You’ve asked me the same questions over and over and over again.
And mostly they have to do with discomfort.
- “I’m not sure my work is good enough.”
- “I’m an introvert so I never go to events or conferences.”
- “I clam up when it’s time to state my prices.”
- “I feel like everyone’s going to know that I’m a fraud.”
- “I’m totally tech-phobic.”
And you let these persistent thoughts keep you stuck in the dim grey of not-doing.
And the world spins on.
You don’t start your business.
You don’t write your book.
You don’t make enough money.
You don’t make friends with powerful people.
You don’t fulfill your creative promise.
And the world spins on.
Waiting for your work.
Waiting for you to be bold.
Waiting for you to share your heart with us.
It’s like we’re in some odd stand-off: the world is waiting for your art, and you are waiting to feel comfortable.
This is totally backwards.
You will never feel comfortable BEFORE you take a risk.
You only feel comfortable afterwards.
(And, to be frank, sometimes not even then.)
So you dwell in a twilight of discomfort.
No crashing failures.
No exhilarating leaps of faith.
Just the slow drip of
“I’m not ready,”
“I’m not sure,” and
“Now’s not a good time.”
And the world spins on.
But honey – now is the ONLY time there is.
All of us – we only have today.
Tomorrow is promised to no one.
So please –
Grab your discomfort by the nape of the neck and drag it along with your art into the clear light of day.
And I promise – if you smile while you do it, we will be so dazzled by your bravery that we won’t notice if you wobble a bit.
Smiling and wobbling our way into the future, together we can make this world a better place.
Sam.
