Read This Before You Let Self-Doubt Win

That one thing... that every now and then, when your mind was quiet enough in the brief moments when the noise of the world’s expectations was stifled and you could hear it call out to you. You listened to its whisper without really knowing exactly why it was drawing you in.

All you knew was that it felt more like you than the person you currently were. You decided to pursue this path: Curious, eager, and hungry for answers.

Now some time has gone by.

It seems like no matter what you do, you reach another wall. You knew this wasn’t going to be easy, that the road to greatness was hard. You routinely remind your worried heart that: This is what hard feels like, this isn’t confirmation you won’t make it, just trust the process...

But you can’t help the scepticism that creeps in around this “trust” you’ve continuously given to the process. You’re exhausted, confused, and the people around you persistently tell you: You’ll never make it… this is the real world, so wake up and fall in line like the rest of us.

Then, when you find yourself alone, you can’t help but look at all you’ve poured into this dream. One that you want so badly. Beginning to compare where you are to those who are actively embodying the dream that feels as if it's only ever getting further from you. The exhaustion starts feeling like it’s outperforming your resilience. The echoes of others’ disapproval start to take up more space than your trust, and you feel like maybe… maybe they’re right. Maybe this will always be just a dream and never an achievement.

This is a moment in life that will make or break you. The life you want requires you to be the person capable of living it.

"If you want to be an exceptional painter, learn to master the brush stroke. As It is only in this mastery,

the masterpiece will reveal itself to you."

- A quote from an upcoming collection of poetry by Jasmine Spink

To create the Mona Lisa, it took a few million brush strokes. Cholula-the largest pyramid in the world, is made up of around 2.3 million individual blocks of limestone and granite. The Great Wall of China took over 2,000 years to build. This is what it took to defy ordinary and create the type of greatness that lives on through history.

Each brush stroke, block, or hour on its own seems insignificant, but it is in the power of the “one” that creates the “millions” of your Mona Lisa. You’re tired. Misunderstood by those around you. With worry, frustration, fear, loneliness, and the question of why in your heart. Feel it, embrace it, and make note of it-because it won’t last forever.

There will be a point in your journey when you will look back at this pain with gratitude, knowing that it was in the decision to experience this discomfort and push through that led you to become the version of you that embodies the life the old you dreamed of having.

This chapter is about mastering your brush strokes. Keep painting. This version of you must sacrifice their comfort and choose to suffer through the discomfort so the future version of you can have everything you’ve ever wanted.

This chapter is temporary, but it is also the foundation of your story. So make sure, when you’re laying it, it’s strong enough to withstand the weight of your success.