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Step 3: Annihilate your fears

Step 3: Annihilate Your Fears

The real world isn’t what we pictured in college, that’s for sure.

Early this morning I was having a goofy side chat with a Deaf ally of mine on Facebook who was sending me Tumblr videos for laughs as I tweeted for one of Networlding’s clients.  I asked, “Where are you – What are you doing these days?”  He responded, “I’m a communication intern for a non-profit”  I exclaimed, “Awesome! And do you like it?” And Stephen’s response perfectly summed up what I, and other anti-mainstream communicators, the Deaf, and differently-abled people (obviously I’m still deciding who my target is) strive to do every day…

“I like it. Communication is hard, yes. I am not skilled in speaking. They are not skilled in signing. So the only way for me is to do a good job”.

This is something he and I, along with many others, have to treat as “just one of these things” that spice up life and prove we can excel at doing the task at hand while being creative with our communication styles.  We can’t fear the real world. As I’ve mentioned, speaking or hearing English does not determine whether if you have communication skills or the ability to function in the workforce.

Another reality of starting a business that I feared, I will admit, was being lonely.  It is pretty ironic if you think about it – one of the reasons I love Social Media is the humanity of it. The opportunity to make connections. People in general.  I don’t make it my mission to focus on the #s and ROI.  Yet, creating a business would mean some solitary days of research, brainstorming, and sitting at the computer.  I’ve expressed those concerns in the past week.  Willie is a young entrepreneur as well, and he told me there may be some days that you aren’t with people but it’s been so much more “Fulfilling in the end. It has transformed my life completely”.

He’s right. Fears might be normal, but they are created out of thin air. Shake them off like these dogs.

Photo was taken by Carli Davidson

I’ll make the job I want and I’ll continue to meet neat clients. Those days I might have research or work by myself, I’ll hit up Stephen for a funny video or go buy a delicious lunch and have a date with myself, which by the way, is a very healthy practice.

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