Be yourself…Be who you were created to be….

I’m just going to start with this. You were never meant to do it alone. Can you do all the things alone? Probably. Can you figure things out and take steps all by yourself and think for yourself and parent yourself and do the things that you need to do without having the motivation to do it all? I’m sure you can!

But are you meant to do everything without support or guidance or encouragement? Absolutely not.

Before I decided to take a break from social media about a week and a half ago, I scrolled over sooooo many posts and reels -insert motivational music here- proclaiming ‘NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU’ or ‘NO ONE IS GOING TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU’ or ‘NO ONE IS GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.’

Anyone else notice this JUST DO IT trend going around?

While I agree that all of these statements hold truth, I also believe that they can be misleading and discouraging if taken the wrong way. If interpreted the wrong way, one might think that they’re supposed to fly in whichever direction the wind and their circumstances take them and just hope that they’ll figure it out all on their own, eventually.

Don’t believe this. I’ve fallen into this trap time and time again and the only place it has lead me was ‘in my head on the merry-go-round of being stuck, defeated and confused…and feeling all alone.

Truth is friends, I believe that we all need the help of others to figure some things out in life. We need people with different perspectives than our own and different gifts and talents than our own to help us jump to the next stone in the pond. We can’t get through life, or the other side of the pond, without the help and support of others.

By ‘others’ I mean a friend, a coach, a therapist, a co-worker, a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a motivational speaker, and sometimes even a stranger.

We were not created to navigate life on earth all by ourselves.

And so where do I see truth in the statements above? Ultimately, WE are the only ones that can take the action required in order to get results. We can’t sit on the couch and ask our friend to workout for us if we want to lose weight. We can’t expect our partner to to go to the interview for the job that we applied for. We can’t snap our fingers and expect that dinner will miraculously appear on the table. We can’t just sit around and hope for life to fall into place.

But we can ask for help.

We can call up a friend when we feel down or stuck or confused. We can ask those in our lives that we trust to hold us accountable. We can hire a coach when we need some new strategies in order to move us closer to where we want to be.

Although no one is going to come and save you or do the work for you, don’t for one minute believe that you’re mean to sit in your struggles and figure it all out on your own all of the time.

Success comes from doing the work and doing the things that we don’t always feel like doing, but that does not mean that we’re not deserving of receiving help along the way. And we’re not wrong or weak or pathetic for seeking out the help.

Sometimes that one person or community of people come along at just the right time with the encouragement needed or the advice we’re searching for or even just the push we need in that moment.

You need help? Seek it out, and then ask. Why do it all alone when you don’t have to?

Wake up, Rise up, Conquer
Tara Fraser

I love a good problem to solve. I love a new challenge! However, when my mind cannot grasp something, if it’s something that I’ve never done before like working on a new project at work for example, I become anxious. When I become anxious, I lose my power. When I lose my power, I lose my confidence…When confidence is nowhere around, the anxiety increases and it spirals from there. Sound familiar?

If so, let me tell you that you are not alone! And I don’t mean to say that just because I’m here running the course of life with you (which I am btw!) I mean there’s a MAGNITUDE of human beings on this planet other than myself entangled in the same struggle. Don’t be fooled. Even the most successful people struggle with lack of confidence. Not everyone was born with the perfect skillset. Skills are developed over time. Those that are successful today, didn’t start off that way. They built their confidence brick by brick and that’s accomplished over time, not over night.

And btw, it’s completely normal to have confidence in one area and not in another. And there’s nothing wrong with you if you feel like superwoman/man one day and not the next. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s proof that you are human and it’s an opportunity for you to build your confidence muscle.

Remember. Confidence does not equal arrogance. Confidence is believing that you are capable. Believe in YOU. That’s a hard thing for a lot of us to do! If you’re like me, you’re the first one to criticize yourself and come down hard on yourself for not ‘being good enough’ or not doing it ‘well enough’.

When we lack confidence, doubt moves in.

When we live in a constant state of doubt what do we do? We stop trying. We put things off until we feel ready. We sink lower and lower…. and lower. Confidence can’t ever be developed if we allow doubt to run the show.

So what can we do when we’re starving for more confidence but we don’t have the confidence to raise our confidence? (See how ridiculous that sounds but it’s so true! We naturally aim to wait to feel confident before stepping out into confidence! That doesn’t work!)

Well we’ve got two choices really. And the choice is 100% up to us in the end.

1) We can choose to remain in doubt and settle for the life we have- Play it safe and live in our comfort zones. IF we choose this route, we’re better off to come to terms with our choice and not wallow in pity. Remember, the choice is ours. If we choose to remain the same and decide it’s not worth the effort to take the “I’ll do it afraid” leap, then we need to be ok with this. No one can make this choice for us. ** IT’S ON US.

OR

2) We can be intentional and step out despite the doubt running through the circuits in our brains. Our thoughts literally permeate EVERY area of our lives! And if we’re not intentionally reframing how we think, nothing will ever change. NOTHING. IF we choose this route, it’s going to take work and it’s not going to feel comfortable. The reason for this is because when we’re looking to build confidence where confidence is lacking, it means we’re going to have to do something initially without the confidence to back us up. Enter in the ‘do it afraid’ quote. That’s the first step to conquering self-doubt. Do it anyway even if you’re afraid.

So here’s the good news. We do have some control. Although we can’t control the outcome, we CAN control the action we’re going to take. Here’s an example:

You want to change career paths and venture out and try something else that lights you up whenever you think about it, but you lack confidence because the skill(s) you need in order to branch out is a skill(s) you’ve not yet mastered. And that can be scary.

If you think that quitting your job and going back to school full time all in one full swoop is the answer to finding confidence, think again. (Although you could take this leap if you’re really feeling the pull, there are other ways- a little more gentle and way less overwhelming) We can still build confidence and NOT be reckless.

How about doing a little bit of research to start, like watching You tube videos on the topic of interest. Or how about reading up on some articles written by those that have walked the path you’re desiring to take? How about signing up for an online course that you can work on 3 times a week? How about finding someone that you can practice your new skill with. (Practice builds confidence and I’ll probably say it again before this post is over and done with)

You can take small steps forward in place of one big massive leap and still get to where you’re going! Baby steps can still build confidence. Trust the timing.

In summary: Confidence building requires the following but is not limited to:

* Reframing your thoughts Practice affirmations that you BELIEVE to be true for you. One that I LOVE is “I am capable of learning new skills that align with my life purpose”

* Understand that confidence is a skill No one is born with it!

* Take action ACTION, ACTION, ACTION. Do research, get curious, think of it as an adventure.

* Do it afraid and do it often The more you do something, the better you get at it. Mastery doesn’t come from doing something once, twice, three times or even 10…Keep going! (PRACTICE = PROGRESS)

And remember, you don’t need to FEEL confident in order to BE confident.

I hope that this content resonated with you if you’ve made it this far. Thank you so much for joining me over here on Wake up, Rise up, Conquer 🙂

Now let’s go out there and empower others as we empower ourselves.

Love, from T 🙂

Ps….Would love to hear from you! Comment if you feel led and feel free to reach out personally at my email wakeupriseupconquer@gmail.com

Yesterday after my workout, I grabbed my phone to do the usual post workout selfie, swiped to Insta and started scrolling though the filters. Nope, not that one. Nope, not that one. Meh, not that one either. What the hell! Those filters, I thought, were making me look super fake! More altered than ever- even the ‘natural’ ones.

Wanna know why I think I was hyper aware of the flawless reflection looking back at me even more than usual?

Because more than ever, that reflection is not who I see looking back at me in the mirror. The woman who’s reflection I see in the mirror doesn’t have perfect skin. That same woman is learning to regain her confidence that has faded over the last couple of years. And I’m more aware than ever that a filter isn’t going to bring my best foot forward. If I use the filter, I feel as though I need to live up to the filter. What a heavy and ridiculous weight to try and carry.

You see, some women have a bucket full of confidence and they use all the filters for fun or for marketing their content (super awesome and all the power to them btw). But…some women are at the bottom of their self-worth barrel searching for value and self-worth, thinking that beauty, compliments and validation will complete the missing piece. That, by the way, will never fill the gap.

To find self-confidence try searching your inner truth (**Take note: NOT the truth of others. YOURS. Find it on your own.**) Stop looking at others around you. Their path is not your path. You have a specific and unique life path all to yourself.

I’m a team player. All the way. 100% hands down. And I’ll be the first to tell you that you NEED people in your life. But if you’re looking to find yourself, that’s a task that only you can journey and ultimately, discover on your own.

Who are you really? What makes you laugh? What lights you up? What stresses you out? Look at it all.

You are so much more than what you see in the mirror. You’re so much more than your job. So much more than your skin and so much more than the number on the scale or the measuring tape number around your waist. It sounds so cliche but it is so very very true and once you can grasp that truth, a huge weight will be lifted.

*When you start to uncover who you are deep down and you begin to awaken to the uniqueness of who you were created to be, you’ll notice that you start to radiate on the outside too*

For me personally, I have been feeling compelled to bring more and more authenticity to my social media accounts. Not only for myself but with the greater purpose to inspire others to do the same.

Let’s make one thing clear though. Social Media is but a tiny, microscopic glimpse of ones life and you will never EVER in a million years see the full scope of someone’s life through the lens of a screen. So please remember that when you follow someone who appears to have it all together. They don’t. I don’t. No one does.

Who you are is amazing. You are talented.

The world doesn’t need clones! The world needs you to be you. And if that means you use a filter then all the power to you, friend.

And if you’re reading this and you’re at the bottom of your self worth barrel, please know that the world needs you to be you. Your community needs you to be you. You’re freaking amazing and unique and powerful and capable.

Have a beautiful day.

If you’re new to my blog and want to join my journey on the social media front, you’ll find me on IG @ coach_tarafraser_mindset

Love from T 🙂

It’s simple to be authentic when we’re in our small comfy and safe space.
But when it comes to opening up and covering more ground, it can be scary to put yourself out there!
The world needs authenticity.
The world needs to know that it’s ok to be different and loved all the same. 
Your journey is yours. Your desires are yours. Your path is your own. 
But – when you share your story, you never know who you’ll encourage to step out and change the world. 
Authenticity. So simple, yet so profound when unleashed. 

Click here to listen in

Shedding what no longer serves you.

When you read that statement, what comes to mind?

At first thought, I receive a sense of freedom, peace, awakening, and a lifted weight.

But can I openly share what rises up within me when I dive beneath the surface of this statement: Shedding what no longer serves me….

Pain.
War.
A battlefield.

Letting go of what no longer serves us is a process. A healing process. Healing can be uncomfortable. The things that we hang on to deeply that are no longer serving us, are often there as a form of some sort of attempt at protecting ourselves. They don’t serve us. They form walls that we believe are protecting us. Those things that no longer serve present in different forms:

Addictions
False beliefs
Acceptance from others
Walls of protection
Hardening of the heart

……Just to name a few.

So why? Why do we chose things that don’t really serve us to begin with???? Can you relate with some of these examples?

*Ease the hurt of disappointment
*Attempt to protect the heart from fully feeling. (We think-The less emotion, the less risk of hurting.)
*Anger towards others
*Fear of vulnerability
*Distractions from facing reality

Today… a part of my heart opened up to the possibility of releasing some things that no longer serve me. I’ve been here before. I can truthfully share with you, that releasing things deep, deep down below the surface is temporarily painful.

Just because it’s not a walk in the park, does not mean it’s not worth it.

Tired of living in a box?

Shed those things in your timing. Release as you feel led….Those things holding you back from living outside of that box.

Do I have the energy to go to war right now? Am I/Are you…willing to fight for your greater good?

I ain’t there yet. But I’m healing.

Wishing you a beautiful day of just ‘being’. Don’t overthink. Spend some time with yourself. Do something that makes you smile- even if it’s the smallest of actions.

Tara

Last week, while I was engaged in my usual deep dive into learning session (this particular morning was Human Design research that had me locked in, forgetting about time and space. 100% immersed going down trail after trail of interesting discoveries)

During this time, I got an AHA moment , like I so often do. Sometimes I grab my notebook and write down my thoughts as fast as I can get them out- only to have the page unread by anyone else other than myself. Sometimes, though, I feel the need to share.

This morning, I feel the need to share.

MANY of us, were born with a natural desire to IMPROVE situations around us. We see chaos, we want to FIX it right away. We see a loved one doing something we believe is dangerous to their physical, mental or spiritual health and we jump in to ‘save the day.’

And yes, I’m going to bring it up- the world today in 2021- heading off into 2022….

Many of us have different convictions and different beliefs. It’s no surprise. It’s been like that since the beginning of time.

And so, as all of us learn to navigate our own thoughts and beliefs- We all kick into high gear ‘improvement’ mode. The goal behind preaching is just that- wanting to FIX, to IMPROVE.

But many times, what translates:

Is judgement.

We don’ take on the title of ‘hero’ or ‘fixer’…. we are labelled as ‘judge’ or ‘nag’.

Stop and think about a time when a loved one tried to change you or to change your ways. The odds are that they loved you and were coming from a place of good intention. OR maybe it was a matter of control and you were left with no space to think for yourself…either way…

How did that make you feel? Angry? Condemned? Frustrated? Depressed? Unprepared? Caught of guard? Lost? Lonely…. shame….closed off…defeated….disempowered…unworthy.

It’s ok to want to improve a situation when we’re coming from a place of love…but if the human being on the other end of your intention isn’t ready or wanting to take your advice, it will never ever come across as a desire for improvement. It will come across as judgement, conditional love and unacceptance.

So much. So much going on in the world today. So many, discriminated. So much info, so many different views of good and bad, right or wrong, life and death.

DISUNITY.

No matter our beliefs, now is not the time to post sides on our social media platforms- especially from a place of judgement- “I’m right, YOU’RE wrong.” The anger and insatiable drive to PROVE our points are causing DIVIDE.

**Please note, I’m not talking about bringing forth awareness. Awareness good. But even at that. If your facts don’t line up with the other person’s beliefs on the other end- Is it ok to judge and call them wrong?**

What would happen if we channeled our desire for improvement in the world with the intention to stand for unity, instead of the intention of being proven right? What would happen if we respected our neighbor’s by separating our opinions and allowing them keep theirs, un-condemned?

One final thought….

Love casts out all fear – 1 John 4:18

Much love ,

T

Hi Friends!! I hope you find some value in my vlog today. If you’ve been feeling sorry for yourself or if you’ve been doubting yourself, this might just be the video for you. Comment and let me know your thoughts 🙂

Much love, T:)

Tuesday blog posts. I promised myself that I’d be consistent and that I would deliver one shred of wisdom or insight just once a week. How hard could that be?

Well today, was the first Tuesday that I’ve had zero inspiration to share with anyone…or so I thought. All day, beginning this morning, I combed through my thoughts searching for some tidbit of anything positive or uplifting that I could grab onto and expand on in order to write about.

Every thought was like a feather caught in a windstorm today. As soon an inspiring thought was about to transpire, it was bulldozed by a huge gust of wind.

I will be the first to coach you on mindset and on how it’s possible to take each thought captive. I will coach you and encourage you (if you’re willing to listen) however, that does not mean that I don’t struggle just as much as the next dude.

Today was one of those days. Because I had no inspiration this morning I automatically jumped into full blown mission mode. I hopped online, signed up for 2 more courses, started one at 6 am. No time for flight mode, I thought. It’s time to fight. My body was tense, and I could feel stress rising. Then came the doubts…. “Tara, you’re so scattered, how will you ever get to your year end goal?” As you can imagine, that thought led to many others until I was mentally drained – and I hadn’t even started my work day yet.

I closed my lap top. Now running behind and needing to to get ready for work, while thinking, ” CRAP. I didn’t post on my blog. I can’t even do that one simple thing!”

Just then, I closed my eyes. I intentionally made the conscious decision to practice what I preach and I quit the self- sabotaging. Once you get on that road and gain momentum with neg self-talk, it can be hard to slow down.

This was the pep talk I gave myself:

“It’s ok to slow down. It’s productive to slow down when you’re feeling stressed. It’s healthy to pause and think about which direction you want to take. It’s ok if you shift directions. I can attract my next or continued opportunity instead of chasing it. Feeling pressured is a sign that I’m not taking a healthy approach. I have the ability to succeed with the talents that I’ve been gifted.”

I’ll be honest. My day didn’t morph that instant into a walk in the park. My thoughts were still bounding on and off- but the shift was that I had become aware of my toxic thoughts and I knew I could combat them with fresh beliefs when I took a moment to slow down and take those lying thoughts captive.

Tonight, I’m feeling lighter. Tonight I am human. Tonight or today, or whenever you are reading this, I hope you know that you have permission to feel and to share your truths. It’s ok if they are not pretty or perfect.

My hope is that if you are reading this…and if you’ve made it all the way to the end, most likely you need that little pep talk as well. Feel free to speak it out loud and claim it as your own.

One last thing…. thank your for joining me on my journey ❤

Much love, T

Chuggin’ along, just ridding up that hill. This train of mine is going higher and higher and higher. Tootin’ my “I’ve got this shit” horn. I’m almost at the top of the hill and I can see the skyline creeping up. Damn straight I’m getting ready to bask in the beautiful view that is going to fill my soul with the deepest satisfaction that I’ve ever known possible. Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop my top of the mountain destination.

I’m at the top! I’m getting ready to dig out my tent and call this place home!

But there’s no landscape. No wide open space to hop off and run through the field of pure satisfaction. Just a bloody slope to bring me back down the other side. I’m only at the top for 5 seconds when, “Welcome back,” the valley below taunts, “to the rollercoaster called life.” And down I go.

Side note: not everyone’s life feels as rollercoaster-ish as what I’m describing. But mine does. For those that can relate, I’m led by an emotional center and can be easily influenced as I feed off of others emotions as well. Some days the rollercoaster isn’t just any old circus ride but more like the freaking Leviathan at Canada’s wonderland. Anybody else?

Let me get back on track here 😉 Let me point out the obvious. Life is going to have it’s peaks and valleys. I don’t care who you are or how much you pray, visualize, manifest or practice the law of attraction. You’re going to face up’s and down’s. I’m talking, “hey, yesterday was amazing and I felt so accomplished and today feels like a big long mud slid right into an unexpected shit show.”

Guess what…You are normal. Everyone has those days, that no matter what we do, we sometimes can’t shake the blahs, the low’s. We can’t always just ‘snap’ out of it. That’s what I typically say to myself. “Snap out of it.” But that only makes things worse. Because when I can’t just SHIFT in THAT moment, failure starts to set in and just makes the intensity of the crap day feel even crapy-er.

Call it what it is. Say it. “Today is just really off.” “Today is shit.” “Today is hard.” “I want today to be over.” Call it what it is.

The pivotal shift that can’t be skipped, however, is a 2 step. Not only do you need to acknowledge your fart in a windstorm display of emotions, but follow that acceptance by visualizing, praying for and manifesting better days ahead. Embrace your feelings but refuse to stay there forever. Acknowledge that you’ll go back up the mountain again and it will be beautiful.

Don’t get STUCK. Think on those positive thoughts. The feel good, warm and fuzzy’s might not kick in right away, but when you think positive and expect the best, your mood will eventually lift. Might not be today, but if you keep calling and believing for better days, extraordinary days, they will come.

So if you were on your way up the mountain yesterday, but today your horse and buggy barreled down the hill, just remember:

That’s life.

You’re normal.

And sometimes, you just have to ride the wave ❤

Much love T 🙂

“I’m bored. I’m restless. I can’t. I won’t. I’ll never. I’m way too shy. I’m way too nervous.”

If you’re stuck in that mindset right there, my friends, let it be a good indicator that those limiting beliefs are why you’re not not progressing in life. I’m no expert. All I’ve got is (almost) 40 years of life experience and my story to tell. That’s it. Those statements above, are all of the things I used to tell myself…even still do get caught believing it sometimes. I needed a real kick in the ass…and still do sometimes 😉 And no one was doing that for me. If you’re not at that point yet, let me tell you: No one is ever going to push you the way that you need to be pushed. No one except for YOU.

When we label ourselves with self limiting statements, and that’s the story we tell ourselves, then that’s the story that we’re going to live out. That’s where we’re going to set up camp….which is in the middle of nowhere. The place that we DON’T want to be. But as crappy as it is, we end up STAYING there. Guys! There could be a mansion just down the scary, winding road, and you’re sitting in your little leaky tent because you just don’t wanna do the hard stuff to get to the great stuff!

Let’s break it down.

The ONLY way we are ever going to grow is to get out of our COMFORT ZONE. I know you know this. I have a feeling this isn’t news to you. But I do have a feeling that you need this reminder to kick start something within you.

I challenge you to do something today that will get you out of your comfort zone. Even if that ‘something’ is only for the sole purpose of getting you out of your comfort zone. Even if the purpose of doing the hard thing is to prove to yourself that you’ve got what it takes to LIVE life and not just coast every day.

When we do things that get us out of our comfort zones, we become empowered. We start to believe in ourselves a little more.

So this picture below is a representation of doing something you DON’T feel like doing. I do not like snakes. As a matter of fact, I stepped on one when I was 11 years old. I didn’t just scream. I screamed and ran for the hills. At that point, I didn’t care if I ran so far that I got separated from my parents ending up lost forever. In that moment, my fear and longing for safety took precedence over anything else!

Fast forward years later….. I’m on the left, smiling. You see a smile. I think I look calm too. But what you don’t see is my heart pounding out of my chest. You don’t see the visions in my mind that I was having of that horrific snake head lashing forward and clenching it’s jaw around my face. Thankfully that never happened but those thoughts were definitely at the forefront of my mind!
But I freaking did it! I held the reptile that literally could have eaten me for lunch.

(For all the snake and creepy crawler lovers, picture something else in your mind that makes you wanna throw up when you think about doing it? (Public speaking, sky diving, think of something.)

Ok, now keep that image in your head. Could you envision stepping out of your comfort zone and just going for it? How do you think you’d feel if you did it? Would you not be proud of yourself? Would you not think “Hey, if I just did THAT, then I believe I can do ANYTHING!”

That, my friends is called growth and expansion. As humans, that is what we are meant to do. Grow and expand. Life throws curveballs. We sometimes do not get the choice to choose to do the hard things. They just come at us. But what if you had the choice today to do one thing you just really didn’t want to do? What is the worst thing that could happen?

• You might fail.
• You might sound weird.
• People might think your strange.
• You might find out that you’re not as ‘smart’ as you thought you were.

Why won’t you do it? What’s the worst that could happen?

Now flip that. What’s the BEST thing that could happen?

• You might gain confidence.
• You might find the job of your dreams.
• You might come upon an open door that you’ve been dreaming about walking though.
• You might find healing and purpose and joy.

Are you willing to start doing the hard things?

Much love, T:)