Everyone who knows me, knows that I do my best thinking when I’m alone in the car and when I’m in the shower. Perhaps, it is in those moments of quiet solitude that the Holy Spirit chooses to speak to me. Over the past few weeks, every time I step into the shower, a recurring thought has filled my mind: “Tiffany, you are one of the smartest people you know.” Initially, I dismissed this thought as absurd, actually as almost borderline delusional. Yet, day after day, week after week, the same message echoed in my mind. “You are one of the smartest people you know.” It was relentless, persistent, and undeniable. The thought became louder each day causing me to begin to pray and ask God for clarity on what the meaning was behind it.
And then, it dawned on me. The message became crystal clear. God was urging me to let go of my constant need for validation. He has given me vision and ideas; wisdom and knowledge; and it was time to trust my instincts and follow my heart. I’m going to be transparent: I’m smart, but the people around me are smarter and have more experience and are more successful. Most every idea that’s crossed my mind has gotten the approval of a friend, my mentor, my sister, my mother; SOMEBODY! And God was now telling me that season was over!
His instructions were to: Prepare. Plan. Proceed.
It has taken me some days to gather myself, but I am now ready. No more conforming to the expectations of others, seeking permission, or craving approval. It is time to pick up my pencil and paper (no pens for me; I like to be able to erase), fire up your laptop(no I don’t have a MAC), and aim for the stars! Everything I need to succeed and reach my goals is already inside of me and within my reach, because I am one of the smartest people I know!
To the person reading this, I hope you’ll join me in putting in the hard work, taking the leap of faith, and going all in (I wrote a book once entitled “I’m All In” about this exact thing; we’ll have to talk about that soon!). There is nothing to lose, and the only obstacle in your path is yourself. No more wasting precious moments seeking validation from friends, family, or loved ones.
Trust God and then trust yourself.