bat an eyelash or stutter when you do. This is your life....own it....with confidence.
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