Three limiting beliefs that have held me back until now

“My dad started his own business, but I could never do that,” I’d tell my friends.

Famous last words.

Last week, I became an entrepreneur and started my new business, Emerald Editing + Copywriting.

For years — I mean y-e-a-r-s — I was adamant that I couldn’t and wouldn’t be an entrepreneur. Starting a company was what other people did. Putting yourself out there, both personally and financially, seemed too hard, scary, and unknown.

And yet, here I am launching my services into the world despite the limiting beliefs I’ve had for decades, and I wonder if you’ve held on to some of these beliefs too.

Limiting Belief #1: Hustle is bad.

I’ve co-opted the belief that “hustle,” which I’ve defined as striving and stressing out to achieve, is not a good idea. If an action or commitment causes me stress, I chalk it up as “hustling,” and hustling has been put in time out.

As a try-hard girl who’s been striving all her life, “hustle” means doing more, wearing myself out, and working to prove my worth. In my mind, “hustle” is a four-letter word and is synonymous with “striving.”

But here’s what God is teaching me.

There’s a difference between the hustle that goes on in our hearts to earn His love and the hard work that goes into starting something, being brave, and bringing passion to life. Working hard to win the love, identity, and worth we freely have in Christ is extremely different from working hard to achieve a goal and a dream that God’s put on your heart.

God is also showing me that tension is just a part of living life on this planet. While it’s good to eliminate commitments we’ve taken on because of guilt or the “shoulds,” total stress elimination is a futile pursuit. If we’re doing good things and living a full life, stress will always be a part of being human. Discomfort is how we grow.

Limiting Belief #2: I’m not that brave.

I’ve told myself over and over again that I can’t do it, that being brave and bold is for other people, and that starting something new is just too hard.

As a try-hard girl who never wants to fail and always wants to look good, the “be brave” concept looks pretty on a meme, but it’s not applicable to my real life. I mean: What if I fail? What if I succeed? What if I put myself out there, and everyone sees that I’m trying something new and laughs? (Yes, I’ve transported myself back to middle school!)

But here’s what God is teaching me.

I don’t have to feel brave to do what He’s asked me to do—God is brave for me. He’s ahead of us blazing a path we can’t see, and He’s promised to walk it with us. God invited us to join Him on this journey, not for one moment will we be alone.

He’s also continuing to show me that work is entirely separate from worth. Friends, if our business fails, our identity is still intact because it’s held in the hands of Christ. If what we try doesn’t work, our worth is undamaged because God doesn’t mix up our performance with our value.

Limiting Belief #3: I must know all the answers.

I’ve believed that, if I don’t know how to navigate every future problem at the beginning of the journey, I shouldn’t even start.

As a try-hard girl, I want to know all the answers so everyone thinks I’m amazing, professional, and irreplaceable. I also crave the sense of control that comes from knowing how to work through anything thrown my way. But when we start something new, there’s no way to know all the curveballs that’ll be thrown in our direction. We’d rather not play than play without knowing what comes next.

But here’s what God is teaching me.

He knows All The Things, and I’m not supposed to. Being omniscient is part of what makes Him God, while being limited is part of what makes us human.

God is our Good Shepherd, which means that we lack nothing even as we start new adventures. As our Shepherd, He’s with us every step of the way, so we don’t have to know all the answers or be in control. He’ll show us what we need when we need it.

He’s also telling me that sitting on the sidelines, watching other people try isn’t what life’s all about. In His very gentle way, He’s nudging me to get out there and try—perhaps to succeed or maybe to fail.

For me, now’s the time to hustle, be brave, and make mistakes.

Friends, it’s time for us to shed those limiting beliefs.

How many times have we said, “I couldn’t do that” or “That’s for other people” or “I’m not that brave”? For me, it’s like a million.

But I’m tired of being scared, living by limited beliefs, and thinking adventures are for other people…aren’t you?

Let’s shed the limiting beliefs we’re holding on to and grab our Good Shepherd’s hand. He’ll lead us through the hard work, the fear, and the not-knowing. Maybe it’s time for you to utter some famous last words so you can say “yes” to God’s adventure for you.