When discussing it with a fellow coach, I listed all of my excuses, er, perfectly good reasons. I admitted to standing solidly in my own way and was certain I hadn’t launched the site because…

• The theme I selected almost two years ago intimidates me
• The only website worthy picture of myself is a six-year-old headshot
• I don’t have anything to wear for new pictures
• I’m a writer, but not a content writer and don’t have much ready to go
• I haven’t nailed down who my ideal clients are
• I haven’t created my signature program

But after agreeing to write this blog post as a baby step toward the big launch, I realized all of those reasons, while big enough to stumble over, are not what’s been holding me back.
It’s fear. No, really. I’d be declaring to the whole wide world that I’m a coach. I’d be throwing my hat over the wall. Taking up space. Allowing myself to be seen. But what if no one likes me? What if they ask me who the hell I think I am? What if they laugh? What if…?

While staying hidden feels safer, all it’s really doing is suppressing us, keeping us playing small, and never experiencing the freedom that comes with living an authentic life. When we hide who we really are, we deny ourselves the opportunity to be known and understood. We build walls around our hearts, preventing deep connections and authentic relationships from forming. Maintaining the cloak of invisibility requires so much energy we’re left emotionally drained and disconnected from our own sense of identity.

Once that became clear, I pushed up my sleeves and went to work. I made some decisions about the scary theme, sent some content to my web gal (with a promise of more to come), and told my great photo taking husband I need his help to get some candid pics of me this weekend. (I’m still arguing with that voice that insists I don’t have anything to wear, I take terrible photographs, my outside doesn’t match my inside…) I’ve committed to launching the Cracked Pots Creativity Coaching website by the end of May, whether it’s everything I believe it should be or just barely there. Good enough is better than not done.

And just as soon as I shifted my focus to what I can do right now, it was no longer a big hairy, impossible project. All I really had to do was look it square in the eye, but until I did, my brain just skittered away from even thinking about it. Note to self, (and to you), our egos and that screaming banshee of the imposter syndrome like to convince us they’re keeping us safe. What they’re really doing is keeping us from living freely. It’s time to stop hiding. Claim your space. Live out loud and in full color!