A couple years ago, I coached Tahila (not real name) who had a brilliant idea for a health-education initiative. She had the knowledge, the heart, and the plan and for two years, it lived in her notebook. When I asked why, she said, “I’m waiting until I feel ready.” Meanwhile, someone with a weaker idea and a bolder spirit launched something similar and gained a platform. She is not alone, I have been there too. I once thought about a creche, bought a cot, mattress, books, items, had a location in mind but never followed through, a year after that I passed and the location and guess what? Yep, there was a creche and nursey school opening. Our ideas were not the problem, stepping was.
The Promise and the Part We Play
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
Read it slowly. The land was already given, yet notice the condition: the place your foot will tread. The promise was settled, but possession required movement. The same is true for you. Every industry, career, business, classroom, boardroom, idea, and nation you are called into has already been given to you. However your participation is required to lay hold of it. God provides the territory and you provide the footsteps.
Honestly as young African women, many of us stand at the edge of new frontiers carrying a heavy inner voice: Who do you think you are? What will people say? What if you fail publicly?
We were often taught to be modest to the point of invisibility, to wait to be chosen, to avoid standing out. Add the pressure of family opinion, the fear of criticism, and the lack of women who have gone before us in certain industries, and shame and fear start to feel like wisdom. They are fences and many of us are standing behind fences that God never built.
Imagine a beautiful pool on a hot day, everyone wants to swim, but most people stand at the edge, dipping a toe, waiting for the water to feel “just right.” It never will. The ones who enjoy the pool are those who jump in while the water still feels cold. Discomfort is not a sign that you are in the wrong place. It is the temperature of the water at the start of every new frontier.
A seed in a packet holds an entire harvest, but only on paper. Until it is buried in soil and endures the dark, it stays a promise instead of a plant. Many of us are seeds in packets, safe, preserved, and unfruitful.
Myles Munroe taught that the wealthiest place on earth is the graveyard, because it holds the unwritten books, unlaunched businesses, and unfulfilled dreams of those who never stepped out. The sentiment is the point: do not take your gifts to the grave.
Joshua 1:9, God commands, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Courage is not the absence of fear. It is moving while afraid, because you know who walks with you.
What Beliefs Do You Need to Lead in Your Sphere?
To lead or take over in your industry, your thinking must shift first. Here are the beliefs I coach women to build:
“I belong here.” – Your presence in the room is not an accident, it is an assignment.
“What is mine is already provided.” – You are not begging for a place, you are occupying one that was prepared for you. This is what I call a dominion mindset.
“Excellence is my responsibility.” – Dominion is not arrogance, it is stewardship, and stewards work meticulously.
“Discomfort is the price of expansion.” – Growth will always feel awkward before it feels natural.
5 Strategies to Lay Hold of Your Territory
1. Treat comfort, shame, and fear as enemies.
Do not negotiate with them, each time you feel the pull to hide, ask: Is this protecting me or imprisoning me? Then go ahead and do the thing anyway. Action is the cure for fear.
2. Choose shamelessness as a leadership tool.
Shamelessness here does not mean carelessness. It means refusing to be embarrassed by your own ambition. Post the content, send the proposal, introduce yourself to the leader and pitch the idea. Whether face to face or online, get to work. New frontiers belong to the women who show up visibly and consistently. Two days ago I invited a bank representative to collaborate with The Propelled Life on my retreat that serves as training pathway for young women, now I know there are more possibilities.
3. Take meticulous action.
Faith without work is a wish
Break your vision into daily steps: research your industry, learn the key skills, find mentors, build a portfolio, and set weekly targets. Be so prepared that your boldness has substance behind it.
4. Decide what you are willing to let go of.
You cannot progress with full hands. What must go? Perfectionism, the need for approval, toxic comparison, procrastination, relationships that mock your growth, or the identity of “the quiet one”? Write your list and release one item this week.
5. Fight from victory, not for victory.
This changes everything, you are not striving to earn what is uncertain. You are enforcing what has already been given. When opposition comes, and it will, you stand on settled ground. Pray, prepare, and persist.
No matter what has happened or is happening, arise. Your past mistakes, delays, and disappointments do not cancel the promise. Faith is required, so step out into the discomfort. The land is yours. Go, and walk on it.
The life you build today shapes your legacy tomorrow.
I am rooting for you, and God has you covered.
Take a new territory with a community, choose the path that fits you:
Join The Emerging Female Leaders Intensive, a focused annual experience for young women ready to step into leadership with confidence and boldness.
Register for the next cohort of our Personal Evolution Program for exclusive group coaching that moves you from confusion to clarity.
Book a one-to-one coaching session for personalised guidance on your unique path.
Reach out today. Your territory is waiting
Omosefe Osinoiki
Public Health Researcher |
Identity & Leadership Coach