LYMI: Oodles of awesome

This summer has been an explosion of awesome for me. I've traveled to new places, met new people and tried new things. I have learned boatloads about myself through these new experiences. Oodles upon oodles of revelations.

By Nailah Blades with PolkaDotCoaching. Her story is part of the live and leap like-you-mean-it blog series. 

But the single most important thing that happened to me was I began to really recognize my unique brilliance.

And once that happened, all the other pieces fell into place.

The inspiration for my leap struck in a crowded conference room amidst 500 creative entrepreneurs dancing a choreographed Bollywood dance.

I had always known in my heart of hearts that I wanted to launch out on my own to become a full time entrepreneur—it was something I had been working on diligently for years.

But at that moment this desire turned from something I wanted to do into something I absolutely would do. From a dream to a not so distant reality. It changed from a "nice to have" to a "I will make this happen if it kills me."

Somewhere between the hip shaking and the hand clapping, I recognized my power. I stepped up to the plate.

It was in that moment that I knew I would quit my job and start a new life as a full-time life coach.

I have long been afraid of not living up to my full potential. I am absolutely terrified of getting stuck in my comfort zone. And I knew that my corporate gig put me precisely smack dab in the middle of my comfort zone.

I knew that I could definitely stay there for years coasting along. While I knew this, I was still paralyzed by the uncertainty that leaping into full-time entrepreneurship would bring me. I was constantly riddled with self-doubt, asking myself ‘what if?'

Until something clicked in that auditorium.

Making that mental switch was a game-changing moment for me because it allowed me to see that the leap I had dreamed of taking was within reach.

More importantly it opened my eyes to the fact that I was completely in control—I had the ability to make this happen. In fact I had been making it happen all along, I was just not seeing it as such.

My journey to full time entrepreneurship showed me that I am the only one standing in my way. I'm the only one underestimating myself. And I'm the only one who is playing way small when I can be playing way, way big.

Taking the leap meant believing in myself wholeheartedly and letting go of my need for all of the answers. For me, taking that running leap out of my comfort zone meant believing that a ledge was waiting for me once I jumped off of the edge—a ledge that I had created for myself.

Life Coach, idea generator + inspirational speaker Nailah Blades helps twenty-something women sweep away their headtrash and uncover their true passions—by breaking down queen-sized dreams into bite-sized goals.