Bossy? Or just great leadership skills...
"That's Naomi. She's a bit bossy." (Mum’s friend who was babysitting us to her friend who’d popped in for coffee)
"Oh, really? She doesn't seem..." (Friend of mum’s friend)
"Okay, guys. Line up behind me!" (Me to my siblings and mum's friend's children)
***
After the hysterical laughter, the conversation above was fed back to my mum and so my mum told me and I've never, ever forgotten it! Maybe it's an eldest child thing or the fact that 'achiever' is 100% one of my strength finder top 5, but there's been something in me since I was child. Something in me which has known I was created to be a leader.
It's been rarer than I'd like to admit, how many times I've actually owned that though.
Fears of being "too much", "too loud" and "not like the other girls" meant I spent far too long trying to fit in before realising I'd been created to do things differently.
And so have you.
That thing which sometimes annoys you and has you wondering why you CAN'T just do what everyone else does and be okay with that, why you can't just fit into the mould society wants to create for you. I mean, don't get me wrong, you've tried. We've all TRIED, right?
But the truth of the matter is that you're a square peg trying to fit into in a round hole and the more you try and force yourself into something which doesn't fit you, the more you're going to blunt your edges.
We can't have blunt edges.
Not in today's world. Today's world requires something of you because you've been created by God with something unique and so whether it's sounded like 'bossy' or 'too much' or whatever that was for you in the past, it's the thing which you're actually meant to stop ignoring even if no one else is doing it.
Seriously.
I frequently get messages from clients and those who follow me on social media which serve as sweet and kind reminders of the fact that me stepping up and stepping into who I've been created to be gives others the courage and confidence to step into who THEY have been created to be with THEIR unique gifts, skills and talents and they'll go on to do the same for others, of course because that's what they were born for.
And that is the whole thing, ladies. Honestly, it is.
If I'd have continued to decide that what God's given me is 'too much' and that I was better off suppressing it and trying to do some other thing which just seemed more normal, then I wouldn't have had that impact.
Because to be totally honest with you, we can't flourish if we're not rooted.
And we won't be rooted, settled, grounded, secure unless we know that we know that THIS is the thing and then from that place of total alignment, we BLOOM.
I'm guessing that as I type this, you know what the the thing is for you. If not here's some ways to unearth it a little...
1. What are some of the things which have been said about you, even since you were a child? (And even if they might have appeared negative.)
2. What do you wish the whole world knew?
3. What would the people closest to you say about you?
4. What's something you would do even if you weren't being paid for it?
5. What's something which comes so naturally to you that almost forget it's not the norm for everyone else?
Since committing my life to Christ over 11 years ago now, I've always loved telling people that they were made for more. That they're fearfully and wonderfully made and that God has given them so, so much. I told people that for 6 years online (and for many years offline before that!) before I was paid a penny for it! I've always loved writing and have a handbag full of journals to prove it - I still journal. And I blog like this. It's a way of me communicating what I feel God is saying to His children. It's an honour and a privilege, one which I'm committed to using for His glory as I remind others to share THEIR message even when they're shaking.
And, okay, let's face it... I've always been a bit bossy. But that's okay. I'm owning it because the girl who was a bit of a bossy 10-year-old back then is a leader now - a leader who committed to you stopping the 'blunt edge' square peg/round hole thing and instead, stepping sharply into POWER and PURPOSE - the one you were made for.
The world is waiting for your work.
By the way… If you know you’re ready to finally draw a line in the sand as far as hanging out at hobby status or side hustle goes, I have just the thing. My ‘What’s in Your Hand’ live workshop has been created to empower you with the skillset and mindset you need in order to bring your God-given mission to life using the very gifts, skills & talents you already possess. You’ll walk away with a 4-week action plan and will be ready to get going immediately. To learn more and to register for next week’s workshop, click HERE.