own your power

Don’t Be Afraid To Be Great

Looking back, there were many times I was afraid to be great. In my heart, I wanted it. In my mind, I believed I did, too. But in the moment—when it counted—something inside me would pull back. I would stop myself, sometimes even sabotage myself, just so I wouldn’t fully step into my potential.

And I always knew. There was a split second where I could’ve chosen differently—but I didn’t. Then I’d beat myself up for it. I’d use it as proof that I wasn’t good enough. That I didn’t deserve good things. That old narrative was strong, and I was the one keeping it alive.

When Self-Doubt Creeps In

So where does that fear come from? Why do we shrink from our own greatness?

For me, it was years of undiagnosed mental illness and deeply rooted self-hate. I was at war with myself—wanting things to change, but getting in the way of any progress. Even when opportunities came my way, I’d question if I deserved them. I’d back down, stay small, and then carry the weight of disappointment.

It wasn’t until I began my recovery that I finally started to shift. I learned to love myself. I stopped backing down from the things I wanted. And slowly, I stopped fearing success. Because success started to feel like something I was allowed to have.

Greatness isn’t arrogance. Greatness is owning your light. It’s showing up fully, knowing your worth, and letting yourself shine.

You Don’t Need Permission

Sometimes, we wait for others to validate our greatness. To give us permission. But your power doesn’t come from someone else’s approval. It comes from you.

If someone is uncomfortable with your greatness, that’s their work to do—not yours. Your job is to honor your gifts, pursue your goals, and keep showing up for yourself. Greatness isn’t just about what you achieve—it’s about who you become as you rise.

Today, I don’t let that little voice in my head stop me the way it used to. And when I do hear it, I know it’s not the truth. I’ve worked too hard to believe in myself—and I’m not giving that up.

You Were Made for More

We all have dreams. We all have something inside us that longs to grow, to thrive, to become. Don’t let fear—or old patterns—steal that from you.

Start where you are. You don’t have to know every step—just take the first one. Say yes. Trust that the path will reveal itself as you go. The more you honor your potential, the more your life will expand.

Be great. And while you’re at it, help others see their greatness, too.

SLAY on.

SLAY Reflection: Step Into Your Greatness

  • Do you believe you are great? If not, what’s holding you back from seeing it?
  • Have you ever talked yourself out of something you really wanted? Why?
  • What is one thing you’re great at—and do you celebrate it or downplay it?
  • How does it feel when you celebrate someone else’s success? Can you offer that same energy to yourself?
  • What’s one step you can take this week to move closer to your greatness?

Call to Action: Join the Conversation

I’d love to hear from you.
What’s one way you’re ready to stop holding yourself back and fully own your greatness?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.

And if you know someone who needs a reminder of their worth, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is permission to rise.

You Are Only As Far Outside The Center Of Power As You Allow

This goes back to a lot of the topics I’ve written about in the past, we have the power to change, to be who we want to be, to do what we want to do, we are at the center of that power. Too often though, we forget that, acting powerless. We are not. There are things we do not have power over, but for the most part, we hold the key to our own happiness, success, and future.

In past I had played the victim, I acted as if life was something that was happening to me, and because I believed I was a bad person, I believed that I only deserved the bad in my life, so when it came, I figured I deserved it. What I had to learn is that I did deserve the good, and not only did I have to learn it, I had to believe it! That took time, and a lot of work and self-reflection, but it came. Once I took responsibility for my actions and my life I took my power back. Even taking back the bad, once I was able to see my part in all my actions, and that I had a choice, it gave me the power to move forward and take better actions, actions that were positive, actions that kept me moving forward in a direction I wanted to go, healing actions, actions I could take myself. So many times we get in that victim mode and when we do we are powerless, thinking as ourselves as victims gives us no power and gives that power to everyone else. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to give any person, place, or thing power over my life, not anymore. I only allow myself to have that power. So, if you don’t think you have the power within to make the changes you want to make, how do you find it?

1) Believe. It starts with a belief you can, or that you deserve it. That’s the spark to change. Believe you have what it takes to make it happen, or at least, have what it takes to start. Sometimes it’s just about starting and trusting the rest will fall into place as you go. Just start.

2) Visualize It. See it in your mind. What does it took like? What does it feel like? When we visualize it and put positive energy around it we send a message out to the universe that we deserve it, we want it, and we’re willing to work for it. See yourself going through the steps to get what you want, and visualize yourself achieving it.

3) Get To Work. Roll up your sleeves and get to work! No matter how much work it is, if it’s to better yourself or to better your life, do it! You are worth it. Visualization is great, but there’s always work to be done, and doing the work is a huge stepping stone to gaining more self-esteem, of feeling good about yourself because you are giving back to you. Never back down from the work, even if it feels daunting, or overwhelming, take it one step at a time, you’ll build momentum and it will become easier, and even if it gets hard again, you’ll know it will be worth it in the end.

4) Trust The Universe Has Your Back. If you’re coming from a place of self-doubt this may take time, but as we achieve small victories along the way, we start to believe that the universe has our back, or at the very least, is rooting for us. I have a dear friend who always said to me when I was struggling with this, “act as if life is rigged in your favor,” that seemed unlikely based on my history, but he didn’t say believe that it was, he said, “act” like it was, it was a start for me, so if you’re just starting to walk a brighter path and have come from the dark, act “as if” until you start to believe. I used to carry dice around and when I had doubt I’d look at those dice, and remind myself that I had the special dice, the dice that were rigged in my favor.

We are in control of what we do, how we act, react, what we pursue, and how we’ll succeed. We have the power to make those ideas, dreams, and hopes come true. Use that power for good, use it to get and go after what makes your heart shine, don’t ever give that power away, that, is at the center of who you are, of what makes you you, and is the key to where you want to go.

SLAY OF THE DAY: Do you feel powerless? Why? What makes you feel powerless? Write down a list of things that you feel powerless against. Looking at that list, what action can you take to have more power? What can you do to make those things better? To take back your power? Are you stopping yourself from going after what you want? What stops you? Do you think you deserve those things? If not, why not? What if you believed you did? Write down why you should have those things. Now write down the steps you can take to get them. They’re yours for the taking SLAYER, you have the power to make them happen. Now get to work and show us how powerful you are. SLAY on.

S – self L – love A – appreciate Y – you

Slay Say

Good morning SLAYER! Give yourself permission to soar!

New blog goes up Tuesday, until then…SLAY on!

State Of Slay Braver