I always wanted to teach haircutting to other hairstylists but it seemed impossible. It was way too big of a dream for me, so I set more achievable dreams. 

Who did I think I am, dreaming something like this? What will people think? What will they say (especially on social media)?

There’s so much more hairstylists out there who are way better than me. They’re so much cooler, cut better, speak better, have amazing backgrounds and know all these incredible people I look up to. I am not worthy. Everything about me says I’m not qualified. 

So I buried that dream that I was ashamed of. Even if it kept resurfacing once in a while, I’d bury it again with all my very valid excuses. 

Oct 2016, I was reflecting on life, it’s meaning, my purpose. Something was missing. I was so angry at God at that time. But I knew that He’s who I had to talk to about this.

So, I went to the salon before everyone came in. I sat in the break room with my Bible. I didn’t know where to start reading, so I asked Him. Every single chapter I read spoke to me and crushed every single specific doubt and excuse I had about my dreams. It felt like it was letter written specifically for me. I couldn’t stop reading ...and I hate reading. 

So it was time to dream! My goal was to share haircutting once a month with 3 hairstylists. I was going to do it by simply being myself and by genuinely loving people. I was going to go all in. Definitely going by faith and not by sight. I told myself, “It is God’s idea. If this doesn’t work, if I make an embarrassment of myself, it’s totally His fault.” 

Looking back at all He has done, I get so emotional. His dreams for me were way bigger than I ever imagined. I’m still the same Shannel I was but I now celebrate and boast about what I once considered were my weaknesses. 

I love me. If I had tried to be like someone else, if I had tried to teach like someone else I’d still be where I was in October. I had to be me. 

I hope this inspires you to dream your real authentic dream ...that dream that seems impossible to you, not that achievable, safe, and calculated dream. I hope this inspires you to seriously BE YOU. ❤️