Have you ever seen a person succeed and thought “He is terrible!! How is he doing so well?” Or have you purchased a tchotchke and walked away thinking “I could have made this!” Me too!!
I restrained the pursuit of my passions for twenty years because I feared Falling on my Face Publicly. I have no doubt lots of people shake their heads at my ramblings. I’m ok with that. I trained as a writer. The most important take away from my education was the ability to glean useful information from negative feedback. You may hate my work, but if it makes you think or feel I’m doing my job.
I now realize that fear of failure is not the thing that kept criticizing in the wings. I was comfortable with failure. It was my warm, fuzzy blanket. Not starting was my jam. The monster in my ear was the horrible possibility of success. What if I published something that people like? Dear God what then? Did I have the stuff to dive down the rabbit hole constantly and glean anything useful to Somebody Else?
What is the Thing calling you? What will happen if you answer the call? A friend (she’s a life coach too, and a damn good one!) asked me these questions one year ago and sent me into a spiral to beat the band. In answering these simple questions I have unleashed the “funny old raccoon.” It’s a fascinating wild ride and there is no going back to living in fear of my gifts.
My friend says “small hinges swing big doors”. This week I hope you grease your hinges. The world is waiting for you to open your door.
