by Robyn O’Brien, Guest Blogger

The world needs us. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s having a hard time right now and she’s looking for smart minds to help her solve the problems that we now confront.

Fortunately, we are all good at something. Every single one of us. The trick in this crazy muddled world, with headlines full of chaos, is that it is often hard to remember that.

But within each of us is a brilliant talent or two. And right now, the world needs all of us to pitch in. So whether you are good at music or math, lend a hand. While we need scientific models to help solve the global climate challenge, we also need song to help inspire us. And while we need instruction from some of the brightest brains in the country, we also need inspiration from passionate and nurturing hearts.

The earth needs us and our savvy insight. And if there is a little voice inside your heads telling you that you are not worthy or something otherwise, simply tell it to pipe down…that you have work to do, talent to lend, insight to share. Others will benefit from what you know: it may be a child, it may be a classroom, it may be a corporation. The trick is to clear the mental clutter and the noise that drowns out that inner voice and simply shine on.

So here are a few simple steps to get SMART:

Remember what you are good at.
Find something that you believe in…deeply.
Surround yourself with people that are positive and encouraging.
Be brave.
Have the courage to tell that ‘naysayer’ voice in your head to pipe down.
Risk something.
Work hard.
Open your heart.
Shine on.

And when you have accomplished the task at hand, let me know at www.robynobrien.com! I’d love to hear from you because chances are that this new found smartness will feel so good and be so fulfilling that you will want to do more. So go for it. Be the solution. And shine on!

Robyn is not the most likely candidate for an anti-establishment crusade. A Houston native from a conservative family, this MBA and married mother of four was not someone who gave much thought to misguided government agencies and chemicals in our food—until the day her youngest daughter had a violent allergic reaction to eggs, and everything changed. The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick - And What We Can Do About It is both the story of how one brave woman chose to take on the system and a call to action that shows how each of us can do our part and keep our own families safe.