“What inspires you?”
When I hear that question, I feel like the answer has to be profound. I can’t answer it on the fly. But going through my day-to-day, I find the answer, or rather the feeling, on occasion. I’m trying to capture it and keep it close.
I find that I am awe-struck by some performances I see on the talent competitions I get a front seat to, from my couch. I’ve watched very few with regularity over the years. Like, zero to two, any given television season. Lucky for me, YouTube lets me hunt & binge my favorites. (Yes. I *just* figured out I can watch YouTube on my television.)
I am captured by the moments in the participant performances that give me chills. The moments you feel the person reach into their soul and pull forth everything they feel and believe, and they put it out there: right where the audience can see it, can judge it, can embrace it or can stomp on it.
That’s terrifying! Terrifying & beautiful vulnerability. Everyone is watching. There is no hiding. Yet the person cannot contain their passion and just has to release it. That means performing & that means before an audience. Openly sharing something that is part of them, with strangers, and hoping they just might connect with someone; that someone might see, hear, feel, understand, appreciate, that which is so meaningful to them.
Woo! I am exhausted just thinking about it!
Amidst a round of said binging, complete with chills, I thought: these people are sharing their talent on the world’s biggest stage. No hiding in safety… like behind a computer screen… like from the safety of home…like choosing exactly what to share after lots of attempts and editing…yup, you guessed it: like me…like, right here. Mind. Blown. <poof>
What could be safer for a would-be author, than sharing a little piece of writing in my little nook of the vast internet, that others might read, or, might not? What if I just put a little post out there on a little blog, satisfying my little dream, just a little bit?
It’s a calculated risk; but what if taking that risk succeeds in bringing me happiness, merely by doing it – not for anyone else, but just for me. Doing or sharing the thing that lives in my soul & just wants to get out for a little peek at the world.
What is it that you wish you could do?
Something you’ve always dreamed of, or something you’ve just discovered?
Something you’ve locked away in a very safe & cozy place?
I wanna be Kung Fu fighting fast as lightning! I want to fire a bow with precision . I want to be the hometown karaoke champion. I want to be an amazing corporate trainer every company seeks to hire & become the next TED talks star. I want to be fluent in Spanish. I want to craft the coolest things & have awesome IG posts. I want to write the sneaky blog post that strikes a chord with a baffling number of unsuspecting readers & blooms into a book!
So, friends, what is it that you or I, we mere humans, can do?
What is something that can safely move us a little step in the direction of our dreams?
Well, I might try a cardio kickboxing class. Or go to that indoor archery range two towns over, where hey – no one knows me, so if I stink, who cares?! I could volunteer to do that presentation at work. Maybe I will create a public IG account that just I and its three followers know about. Maybe I will be brave enough to publish & share this blog post .
My friends, after we take a small step or two, we can try for bigger. It does not have to be masterful or profound. And even if we do this only for ourselves, if we share with one friend or none, we could set our souls free.
And now, I get it:
There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?
~ Erin Hanson
Rooting for you to join me in taking small steps in the direction of our dreams…
Your pal,
Amanda