For the past eight years, since moving from Michigan to Arizona, I’ve had the opportunity to create, write for, and coach amazing, brave readers, clients and friends from all over the world.

I’ve been thinking about the direction I want to go in, both on- and offline, for months now. That direction might surprise you. It certainly surprised me! But once you know something – really know and feel something – there’s no turning back.

I’ve decided to make a serious change. It’s time to close my business and The Bold Life.

There are many reasons for my decision, but the reasons aren’t as important as the way that I feel now that I’ve made the choice. I feel empowered. I feel excited about what’s next!

It’s time for a change. It’s time for something new.

Major life decisions are not easy ones to make. It takes courage and bold action to change one’s life.

Bold readers like you inspire me to step into my most authentic self and grow outside of my comfort zone. Know that you have taught me so much. Each of you is precious to me.

It has been my pleasure and an honor to share my expertise, experiences and wisdom.

Of the millions of blogs to read, thank you for choosing mine. Of the millions of coaches to hire, thank you for hiring me. Of the millions of e-courses to purchase, thank you for buying mine.

I feel both blessed and eternally grateful. Helping each of you has easily been the richest part of my job. Know that I care. Know that you are loved!

So now what?

What will I do with the rest of my life?

I plan to watch more sunrises and sunsets. The mountains are calling me. I want to hike and garden again.

I want to paint, learn Spanish and take a video and photography class. I want to meditate more and read non-business books!

I want to do these things for pure pleasure.

I want to really listen to family and friends when they call. I want more offline friends. I want more face-to-face connections. I want to be more mindful.

I want to go to lunch, laugh and be silly. I forgot what it’s like to be carefree!
My life and its circumstances are 100% my responsibility, so I’m choosing to do what feels right to me. I feel empowered and free.

Is it scary? Not even.

There are infinite possibilities, opportunities and blessings waiting for me. I am worthy and deserving. I will continue to flourish!

Megan Tietz says, “Everything good and valuable and important that you learned from blogging can be put into practice in a dazzling number of ways outside of the medium.” Sounds exciting, eh?

I expect that my mind-boggling new life will unfold and magic will be bestowed upon me. The rest of my life will be the best of my life.

I’ll be guided. I’ll make it so.

As for you …

I’ll miss you, and will cherish the exchanges we’ve had throughout the years. I trust that each of you will continue making bold choices that honor your inner calling!

I know you’ll use what you’ve learned here to create moments you’re proud of!

The content of The Bold Life site will be available and remain online.  You can continue to follow me on Facebook.
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My e-courses are available at over 70% off! You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get beyond your fear. Grab one and begin now!

My best work is my course, 30 Days of Bold: Feeling Excited And Ready. Check it out. Today is the best time to begin something new!
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Your presence here has been a joy. You will always have a place in my heart!

Love always,

xo Tess

Please help me share my news on social media. Thanks in advance!

Fear is future-oriented.

It’s imagining what could go wrong but hasn’t gone wrong yet. Fear is hiding under self-judgment, comparison and envy. Fear holds you in a pattern of self-doubt.

Fear is running a mental movie of the worst-case scenario repeatedly in your mind.

What kind of movie do you play? Is it a horror movie? A comedy? Or is it a success story? A love story? A drama?

Remember, you are the inventor. You invent your future with the choices you make today. Your choices create your tomorrows.

How would you feel today if you knew the best was yet to come? How would that influence your actions? 

Reminder: Get 70% off my best course, 30 Days Of Bold: Feeling Excited And Ready! You get lifetime access to videos, personal stories, workbooks, interviews and action steps to remove self-imposed barriers, make fearless choices and flex your get-up-and-go muscles! Click here, check it out and fear less!

How to build an extraordinary future:

1. Choose to spiral upward.

Own your strengths, gifts and unique talents. Acknowledge all that you have to offer the world. Know that you are wiser than you think you are. You are unlimited. Speak and act your way into greatness.

2. Witness your fear.

Write your fears down in a journal. What are your fears trying to tell you? Hear them out. Lean into your fear and breathe. Fear will soon fade.

3. Take five swings.

In order to get something new, you must fundamentally change how you think, feel and act.

Take small action steps daily towards your dreams. Ron Scolastico says, “If you would go every day to a very large tree and take five swings at it with a very sharp ax, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to come down.”

What five swings are you willing to take today?

4. Know the cost of fear.

Fear causes stress that affects our health, our decision-making process and our freedom. It’s just as easy to focus on a positive outcome as it is a negative one.

We can choose to learn from suffering and pain, or joy and inspiration. Which outcome are you unwaveringly committed to?

5. Invest in your faith.

The same force that holds the stars in the sky and turns an acorn into an oak tree is at work beyond what you can comprehend.

Believe that the Universe has your back. Believe that everything will work out as it should. Put your energy in your faith. Release all worry.

6. Crave life.  You have to live life to the end. Feel the world. Explore. Be with people. Do the unusual. Take the crooked path.  Take things too far. Because it’s possible, right?

Believe in a future you can’t experience with your senses. Have faith in a future you cannot see. There is immense power in this.

7. Today is your beginning point. Make every day new. When you choose to live life in the present and confront and overcome your fear, life is exciting, you feel empowered and you fill your life with curiosity and wonder.

My ecourse 30 Days Of Bold is on sale today for $49 (reg. $149)! That’s $100 off! Click here to learn more and begin today!

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And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. – Elizabeth Appell

I have felt this pain, this fear, a number of times in my life.

When the fear of leaving a “good job” was overcome by my need to find out what I was meant to do in my life.

When the fear of not following my relationship habits was overcome by my willingness to break those damaging habits and find a new way.

When my fear of meeting new people was overcome by my need to network heavily to find a new job to provide for my family.

In each of these cases, my fears reared their ugly heads and threatened all kinds of evil outcomes if I didn’t stay in my comfort zone.

They threatened me with, “What if you never find a good job again?” and “What if you never find another man to be in a relationship with again?”

When it came to networking, the fears of rejection and the feelings of not being enough were enormous.

But, underneath the shrills of my fears, I was able to hear the whispers of my True Self that lovingly showed me that if I didn’t change, I would continue to be unhappy – or worse.

These were significant life changes. In every case, when I looked the fear squarely in the eyes I could see that there was little there. There was nothing to fear except a continued life of unhappiness.

That doesn’t mean that these changes were easy. Quite the opposite. They were hard as hell, but the alternative – staying the same and feeling unhappy – was no longer acceptable.

In every case, the payoff’s have been unbelievably positive. I walked through the fire and emerged a happier person from the experiences I had, the lessons I learned and the new attitudes I adopted.

Those new attitudes were critical in the process. Instead of having an attitude of fear, I chose to see each challenge as an adventure.

I approached the edges of my comfort zone with an inquisitive attitude, curious about what I might learn next.

After being incredibly nervous and uncomfortable in my first month of networking, I asked myself, “How can I make this fun?”

Instead of thinking about how I came across to others, I became curious about the people I was meeting. I wanted to understand what made them tick so I could discover ways of helping them.

By shifting the focus from me (“What will they think of me?”) to them (“What can I do to help them?”), I became much more relaxed, and the game became fun.

What was the tipping point, that thing that made me push past my fears and the edges of my comfort zone to discover what I was capable of? It was the pain of staying the same and repeating my old patterns.

If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.

My world and the people in it weren’t going to magically change some day to make me happier.

If I wanted to be happier, I had to change. As scary as it was, there wasn’t any other choice.

Reminder: Get 70% off my best course, 30 Days Of Bold: Feeling Excited And Ready! You get lifetime access to videos, personal stories, workbooks, interviews and action steps to remove self-imposed barriers, make fearless choices and flex your get-up-and-go muscles! Click here, check it out and fear less!

The Worst Case Scenario Game

Whenever I face a tough decision, I play the Worst Case Scenario game. It goes like this:

Think about that scary thing you’re afraid to do.

Write down all the possible outcomes that could happen if you do that thing. Let your mind go wild. Don’t edit anything. Write the good and bad, no matter how crazy they may seem. Keep writing until you can’t think of anything else.

Take each possible outcome, one at a time, and follow it to its worst end. Don’t create positive opportunities along the way. Just let it get as bad as it can.

For example, if I left my good job, I may never find another good job again. Then I’ll be horribly under-employed and bored. Or I’ll be unemployed for a long period of time.

My meager savings will run out and I’ll have to drastically downsize to a smaller home. I’ll have to sell everything I own. Eventually, I’ll be homeless and begging.

Ask yourself what the likelihood would be of that worst case ending. Usually, you’ll find that there are plenty of opportunities along that downward path to do something different and head off the worst case.

In the example above (and in most of my other worst-case scenarios), I’ve already lived the worst case and it wasn’t the end of the world. I figured out how to turn things around. I grew in the process.

Write about what you would actually do if that worst case happened. Think about it as if it already happened. That’s one way to face those monstrous fears and watch them shrink in front of your eyes.

The unknown is scary. The known isn’t. When you know how you’ll handle the change, it’s not as scary.

This process helps you to stop the daunting “what if’s” spinning in your head that increase stress and anxiety. It helps you to finish the “what if” stories and shine the light on the answer to the “what if” question.

The “what if” questions are the monsters hiding in the closet. You’re scared to open the closet door but, once you do, you see that the monster is a pile of clothes on the floor.

It’s never as bad as you thought it would be.

Paige Burkes inspires her community at Simple Mindfulness to see the world in a new light through mindfulness.

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Debbie Hampton recovered from decades of unhealthy thinking and depression, a suicide attempt, and resulting brain injury to become an inspirational and educational writer on brain, emotional, and mental health.

Enjoy our interview!

Debbie, what part has fear played in your life?

Fear was the predominant guiding force in my life for four decades. I’ve lived most of my life conforming, doing all the “right” things, to achieve the “good life” I’d heard about growing up. To get to this promised land, I invested most of my efforts into trying to avoid the big “bad things” I’d learned that I didn’t want: pain, loneliness, failure.

With fear looming large, my life decisions were all about what I didn’t want instead of what I did want. Life became a marathon obstacle course of avoiding rather than achieving, which led to a numb, depressed existence.

At 43, I found myself divorced, depressed, and more scared of life than ever and tried to commit suicide by swallowing a bunch of pills.

After a week in a coma, I woke up with a severe brain injury and my ex-husband soon sued me for custody of our sons. He won and immediately moved out-of-state with them. And I was scared before?

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Reminder: My ecourse, Take Your Fear and Shove It is available for only $10! You don’t have to stay stuck or live in pain. Begin to understand fear and make changes today! Learn more and check it out here!
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How did you come back from that one?

Very slowly! Seriously. Unraveling that mess and recovering emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically literally took years. Initially, I was seriously mentally impaired and couldn’t retrieve words, remember the day, my sons’ ages, or that I’d gotten divorced.

Physically, I could barely speak, couldn’t coordinate the acts of breathing and swallowing anymore, and had no fine motor skills.

Getting down right mad, I told myself, “If I have to live, I’m NOT living like this!” Over the first year, I naturally healed somewhat and, in the following years, I learned all I could about the brain and worked very hard every day at my rehabilitation.

Alone for the first time in my life, I had no one to put my limited energy into but myself. The more I recovered, the more I learned. The more I learned, the more I recovered.

I utilized alternative therapies, like neurofeedback, acupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, daily exercise, and mental health practices, like brain training, meditation, and visualization, to rebuild my brain and mind.

The brain injury was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to make radical changes in my lifestyle and mindset that I’d needed to make long before.

Because the underlying belief systems and perceptual foundation upon which I’d built my reality withered away along with brain cells, I got to start with a clean slate, so to speak.

My injured mind was not capable of entertaining all the fear and worry that it had before. All I could do at first was exist in the present moment. That alone required all of my attention.

When I did heal enough for my old friends rumination and anxiety to creep back in, I was determined that I was not going to fall into the same unhealthy ruts that had led me to the suicide attempt.

I began meditating and practicing mindfulness, visualization, thought reframing, and seeing a cognitive behavioral therapist.

By consciously working with and altering my thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, I transformed my world which, in turn, changed my physical brain and its default mode of operation.

It didn’t happen overnight, and there were many many relapses (and still are occasionally), but it did happen.

What’s one thing you used to really resist that you now accept?

I used to really resist change. It terrified me. I would do almost anything to stay in my comfort zone – even if it meant being miserable. I was a master at creating disastrous mental movies of the future and torturing myself with pain from the past.

I lived in tremendous fear of the unknown and with heavy regret.

I have learned to stay in the present and to direct my choices in the now to consciously create the future I want. I approach change now with a bold, enthusiastic curiosity.

While I still feel the dread of the unknown at times, I forge ahead anyway because I know now that this feeling is part of living fully, and I’ve learned to have trust and faith in myself and the universe.

I’ve also learned that if I shut out the pain or fear, it blunts and dulls the joy and happiness. I have to allow myself to feel the full spectrum: the highs and the lows, to experience life’s rich texture.

I now believe that in uncertainty lies all possibility.

What would you like everyone to know about fear?

Fear is a prison. It’s a box in which we keep ourselves to avoid failing, to avoid being laughed at or judged, to avoid feeling disappointment or hurt, to avoid all kinds of things that make us feel uncomfortable.

However, if we protect ourselves from these things, we’re also shutting ourselves off from the many possibilities and joys of living to the fullest.

I love George Carlin’s quote and often remind myself of it often:

Life’s journey is not to
arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways,
totally worn out, shouting
‘…holy shit …what a ride!’

What one thing would you advise people to do to change their life for the better and quit living a fear based existence?

Everybody is going to feel fear. That’s just being human. Fear is your brain’s way of protecting you and ensuring the survival of the species.

The point is not to not have fears. The goal is to change the way we connect with and react to our fears.

Because the brain is actually designed to thwart our conscious efforts to override the fear response, changing our relationship to fear isn’t easy, but it can be done by becoming more mindful, getting comfortable with uncertainty, and even welcoming and leaning into fear.

Instead of battling, avoiding, trying to control, or feeling bad about fear, we have to learn to approach fear as a friendly companion, expecting it to show up and even welcoming it when it does.

We have to be gentle with ourselves and our fears. If you stop thinking of fear as a problem, it’s not a problem.

Debbie Hampton shares how she rebuilt her brain and life to find joy and thrive on her blog, The Best Brain Possible. You can quickly learn the steps to a better brain in her book Beat Depression And Anxiety By Changing Your Brain.

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End your suffering with Byron Katie

Byron Katie, speaker and author teaches a method of self-inquiry known as “The Work.” The Work is a way of identifying and questioning any stressful thought. It consists of four questions and a turnaround.

The four questions are: 1) Is it true? 2) Can you absolutely know that it’s true? 3) How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? and 4) Who would you be without the thought?

Turnarounds: Could the opposite be as true? Turn the statement around to the opposite, to the self, and to the other. This is a way of experiencing the opposite of what you believe.

1. “Placing the blame or judgment on someone else leaves you powerless to change
your experience; taking responsibility for your beliefs and judgments gives you the power to change them.” ~ Byron Katie”

2. “Anything you want to ask a teacher, ask yourself, and wait for the answer in silence.” ~ Byron Katie

My e-courses are available at over 70% off! You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get beyond your fear. Grab one (on the sidebar) and begin now!

My best work is my course, 30 Days of Bold: Feeling Excited And Ready. Check it out. Today is the best time to begin something new!

3. “If you believe that anyone’s action is bad, how can you see the good in it? How can you see the good that comes out of it, maybe years later? If you see anyone as bad, how can you understand that we are all created equal? We’re all teachers by the way we live. A blind drunk can teach more about why not to drink than an abstinent man in all his piety. No one has more or less goodness. No one who ever lived is a better or a worse human being than you.” ~ Byron Katie

4. “The teacher you need is the person you’re living with.” ~ Byron Katie

5. “It’s not your job to like me – it’s mine.” ~ Byron Katie

6. “All the advice you ever gave your partner is for you to hear.” ~ Byron Katie

7. “Nothing comes ahead of its time, and nothing ever happened that didn’t need to happen.” ~ Byron Katie

8. “As long as you think that the cause of your problem is “out there”—as long as you think that anyone or anything is responsible for your suffering—the situation is hopeless. It means that you are forever in the role of victim, that you’re suffering in paradise.” ~ Byron Katie

9. “All I have is all I need and all I need is all I have in this moment.” ~ Byron Katie

10. “I love what I think, and I’m never tempted to believe it.” ~ Byron Katie

11. “I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but that when I didn’t believe them, I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always.” ~ Byron Katie

12. “Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon, nor too late. You don’t have to like it…it’s just easier if you do.” ~ Byron Katie

13. “I am the perpretor of my suffering – but only all of it.” ~ Byron Katie

14. “Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” ~ Byron Katie

15. “I’m a lover of reality. When I argue with What Is, I lose, but only 100% of the time.” ~ Byron Katie

16. Taking responsibility for your beliefs and judgments gives you the power to change them.” ~ Byron Katie

17. “Nothing can cost you someone you love. The only thing that can cost you your husband is if you believe a thought. That’s how you move away from him. That’s how the marriage ends.

You are one with your husband until you believe the thought that he should look a certain way, he should give you something, he should be something other than what he is. That’s how you divorce him. Right then and there you have lost your marriage.” ~ Byron Katie

18. “Thoughts are just what is. They appear. They’re innocent. They’re not personal. They’re like the breeze or the leaves on the trees or the raindrops falling. Thoughts arise like that, and we can make friends with them. Would you argue with a raindrop?” ~ Byron Katie

19. “I can find only three kinds of business in the universe: mine, yours and God’s. Much of our stress comes from mentally living out of our business. When I think, “You need to get a job, I want you to be happy, you should be on time, you need to take better care of yourself,” I am in your business. When I’m worried about earthquakes, floods, war, or when I will die, I am in God’s business. If I am mentally in your business or in God’s business, the effect is separation.” ~ Byron Katie

20. “A teacher of fear can’t bring peace on Earth. We have been trying to do it that way for thousands of years. The person who turns inner violence around, the person who finds peace inside and lives it, is the one who teaches what true peace is. We are waiting for just one teacher. You’re the one.”  ~ Byron Katie

Photo image: Scott London

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Our modern way of living promotes constant stress, social anxiety and increased unease over work and personal life. Instead of feeling calm, most people feel overwhelmed. Our motors are always running!

It is possible not only to feel peace and serenity every day, as well as to remain calm when you are around or working with those who are angry and irrational. You can’t control how other people act. You can’t control much of what happens to you. What you can control is how you react and respond to it all.
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Reminder: Have you checked out “30 Days of Bold: Feeling Excited and Ready?” It a 4-week course filled with videos, interviews, workbooks and more all on sale for a big discount. Check it out here!

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Following are some ways I’ve learned to remain calm and centered when those around me can’t. When you consistently practice these habits, the world around you changes and life becomes easier.

Be comfortable with pausing

Don’t imagine the worst. When someone is acting irrationally, don’t rush to a negative judgment. Instead, pause. There will always be people who aren’t as considerate, kind or calm as we like. When you take the time to pause, it gives you time to collect your thoughts and allows the other person the space to take a deep breath.

Choose to stay neutral

Learn to respect the opinion of others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It’s possible to connect with someone you don’t like or agree with. When you make a commitment to remain neutral, both parties can remain calm and move forward together.

Be compassionate

In today’s world people tend to be busy, worried, fearful, hurting and distracted. The word compassion means “to suffer with.” When you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes, you have an overwhelming desire to help.

Remember, we never know what’s really going on in someone’s life. Set an intention to be truly helpful.

Extend generosity and grace

Everyone gets upset. Remind yourself that we are all more alike than different. When you have a tendency to judge, add “just like me” to the end of a sentence.

“That person is crabby, just like me. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about half the time, just like me. She isn’t very patient, just like me.” Choose to let things roll off your back. Let others off the hook. Take the high road, always.

Allow people to be angry

Everyone experiences anger. Some people never learn how to deal with it, others do. When someone is angry, it’s vital that you remain calm, no matter what. Don’t allow others to knock you off your center. How someone else is feeling is about them. How you react is about you. Do what it takes to remain calm and address the situation. That’s where your power lies.

Speak less and breathe more

Don’t fall into an argument. Don’t say things you’ll regret five minutes later. Anger begins internally. You have the power to choose your emotions. Focus only on the present moment and what can be done right now.

Do what you can and let the rest go. If nothing else, you can always change your perception. That’s big! The past is over and the future doesn’t exist. Stay present.

Create a morning ritual

Don’t rush into your day by checking your phone or email. Create time and space for a morning ritual. Take 10 deep breaths before getting out of bed. Do ten minutes of meditation. Spend 10 minutes stretching.

When this becomes easy, add 5 minutes to your routine. When you begin with quiet and calm, you can go through your day being calm and centered.

Cope with healthy things

When we face stressful situations, we often calm or soothe ourselves with unhealthy actions. It’s easy to respond to anger with anger, alcohol, shopping, gaming, gambling and so on. Notice how you cope with stress.

Replace bad habits with healthy habits. Make a cup of tea and sit quietly with your thoughts. Take a long slow walk. Write in your journal. Talk to a friend. Healthy habits make happy people.

Remember how great life is

At the end of the day, reflect on what went right. Count 10 things that went right in the past 24 hours on your fingers. For example: my car started, my computer is running smoothly, someone helped me at work and so on.

Next count 10 things that you got right on your fingers. For example: I made time to exercise, I ate healthy, I called my mom and so on. This reminds you how great life is!

Sprinkle the world with kindness

Think kindly of others. Speak kindly to others. Do kind things for others. Kindness changes everything. The best thing about it is, there’s enough for everyone and it doesn’t cost a thing!

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Guest post by Jessica Sweet

Bad things have already happened to you.

Maybe they’re little, like someone telling you at 5 that you couldn’t sing.

Or maybe they’re like mountains in your life, like the loss of a loved one, overshadowing everything else you do.

But how ever you view the bad things, one thing is for sure – you’re afraid of more scary things happening to you. More things that make you feel small, unworthy and incapable.

We all let fear hold us back to a certain degree, and in some situations we’re more aware of it than others. We come up against our “fear ceiling” where we see exactly where we’re getting pushed out of our comfort zone and into a place that hits all our fear buttons.

And then that little voice starts telling us that we shouldn’t put ourselves out there or take a risk or ask for more than we “deserve”.

Fear has been sitting quietly all along. You thought he was just another passenger until he hijacks your bus and takes you for a joyride.

Fear laughs hysterically at the wheel while you cower in the back trying not to be thrown from the vehicle through a skidding turn. . .

Because being more, being bigger, being bolder invites bad things back into our lives.

But show me the stone where it’s written that being bold invites punishment.

Actually, fear has brainwashed us into believing that the second we step outside our comfort zone we’ll get nailed with a ball right in the head.

If you’re too happy, something bad will happen.

If you’re too bold, something bad will happen.

If you’re too big, something bad will happen.

Pride comes before the fall.

But here’s the truth: Bad things have happened to you. And sometimes, bad things will happen to you again – whether you’re staying small or living huge.

The size of your life does not impact the size of your problems. It’s the quality of your decisions that does.

Tell me this: If you lived smaller, do you think you’d have fewer bad things in your life than you do today?

Didn’t think so. So the reverse must be true too.

There’s no way around it. You’re already smart and creative and wise. You’ll prevent as many of those bad things as humanly possible and make good decisions along the way. You’re not going to do anything foolish.

But staying small and not being foolish are two entirely different things.

The question is, where is the line?

Three Questions To Ask Yourself

You can begin to sort out your line between being foolish and staying small by asking yourself these three questions:

1. Will I regret not doing this in a year? If you let this opportunity go by, will you be wishing you did it a year from now? Also, if you do this now, will you wish you hadn’t?

2. What are the chances that this move will hurt me in ways that matter? Think about your finances, your relationships, and other things that are important to you.

If the bold step you’re thinking of taking will damage one of these areas, it may be foolish.

If you can modify it so it’s not damaging (maybe saving for your around-the-world trip instead of spending your life’s savings or taking Oprah hostage) you can probably go for it.

3. What does your heart say? Really listen. If you can listen to your heart (gut, intuition, higher power or whatever you choose to call it) you can get past what the fear is saying and get to your true answer.

You don’t have to live with the fear that being bold will rain down more bad things in your life. It simply is not true.

It’s time to live bold and see where your life takes you.

Jessica Sweet is a career change coach for people who are no longer willing to settle for “boring” at work. If you’re having trouble embracing your next adventure or figuring out how to pull it off, go to Wishing Well Coach. You can also check out all her flashy credentials that you really don’t care about reading here.

Reminder: Check out my course, “Take Your Fear and Shove It: A Step By Step Guide to Be Bold, Play Big and Shine Bright.”  You can get it today at a big discount here. 

I dare you to do things differently today and every day.

We often focus our energy and time on the big events and experiences in our lives.

We want our lives to be adventurous, our children to be happy and our relationships to last.We want to find the best career, the perfect lover or live in the coolest city.

Meanwhile, we overlook the daily practices that can bring peace, joy and comfort to our lives especially when things don’t go as we expect.

Today, I dare you to be more daring.

Check out the following small actions, habits and choices that pack a powerful punch when you practice them daily. These dares are life changing!

I dare you to be more loving.

Be kind to yourself and others. Turn on your love faucet. Train yourself to think and speak lovingly. Be generous. Give to yourself. Be of service. Give to others.

Those who have more, must give more. Set the example. Go the extra mile.

I dare you to enjoy your life

Know what your values and priorities are. Never allow work, power or money take precedence over these. Live as if this is the best day of your life. Laugh and savor simple ordinary everyday pleasures. Life is good!

I dare you to see yourself as prosperous

Recognize and be open to your abundance. Kathy Matta’s song “Standing Knee Deep in a River Dying of Thirst” says it all. The quickest cure for this is to go within and count your blessings. Accentuate the positive and downplay any feelings of lack.

I dare you to speak up

Don’t expect others to read your mind. State your opinion. Take a stand. Let others know who you are and what you’re all about.

Don’t be afraid to be heard. You count. You matter and your voice is needed.

I dare you to live in the moment

Living in the present moment creates a richness and awareness to our lives. Stay out of the past and don’t project on to your future. Everything you need is available now. Gratitude and appreciation can only exist now.

You have nothing to lose. Each time you find yourself wishing things were different put yourself in the present moment.

I dare you to surrender

We spend our lives letting go of people, places and things that don’t serve us anymore. Letting go takes practice. It takes faith. When you release anything that is holding you back, you create a vacuum.

The universe fills it up with things that move you forward.

I dare you to delete mental garbage

Give up your negative affirmations. “I don’t have time.” “I’m not smart enough or qualified.” “I can’t do it.” “I’m not as good as the others.” Replace the garbage with positive self-talk and affirmations.

I dare you to forgive yourself

Let go of resentment and bitterness. Forgive your parents. Forgive everyone in-between. If you have only a smidgen of anger or a problem to let go of, you need to release it. You’re never finished with forgiveness work. Make is a daily practice.

I dare you to move beyond your fear

Don’t be afraid to be afraid. Chase your fear. When you run toward your fear, fear takes a different route. Embrace It. Face it. Don’t fret over a setback. Instead regroup, focus and discover how strong and resilient you are. Carry on.

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I dare you to expect the best

Drop the negative fantasies that rerun through your mind. Expect to succeed. Believe it will happen. Create a mental movie with an amazing ending. What if you believed the best is yet to come? How would you feel and what would you do today?

I dare you to release attack thoughts and negativity

You can live without preference, dislike and judgment. Change your thoughts. Shift your perception. Don’t get caught up in drama of your ego or smaller self. Claim your inner peace and never let it go.

I dare you to believe in your own success

Do what it takes to keep your vibes high and mind strong. Make no room for doubt. Feel it in every cell of your body. When you falter, get back on track. Learn to dream, think and speak about only succeeding. You are called to rise.

I dare you to take small steps

The wisdom and knowledge you have won’t count for much until you take action. Put your goal or dream on your daily to-do-list. Do your most difficult tasks first. Take your time. Stay committed.

If you veer off course, begin again. If you make a mistake, begin again. Keep going. Keep rising. Keep practicing. Keep changing. Keep daring!

Fear stops everyone from doing things. Nobody is brave all of the time. How would your life be different if you thought less of your worry, doubts and fears and more of your courage, ideas and dreams?

I visited the Henry Ford Museum the last time I was in Michigan and today I went to Greenfield Village.

Both times I was engaged in a world of incredible inventions, brave visionaries and living traditions that span three centuries of American life.

Sounds, sights and sensations are spread out on 200 acres. I went places I’ve never been before and I saw things I’ve only previously imagined.

Some of the things on display in the Henry Ford Museum are:

• The 1961 Lincoln Continental, SS-100-X that President John F. Kennedy was campaigning in when he was assassinated.
• The rocking chair President Abraham Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot.
• Thomas Edison’s alleged last breath in a sealed tube!
• The camp bed George Washington owned.
• The bus Rosa Parks was arrested in for refusing to give up her seat.
• And so much more!

In Henry Ford’s Village, the highlights for me were:

• The Wright brothers’ home and bicycle shop.
• A replica, of Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park, laboratory complex.
• Henry Ford’s birthplace, furnished exactly as it was during his mother’s time.
• The Illinois courthouse, where Abraham Lincoln practiced law.
• Henry Ford’s prototype garage, where he built the Ford Quadricycle.
• And so much more!

I didn’t realize that Thomas Edison was Henry Ford’s mentor! I like to think Ford admired Edison for his resilience. What kept Edison going was that he didn’t dwell on his many failures. He kept inventing because he never ran out of passion or new ideas!

It takes courage to follow your dreams. It takes the willingness to rise again after each failure.

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We often lose sight of how many opportunities we miss when we give up a bold life for staying stuck and playing small.

Don’t allow fear to steal your courage or dreams. Don’t allow fear to rob the world of your gifts and talents.

Fear stands in the way of what you want the most

Fear robs you of the belief that all is well with the world. If you want to have financial freedom, check your beliefs about money. Do you thing money is evil, scare and hard to obtain?

These beliefs keep you striving instead of thriving. Focus on giving vs. getting. Be generous. Be of service.

Your time is now. It’s your turn to do great things.

Don’t be afraid to be courageous!

How often do you remain quiet when you have something to say?

How often do you ignore your intuition when you need to take action?

How often do you hold back when you know it’s time to move forward?

How many times do you fear that you’re not smart enough or good enough?

You must have courage in order to take advantage of the unlimited opportunities that life offers you. You must exercise courage in order to live up to your full potential and leave your mark on the world. You must have courage in order to get up again after you take a few blows, fail and fall down.

It’s time to grab your potential by the tail and run with it. When you live a courageous life, you feel alive!

The following 10 acts will help you live a more bolder, more meaningful life:

Have the Courage to Jump into Life

Today is the best day of your life. If you’re not making the most of it, what are you waiting for? Face what’s stopping you and go make your mark on the world. Don’t settle for mediocrity or the status quo.

Grab the reins. Go somewhere new. Do something different. Surround yourself with the best. Dive in with both feet. Carpe Vita!

Have the Courage to Ask For What You Want

Instead of whining or complaining about your needs, learn to ask for what you want. Don’t expect others to read your mind. Learn to clearly communicate your desires. Be bold. Be assertive. Assume that people want to help you.

Expect things to go well. If the answer is no, ask again. There are more than 7 billion people in the world. Someone will say yes!

Have the Courage to Stand in Your Power

Like bees on honey, humans are drawn to external power such as money, beauty, sexuality, jobs, possessions and physical strength. External power is seductive and can be compared and measured. Real power comes from within and is equally available to everyone.

You can’t buy or lose authentic power. Examples of authentic power are compassion, harmony, inner peace and wisdom. When you center yourself in these, you’ll win every time.

Have the Courage to Forgive Yourself

Don’t allow your ego or smaller self to keep you stuck in regret or self-hatred.  Remember you are not your mistakes. You have to forgive yourself. Forgive the situation. Let go, or you won’t be able to move forward.

Honor yourself. Let yourself off the hook. Stay out of the pain of the past. Put your energy into doing something positive. Move on.

Have the Courage to Act with Love

Love is a verb, and an act of courage. Love is a commitment to yourself and others. Learn how to be compassionate and empathetic. Think loving thoughts, speak loving words and take loving action.

Keep loving until all else falls away. Anything unlike love is fear. Do what it takes to shift out of fear as quickly as you can. Love is a moment by moment practice. Practice it often.

Have the Courage to Be Generous

Learn how to give from your heart. Give without expectations. Do not give because you want acceptance, love or admiration. Do not give in order to gain recognition or power. Learn to give from a place of love and joy.

Believe you have more than enough. Give money and time. Share your talents. Give the benefit of the doubt. Give praise and respect. Just give.

Have the Courage to Own Your Fears

Fear can be your greatest teacher. Fear exposes your thoughts, beliefs, feelings and the life that you’re creating. Own your fears. Learn from your fears. Move through your fears.

Grow through your fears! Be open to your fears and the lessons they are teaching you. Living in this way will allow you to create the life of your dreams.

Have the Courage to Live an Abundant Life

Believe that the world is plotting to do you good today. See the universe as a friendly and providing place. Trust that all is well. Believe that there is enough for everyone. Your gain isn’t somebody’s loss.

Count the grains of sand or the waves in the ocean. Sit under the stars at night. Notice the different shades of green in nature. Be grateful for everyone and everything in your life. Live in a state of gratitude. Give thanks in advance for solutions, goodness and wealth coming your way. The best is yet to come. Count on it.

Have the Courage to Be Daring

Be daring. Choose to make your wild and precious life a big adventure. Be brave. Be bold and authentic. Accept your greatness. Your life is your own. Remain open to your own power, trust yourself, and ask for what you want.

Unleash your burning desire to go after your dream. What you do today determines your future. Take action in joy, knowing that the universe will meet you halfway and that people will be put on your path to show you the way and take you to the finish line. Dare.

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Reminder: Check out my course, “Take Your Fear and Shove It: Be Bold, Play Big and Shine Bright.” You can get it at a big discount today!

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Have the Courage to Trust the Process

Learn to trust life. Trust that things have a way of working themselves out. Trust that you’ll pick yourself up if you fail. Trust that the right people will be put on your path. When you trust the process, you’re able to live in the present moment without worrying about the past or the future.

We are meant to be out there living our dreams and making the world a more loving place. We were born to take risks, grow, and expand. It’s time to be courageous and reap the benefits! That’s my plan. I invite you to join me.

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