I know you people are ready to fight me o…. I can’t keep lying to you guys like this. I have been busy getting my new business off the ground. You are probably already tired of this story so let me just come and be going.

A few months ago I found myself in a room with a bunch of important people and people who seemed to have it all together. I for one knew that I worked my butt off, prayed my way through and finessed my way into that room. I knew that I deserved to be there because nobody in that room matched my work ethic or my hustle. I stay prayed up! Everywhere I go I love to stand out that’s just Jael. Although I knew all of those things I still felt like I didn’t belong at the top because I don’t have a posh background, I’m not that great of a writer and my blog is not a household name yet (In Jesus name. The African in me jumped out and prayed a little lol) .

Isn’t that the problem though? When you have worked so hard to get to where you belong then fear come in and talks you out of your position. I realized that it happens to most of us. You grind hard and pray hard to get in a room where you belong and fear will suddenly come in and make you feel small or make you feel like all your hard work was a mistake. Fear is the enemy of greatness, you can not be great when you allow fear to downplay you. I find it comical when people call themselves a small business owner or a micro influencer. What is small about something that you have created out of nothing? What is small about something that was once an idea on a piece of paper and now a physical existing thing? Fear will shut you down quick!

Fear has talked me out of many wonderful opportunities. Fear has stolen my shine, my talent and even my helpers. I doubted my work so much that I forgot that so many people gather to this blog weekly to show me love, few years ago this whole thing was nothing! God handed me the baton and told me to run. I created all of this with no experience, funds or help. I did this… all of this! By myself! Me! When I first wrote my book Soul Food ( I’m highlighting it so you will go and buy it o aunty not for anything else. Spread the dollar generosity o) I was so scared to share it with the world. I kept thinking “What would people think? How would they view me seeing that I have documented all these nasty things about my life? How would they receive this book? My precious book of gems and stories? blah blah blah.” Fear helped me shut down the production of everything. Although the publishers were trash and I had to fight for my book to even be on amazon ( Still highlighting because you haven’t bought it yet) I know that it could have been bigger. It could have been better and it could have changed lives. My story is important, my story is valid and my story was written to change the narrative and reach the masses. I was too scared to be bold. I let the sales of my book flop because I was too scared to fight, I let my book become a family affair because I didn’t trust that it would speak to the audience that it was written for. Just recently the Holy Spirit assured me that book one was for the title and experience. I am not content but I know I let fear talk me out of something great. I can’t let that happen again. Now I wake every morning telling myself “You are big, you are large and you are in charge! Take up space! Let people say what they want but you deserve this success, you deserve the hype and you deserve every good thing that’s coming your way. Take up space!”

To anyone that has every felt like they don’t belong because of who they are just know that you do. You are in that room, in that position, in that company, that business or even school for a reason. Wherever you are existing, take up space! Let them know you are there and why you are there. Do not let fear dull your shine or make you feel like being you is not enough. You are enough. We have worked your way to where you are, enjoy the success and keep striving for more. There is nothing wrong my dear, you deserve it. You are there, take up space! Cheers to the good life!