I created a post on Facebook quite a while back that got such a great response, I felt I should share it. A friend even asked me to go back and find it. She said it really spoke to her and she wanted to share the sentiment with her kids every day. To help instill it in them.

So, hours into my search I found it!! I posted it in May of 2017!!! I couldn’t believe she remembered it a year and a half later.

I decided to rewrite it here. It’s been a significant journey for our family and I hope it will encourage you.

The Post (edited):

I had this weird conversation with my kids the other day and I just keep thinking about it. We had just watched a girl perform on one of those singing competition shows. Whatever Simon’s new one was. My daughter (5 years old) said something about how she gets stage fright but how she bets I never do ‘cause I sing in front of people all the time.

The truth is I’ve had horrible stage fright for nearly all of my singing experience. It’s gotten much better, but it used to be so bad that I’d physically shake. I’d be so tense I’d struggle to stay on key and actually feel bad for everyone who had to sit through it. I’d spend my whole set praying that I’d make it through without completely humiliating myself.

I told them the truth. My son (6 years old) was shocked. He spends so much time afraid. Sometimes he takes on other people’s fears like they’ve shown him something he should fear. He’s a good swimmer but still wears floats in the pool because he feels safer.

We’ve spent a lot of time working with him to overcome fear. He didn’t want to ride a bike. He bought a skateboard at a garage sale and one quick talk about safety scared him too much to ever ever EVER get on it!

Sometimes I tell him, “do it scared or you’ll look back and realize you missed out on life because you were afraid to try something.” I’ve also said, “is fear the boss of you or are you the boss of it?” Trying to give a kid courage who would just rather not has been challenging.

So, back in the moment of our conversation, I told him. “I do it scared because I don’t want fear to ever keep me from doing what I love. ” And I was proud that I could honestly say that. Since I told him that… I’ve realized… I’m missing out. I’m letting more and more go in life cause it’s easier than doing it scared.

(End post)

By the end of that year, I had decided to stop dragging my feet with my music career. I had let it slide to the sidelines because of the unpredictability of mommying and because I had seasons of fighting for my own personal health.

As a mother of four, I know that it will look different for me than my single friends who are playing shows every other night of the week and catching planes rides just to see concerts. I know that I may not tour for quite some time. I know that band practice two-three nights a week isn’t a possibility. Before I had kids all of these things were true (except the plane rides… ‘cause I was also broke haha)

I also know that there are seasons in my life that music will take a back seat because my kids have a bug or I’m growing another baby. The thing about life is it’s always changing.

Just because my norm as a working, stay-at-home mom is different doesn’t mean it isn’t significant. But I have to say this… fear will never be one of my limitations again.