SCREW THE HIGHLIGHT REEL

I changed careers. I sold my house. I moved across the country. And here’s the truth—none of those big shifts happened in some magical, movie-moment leap. They were the result of a thousand smaller choices that scared the hell out of me along the way.

People look at the highlight reel and think, “Wow, she’s so brave.” No. I was terrified most of the time. My voice shook. My hands shook. I second-guessed myself in the car after meetings. But I kept moving anyway. Because staying the same scared me more.

We like to glamorize change as if it’s one big bold step. But it’s not. It’s waking up on a Tuesday and choosing to do the hard thing you’d rather avoid. It’s making the phone call. Sending the email. Saying the words you’ve been holding in. Signing the papers. Showing up even when you’re not sure if you can.

That’s how change happens. Not because you sat around hoping for it. Hope is not a valid strategy. Action is.

And here’s the kicker—ten years are going to pass either way. The question is: will you look back and see a life you intentionally built, one shaky step at a time, or a life that looks exactly the same because you let fear win?

I don’t say this because I’ve mastered it. I say this because I’m human too. I still wrestle with fear and hesitation. But I also know the payoff of walking through it, and I’ll take messy courage over safe stagnation any day.

So here’s my dare to you: what’s the one small, scary thing you could choose today that your future self will thank you for?