I’ve known since I was 14 years old that I’ve wanted to write books, but I didn’t sit down to actually write one until after I had my daughter in 2004—almost 20 years later. I don’t think it was a conscious decision not to write books—I’ve spent my entire career in various aspects of publishing—I just think the time wasn’t right.

When it was time for me to write, stories poured out of me, overflowing like water. I have no doubt it was God’s hand on me.  For the last few years, without my permission, the words have dried up—or at least that’s what I told myself. The truth is in a lot of ways, I believe fear is holding me back.

The circumstances of life have had me telling myself that writing isn’t for me, and I stopped because I was scared of so many things: that now that my daughter is in college, I no longer have my ‘why’; that no one wants to hear what I have to say, that maybe God has a different path for me… I can go on and on. The truth is I’ve been listening to the devil’s lies about God’s plan for my life, and I am holding myself back.

Maybe you’ve had a dream for a long time, and you’ve been wondering whether it’s going to come true. Maybe you’ve believed the devil’s lies too. Maybe you’re scared of failure, or even more frightening, maybe you’re scared of success. Today, it’s time to have a serious conversation with yourself and ask what’s really holding you back. I’m a huge believer in therapy, so if you haven’t done so, find one and work through your issues so you can show up as the best version of yourself as you figure out what’s really going on and get moving. What you have to give to the world it far too valuable to not bring forth.