Do the Thing That Scares You

 Do the Thing That Scares You

By: Kristi Cruise

There’s a moment—right before a big leap—when everything inside you wants to play it safe. To shrink. To scroll. To procrastinate. To organize your closet, and I'm not talking metaphorically, instead of pressing “send” on the email or "publish" on a book that could change everything.

I know that moment. I live in it more often than not these days. 

I’ve done a lot of scary things in my life.

But I’ve also learned:
If the idea excites you and terrifies you, it’s probably the exact thing you’re meant to do.

Years ago, I left a job I deeply loved after months of soul-searching and pain. I remember saying to my mentor when I finally decided to move on: “The universe will whisper… then talk… then shout… and if you still don’t hear, it’ll hit you over the head with a two-by-four.”

Some of us (hi, me 🙋🏼‍♀️) seem to require a few good knocks with that metaphorical plank. But I’ve learned that the sooner I surrender—the sooner I stop resisting and start listening—the fewer headaches I get. Literally and otherwise.

So take the fear. The nerves. The anxiety.
And instead of running from them, see the gift inside them.

For me, fear isn’t a stop sign.
It’s a doorway.
And walking through it—shaking, sweating, soul-first—is how every single ripple I’ve ever made has begun.

I’m still learning to trust this.

But I’m here now, standing in boldness, inviting you to join me, whether that be leaving a job you love to do something that you love even more. (Sage advice on that coming in another blog. Been there, done that. Learned from it.)  

For me, stepping into fear meant starting nonprofits from scratch and waiting for what seemed like forever for them to take off. Creating a whole new way for kids to experience books, not just read them. Flipping stories upside down. Standing in front of a room full of strangers, heart pounding, talking about Living Libraries, The LiLi Key, or this bold new book series I once only dreamed of. Standing in front of strangers and proudly declaring myself (a white woman), Co-Founder and President of Books with Color. (More on this in the next blog post.) 

None of which I felt "ready" for. None of it was guaranteed. And not it didn't always go well. However, it was all worth it. It does get easier, better, and then one day it doesn't scare you anymore. (Just today I was applauded by a group of 30 teachers for having diverse characters, bilingual text, and an African-American lead protagonist in my books.) 

We don’t get to skip the fear. But we do get to move with it and through it.

And here’s the thing: every time you do something brave, even quietly, you’re not just making progress. You’re paving a path. For your kids. Your community. Your future self. The future of ALL humanity. 

So if there’s something stirring in you—an idea, a message, a move—it’s okay to be scared. It's GREAT TO BE SCARED. And let those nerves carry forward because those jitters are the entire universe working through you. And like me, and like we teach our Living Libraries, you can fail again and again and again, and as long as you give it another try, the universe will self-correct FOR you. It always has your back. 

The world doesn’t need perfection.

It needs your presence. Your purpose. It needs you. 

Go make your ripple. I'll make mine. And let's both inspire someone else to make theirs too and so on, and that's how we change the world. #BetterTogether 

#FaithOverFear #RippleEffect #BoldMoves #TryAgain #KristiCruise