Written by ALL IN Co-Founder, Angela Teeple
I am ALL IN….. No Matter what my mental health battles are
Here I am writing my first blog post. I obsessed over this for months. Researched how other people do it. Took a class. Listened to podcasts. Read blogs everyday and just couldn’t wrap my head around how to do it perfect or like everyone else…
Imposter syndrome snuck in and whispered in my ear … “who would read what you have to say “ you can’t write your grammar is terrible and you are a scatter brain”
The above situations sum up what goes on in my head. I prepare and prepare thinking I have to be like everyone else then I talk myself out of what I know deep down I can do. This is part of my mental health battle with everything big I do in my life…. But the good news is eventually I take the leap of faith and do what is best for me and those around me!
Case in point.
February 2022 I realized through the help of friends and family I would leave my teaching and coaching profession after 23 years. I wasn’t happy… I was staying for the wrong reasons. I wasn’t living with the core values I preached and it was time to take a risk.
I made a decision in one day. I researched everything, listened to podcasts, read books. Channeled my inner mentors and I took care of the logistics, had another potential opportunity lined up and went All In to change my life.
I thought it would be that easy… and then I heard the voices you can’t be anything but a teacher; how will you make money; this is all I know; people will say same old Ang.
But again I worked hard to silence the voices and created opportunities. I advocated for myself and my skill set. I threw myself into my family and friends. I listened to the right voices and fed my mind with people who took similar risks and changed their life. I learned all I could about what my heart was set on doing next. I focused on inspiring people despite feeling down some days. And I normalized the conversation around what was next for me. It might have made sense but me talking about it helped me keep taking one step at a time.
I went All IN… I quit my job, walked away from a business deal, I worked tirelessly and blindly to chase a dream of owning an apparel company that also educates and inspires through more than apparel.
I work alongside a trusted and dedicated co partner who shares my vision and passions. My closest family and friends have my back and took every step of this journey with me even if some of them don’t understand it, they just believed in me.
I am excited for this journey. It was a year filled with a lot of emotions and roller coaster rides of thoughts.
I realized that I don’t have to be perfect. I have to be real. I don’t have to say it like everyone else. I have to be genuine. I don’t have to make everyone happy, I have to be true to my core values. I get to do things my way. I can follow in the footsteps of my grandfather who loved the song I Did it my way Frank Sinatra.
“Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way”
I pray to brighten your day and inspire you to keep going through our apparel, resources, blogs and podcasts!
Till next week…
With much love, joy and inspiration,
Big Ang
