When I met Cherae, I knew she had to be a part of Life Inspired. She’s got this joyful and uplifting energy about her and she literally lights up the room. Oh, and her little one joined us for a little bit in the studio and we had an absolute blast! She is a fitness trainer specializing in working with women and you can follow her on Instagram HERE!

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a session for my Life Inspired Project and, oh my goodness, I have no idea why! I’ve just gone back through the stories that the truly incredible women who’ve taken part so far have shared, and I’m blown away by the strength and courage and the openness... Just take a moment to check out these amazing stories (after you’ve read Cherae’s, of course!)

To learn more about this Life Inspired Project, go HERE!

And as always, if you would like to nominate someone for this project, yourself included, please contact me today.

Now, without further ado, meet Cherae:

When did you realize that your life was being held back by fear or self-doubt, and what kept you from moving forward?

I realized sometime in my early 20s, when I struggled with addiction, that fear and self-doubt were holding me back and had always held me back. I doubted myself so much from childhood trauma, that I didn’t even trust my own reality… Someone could tell me the sky was red and, if they told me enough, I probably would have believed them when I was 20. Im 33 years old now and have a beautiful son and just came out of a divorce. What I realize now is, there will never be a moment in life that I don’t have fears or self-doubt. That’s part of the human experience. However, what I do have now is the ability to embrace courage. Courage to grow. Courage to live. Courage to be me in a word that doesn’t always make sense. Courage to protect. Courage to admit when I’m wrong. Courage to seek truth. Courage to remain pliable in a world that can make you rigid. 

What triggered you to no longer live a life of fear or self-doubt?

Fear and self-doubt will eventually rear its ugly head again but this time, we have courage. Not one single thing gave me courage. However, I will say, after having my son the courage in me could no longer hide or act small. I had to learn how to be big in this world for the first time and honestly… I’m still learning.  

What did you have to let go of in order to take the leap to move forward?

Letting go of vanity was a huge part of my journey. I shaved my blonde hair off when I was 25 and that was the first step in me letting go of the shallowness and vanity that I held onto so tightly. Growing up in the 90s meant that pretty girls were told they were pretty but they weren’t told much else. I didn’t realize what was underneath could be so much more beautiful. I didn’t even know my own mind, just my face and sometimes I didn’t even recognize that! However, I can stand tall in the mirror today and know that what’s on the inside is far greater than what’s on the outside.

What did you find on the other side of fear that made it worth it?

I have found a greater depth to myself and my soul. Having courage to face fear, opened me up to spirituality again after 10 years of avoiding life's questions like the plague. I can use the word “God” without vomiting in my mouth now haha. I am continuing to connect with the God of my understanding and I am no longer allowing the images and fear from my Baptist upbringing to deter me from seeking truth.

What would you tell someone (or your former self) who still feels held back by fear or self-doubt?

I would say, it's always going to be there. Get comfortable with it. Face it head on. Find your courage because you will need it for the rest of your life. 

Is there anything else you would like to share? 

It took me 2 months to answer these questions haha. I sat and stared at them for hours. Spoke with friends about them before it hit me… I was operating out of fear the past few months as I find independence as a new single mom in this world. The questions were hard to answer because I didn’t have the courage to face my fears just yet. Fear of not being enough for my son. Fear that I won’t be able to protect him in this world. FEAR that everything my ex says about me is true. I had to tackle some serious fear and summon courage to even look at the questions and answer them diligently. Fear doesn’t ever go away. We just learn to have courage. We can embrace our courage and learn to live large and take up space or we can continue to shrink ourselves. The choice is inevitably ours to make  

Wanna be a part of Life Inspired or want to nominate someone?