Don’t let fear rob you of an opportunity!

Hello fellow coffee lovers!!

This is my first blog with Affirmations Coffee, and lets be honest, the very first blog I’ve ever written. I feel super blessed to be invited as a guest blogger by Cody and the team and am excited by the kick start of this awesome business.

So before I get started, I’ll quickly introduce myself. I’m Rachel, and I’m 24 years old living in sunny Queensland, Australia. Besides being a self-professed caffeine addict and barista, I’m a dedicated Christian, health foodie, aspiring photographer, and always hungry for a new adventure. I have a deep love and appreciation for young people, which inspired my career path and study of youth work and education. It was this passion that brought me to the States in 2015, whilst volunteering at a summer youth camp in Jamaica with the church I attend. During this trip, I met Cody and came to know of the Affirmations Coffee concept (which I love, by the way!). A huge thanks to technology, Cody has been a constant source of encouragement in my faith and everyday life, and someone that I am very grateful to call a good friend.

Fast forward to a month ago, Cody and I were catching up, sharing plans and ideas, and then he asked, “Would you be willing to write for the Motivation Monday blog?”. I pondered the idea for a few moments, and then heartily accepted! How exciting, I thought, “I’ve been keen to blog for some time now, here’s my open door, and what a fantastic section too, I love all things motivating and inspiring… how hard can it be really??” But as the idea sank in, so did my self-doubt. Fears attacked my mind convincing me that I was wasn’t ready, I’m too young, what could I have to say of worth or that others will find interesting, what if I say something stupid? “Besides, I’m starting my final year of university, I don’t have the time!” ​ A few weeks past as these thoughts rolled around my head. How do I tell Cody that now I’m actually terrified to write for the blog!? In a desperate attempt to fulfil my commitment, I consulted my old friend, Google. This only bombarded me with 50 million topics to write, the one of which I couldn’t decide or connect with. Then it hit me! My motivation to learn, grow, and help a friend had to be greater than my fear of failure or exposure. There is a fantastic quote that says, “Fear is the brains way of saying that there is something important for you to overcome” ~ Rachel Huber.

It was then I remembered that we can’t expect perfection of others or ourselves… ever! There will always be something more for us to learn, and there will always be someone more qualified for the task. But how can we grow and develop towards our goals if we don’t first step out with a pinch of daring and an attitude of giving it our best shot. And sometimes we wont get it right and we will experience disappointments, but nothing is ever a failure if we learn from it. Paul sums this up in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (NLT). So lets encourage each other and ourselves to take a leap of faith, try something new, embrace opportunities and kick goals, because fear is only temporary but regret lasts forever.

So here I am, this is me: thrilled to be learning a new skill and nervous to be stretching the boundaries of my comfort zone. I hope that my words and example can inspire and propel you to face your fears too and take hold on opportunity when it comes knocking. You were created to do great things!!

Blessings,

Rachel