no longer afraid of the big bad wolf

> I am participating in the #Yourturnchallenge.  Your Turn Challenge is a 7 day blog challenge inspired by the Your Turn Book written by Seth Godin.  Bloggers are posting entries every second.   

Fear is a monster that cripples us until we die a slow death.  Few of us acknowledge that we are fearful, because to do so would acknowledge natural, human weaknesses.  No one wants to appear fallible; weakness is never celebrated.  We learn this early on in school.  The child, who does not know the answer, is never applauded or praised when they ask questions.  That child feels inadequate because of rolled eyes, snickers and sighs.  The child, who gets all “A” grades receives the accolades.

I am participating in this challenge because of a commitment I made to myself three years ago.  I committed to not allowing fear to control me or my destiny.  I compiled a small bucket list that included my personal fears.  My bucket list does not have sexy activities like snowboarding in the Andes or sky diving over a volcano.  It includes those things that are important to me and my family.

The biggest commitment was to grow my occasional/part-time consulting gigs into a fully functioning practice.  I am a married, mother of teenagers, who works a full time job.  Conventional wisdom suggests that I can’t grow a consulting business.  I realized that the only thing that could hold me back was my own fear. A thriving business would help pay for our children’s college education and would supplement our retirement income.

M.L. Bailey Consultants, Inc. provides professional support to social workers, licensed clinicians and those in the helping professions.  I share the experience, advice, and resources I have gained in my 25 plus years in the social work profession.  I invite you to check out my website www.mlbaileyconsultantsinc.com, sign up to receive my blog and share my site with others.

The opportunity to participate in the Your Turn Challenge encourages me to put myself, my ideas, and my experiences out there, for those who need what I have to offer.  It also forces me to keep going when I question myself.

What do you fear and how does it prevent you from taking the first step towards your goal?  Share your story on my facebook page.