Around this time last year, I was completing a volunteer assignment as a Reviewer for an international organization.

I had stumbled on the job advert sometime in April and I remember how almost immediately I came up with a number of reasons not to apply . . .

𝘼𝙮𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙣𝙢𝙞, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙊𝙠𝙤𝙧𝙤 & 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤. . . 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙤, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 (𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣).

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙧 (𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙗𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮).

𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚? 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 (𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝, 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣).

Still, I felt a strong impression within me to put in my application.

And so after much ado about nothing, I sent an email (without any CV) explaining who I am, what I do, and what I've done.

Eight days later, I got a congratulatory email welcoming me on board.

Of course, that experience stretched and straightened me.

But it also unlocked a new level of excitement and confidence within me. It opened my eyes to boundless opportunities and possibilities.

And I completed that assignment knowing that I would never again be afraid to show up with my best foot forward.

Dear Reader, in the end, it is your voice, your thoughts, your decisions, and your actions that matter.

Your passion, your ideas, your dreams, your goals, your aspirations, are valid and absolutely possible.

However, more than anyone or anything else, it is your responsibility to birth and bring them to fruition.

You are doing well already - taking each day at a time and putting in your best to live your best life.

So, do not get distracted or intimidated by the noise around you.

Regardless of the bumps along the way, do not get discouraged.

Do your best to stay focused on your process.

Celebrate your wins, no matter how small, celebrate them.

Learn from your missteps and reach out for support.

Collaborate with like-minded Go-Getters.

Give yourself grace and take as much breaks as you need to.

Re-evaluate, re-strategize, and re-start wherever and whenever is necessary.

Find the courage and confidence to consistently put in your best.

Finally and more importantly, whatever you do, do not leave the 'arena'.

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