Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, Live the life you have always imagined.

~ Henry David Thoreau

The lives we lead tell the stories about who we are. I’ve always been drawn to explorers and those who have lived extraordinary lives. Stories about people surviving insurmountable odds intrigue me. I quietly aspire to have a hint of inner strength in the face of adversity that they have.

Perhaps these adventurers influenced me from a young age.  My scarred knees prove that I was not afraid to fall, and those scars still remind me of my youthful enthusiasm for life.

I am not an adrenaline junkie. I am not a thrill seeker. The rush that comes from danger is not what I seek. I get scared. But my fear does not stop me; I mask it with determination. When I am scared, I pretend that I am not. I’ve learned to fake it. And when I fake it, it gives me courage.

Sometimes, I land squarely, and other times, I land on my face. Thankfully, I have learned to get back up and shake the dust off.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Trepidation may always exist, but curiosity overrides my hesitation to hold back. So, I learned to say yes. Even if I was uncertain, fake it ’til you make it became my mantra. And it is true. Fake it long enough, and it becomes who we are, proving that the impossible is just a temporary situation.

Why say I can’t when we can say  I can? If we fail, well, there is always something to be learned. What’s one more skinned knee?

In casting commercials, actors are often required to have specific skills.

Actors are notorious for saying yes even when they cannot or have never done {fill in the blank}. Sometimes, it is crucial that without the needed skill, like jumping from a plane or riding a bucking horse, one could be injured, hold up production, or worse.

Most often, it proves not to matter at all.

An actress friend called me one day, laughing with delight after she had shot a commercial. She had an “OMG, I did it” moment. The commercial was looking for real painters, so she was asked to bring a piece of her original artwork to the audition.

Let’s call her Bella; she took a piece of art from her wall (that she had not created)  and presented it on the audition as her own. When asked to describe the creative process, she did so with the artist’s confidence. She is an actor, after all.

She booked the job. Once she got word that she was hired, she needed to be on set immediately.

Walking from the parking lot, she was approached by a guy who announced through a walkie-talkie that the Painter had arrived. Entering the set, she saw a large, empty stage with an enormous blank canvas.

A PA ( production assistant) whisked the Painter into hair and makeup. Another PA with many paintbrushes came up, asking which kind she preferred or if she needed something specific.

I can only imagine Bella’s beating heart and the “Oh S *@!, what have I gotten myself into?” racing around her brain.

After hair and makeup, she was ushered to the wardrobe department. She had a few moments to compose herself while changing her clothes.

Thankfully, for smartphones, she put in earbuds and Googled YouTube for How-to videos on painting large canvases. Skimming through the tutorials, her confidence started to build. She could do this.

On set, they gave her paint and brushes, then called Action.

She acted away. She was painting with free abandon and determination. She was faking it, and it was working. She was going to make it. No one knew this was the first canvas she had ever laid a paintbrush on. Nor did they need to.

Bravo. She had earned her “OMG, I did it” moment.

The joy of accomplishing something provides a growth spurt. The first step is to let go of the idea that we can’t and replace it with we can. Within us is an endless source of knowledge. Trust in yourself. Just give it a go and say yes.

5 Reasons Why Faking It Is Good for Us

It:

1. Creates opportunities you would not have experienced without saying no.

2. Builds your confidence and self-esteem that you can do It.

3. Expand your horizons.

4. Teaches you to think on your feet.

5. Makes the impossible a possibility.

When we say yes, we move forward. To be more, we need to experience more. Countless times, I have said yes when I had no clue what or how to do something. I trust that I can figure things out, ask the right questions, and surround myself with those with the abilities I lack.

The next time you hesitate to say yes, ask yourself: Are you ready to fake your way to accomplishment and raise your hand, saying, me next?

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”
~ Richard Branson