When No One Else Has Faith
“The path you’ve chosen isn’t going to lead there easily. Helping people is not easy or always profitable. I think you need to keep fighting for your historical moment. It’s one of your best qualities… your determination. So it’s a combo of that and what your aunt said. It’s like aiming for the moon and landing among the stars. You chose a tough dream. But I think you got this.”
Every once in a while I question, “Is all of this worth it?”. Very few things tend to come to me easily, and well my passion and purpose? It’s easier to speak about it than to implement something meaningful. This past Tuesday I opened the eventbrite for my first major event for my organization, Certified 10. It has taken me all of my courage to finally put it together and unleash it to the world, so you can only imagine the type of anxiety I am feeling, hence the beautiful pep talk from my best friend up above.
In a slight frenzy I texted a few other people who could possibly have felt what I was feeling this past week. “I know it’s tough, but have faith in the event. You’ve created something beautiful and it will come together,” Tyece said. And even though I’m sure she is right, there’s always that doubt and that wonder of if anybody else see’s the vision. My family and a few friends support what I am doing, but most of that support is simply because it’s me. I’m honestly not sure if most support the vision and need behind it.
We live in a day and age that if it isn’t flashy, big, famous or extremely obvious, it goes unnoticed. If it’s not generating millions, if it doesn’t have more than 100 likes and if it’s not popular, it’s not worth it. If you can’t hold it in your hand, access it through your cellphone, or it’s not a part of the fashion or technical fad, it’s not worth supporting. Which is why I am sometimes lead to questioning, “Will people support me on this path?”
The realistic answer is- I don’t know. The positive answer is- Yes, they will, because I am affirming it. The Yetti answer is- I’m going to try, and try really hard, and hope for the best because my baby sister may benefit from this, because I have my heart invested on it and because I can not control people. I came across a tweet from my little brother as I was stalking checking up on him at college. He stated, “If we’re being honest, my aim to do well is bc of my sisters. They deserve this.”
The world deserves what I am about to give them. Even if I do struggle, even if all the paths I take seem to be much harder than the paths most choose, the world deserves the package of Certified 10, even if the owner is bruised and scraped upon presentation.
There’s something about taking that leap of faith that is nerve-wracking. It feels even worse when there are so few to back you up. But I say the following to everyone else, so I guess it’s time I speak these words upon myself:
When no one else has faith, your faith should be enough. When no one else can see your vision, paint your vision brighter so that you can always see it clearly. You need to hold onto that picture with all of your might, because if you yourself do not have unwavering faith, you simply can not expect someone else to. Your faith should and will be enough, because if you want it bad enough, there’s no way your faith will not be enough to help you push your vision through the door. Your family, friends and “friends” are not obligated to have faith, but faith from others will eventually come. And when it does, continue to paint your vision brightly, do not be afraid to ask for help and always, always be gratuitous. But you’ve got to keep faith.
Never let the limiting beliefs of others get in the way of your success. Instead, stick to your beliefs, persevere, and never give up on something that you know is right for you. – Craig Ballantyne
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Yetti, of yettisays.com, provides the average twenty-something-year old with their daily dose of vitamin-y: the uncensored truth sometimes served with a side of wit, sarcasm, and a few curse words. You can follow her on twitter over at @yettisays.
Image Source: “Voyages Leger” // ELLE France, July 1993 // Photographer: Philip Newton
December 16, 2014
Thank you. I needed some encouragement.