It's been a productive 2 months, talking to Lego, Pumps and Pipes, Texas Medical Center Accelerator, Billy Cohn, Enventure, Jack Gill, Code Ninjas, YWCA Tech Girls, Illumination Fireworks, Bees Knees Lemonade, My Big Life Journal, MIT Club of South Texas, and NASA, just to name a few. I have made calls and sent emails each day, not mention writing guides, forms, brochures, fliers, surveys, blog entries, updating the website pages, and signing up for program emails and social network accounts.
I was even bold enough to tweet Elon Musk, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Gates, although those avenues are fruitless as of now. I am still holding out hope.
But after booking the TMCx Accelerator a few weeks ago, it suddenly became very real... and very scary. The fear of success was becoming more present each day because the real fear is of failure. What if students don't come? What if they are not interested in this type of program? What if I can't get enough exhibitors or speakers? What if my career fair layout is too noisy? What if it all fails?
“What if it all fails?"
The questions and worries and fears kept creeping up in my mind, and all I could do was remember to ignore them. Fear can be a good thing. It points out potential weaknesses and improves our ability to problem-solve, assess all potential paths, and ensure the best strategy with the best possible outcomes. The key, however, is to not let the fear cripple. If we let ourselves sink into the fear it will consume our ideas, our dreams, and ourselves. Instead we should use it. Use it to put a fire in our bellies and hone down on any weaknesses in the design.
After 2 months, I have found a gorgeous (and free) location for the Inaugural Youth Career Development Fair, set to be the debut for the STEM·E Youth Career Development Program. I have a date- Saturday, February 3, 2018, and I have speakers and exhibitors. The wealth of program support and excitement I have received has been astounding. The desire to volunteer and attend has been exciting and motivating, to say the least. And the scariest thing? The fair is right around the corner. I don't have a moment to lose. It's now or never- to make my dreams a reality.