I lived my entire childhood into adulthood afraid of doing what I wanted to most, become an author. The idea of reaching out to publishing companies had me quaking in my shoes. I feared rejection more than anything else. What did it take for me to face my rejection and overcome it so that I became the author I always wanted to be – a book called Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul. It has a lot of good advice for writers, but the one chapter that motivated me more than any other was the one on self-publishing and the many known authors who started their career on that road.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I looked up self-publishing houses on the Internet and made a call. The rest is as they say, history. I have nine books published and I’ll soon have four more between this year and next.

I won’t say I no longer fear rejection, but I have come a long way to conquering it by swallowing the lump in my throat and doing what I know I can do. I believe in myself.

Another thing I was always afraid to do, is public speaking. It scares the life out of me. I won’t say I’ve overcome it, not when I stand in front of people shaking uncontrollably, even when it’s a roomful of people I know. However, I do it because I have something to say. It’s easier for me to talk one on one than to speak to a roomful of people.

What makes you scared? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading. The image belongs to me.