What qualifies you?

Is it the official education or certificate of accreditation? Is it life experience, or learning from the school of hard knocks? Is there even one right answer? Is one more important than the other?

I don't know about you, but I know many people who have a degree in one area, but don't use it at all in their current position. I also know many highly successful people who have no college degree, and many of those who didn't even complete high school.

Possibly, success is what we make it, and the same for feeling qualified. Could it be how we see ourselves that makes us feel qualified or feeling the lack of? Could it be what we think or feel we are capable, or worthy of, to make us "qualified" or leave us with the feeling of being unqualified in areas of our lives?

Here's what I do know.

  • A person of strong character, determination and willingness to take action, despite the possibility of failure, can make anything happen, with or without any official qualifications.

  • When God calls you do to something, he doesn't usually call the completely qualified, but he will equip you in the journey of the calling.

  • Even in what seems like failure, we are capable of learning and growing through anything life throws our way, which will likely qualify us in other areas. That alone could mean nothing is wasted, ever, if we allow ourselves to see it that way.

  • We are all human beings, all unqualified in many areas of life, but that doesn't mean we can't make a difference - there's beauty in that, if we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to let our guard down.

  • When we are able to be ourselves and let our light shine, however different it might be, we discover what we are truly made of, maybe we even figure out what our purpose is, and how we might be able to use that for good in the world around us, even if it's in the tiniest way. Incase you haven't noticed - small things make a huge difference.

Try smiling at someone today or give a sincere compliment. Call someone by name, and see what happens.

Here's to feeling qualified, worthy and capable, whether or not we feel 100% ready for the next step or not. Keep in mind, many times it takes us taking the first step blindly, to see that we had the qualification all along. Here's to acting on those gut instincts. Go. Do . Be. Conquer.

Gina Freels is a global entrepreneur, author, certified life coach, philanthropist and believer in people.