Hey there. I’ve been writing a lot about feeling that itch inside, that calling that doesn’t quiet even when the lights go out. The fierce purpose that’s growing larger and refuses to be ignored as we fall into this new world-a kind of dystopia where we’re the main characters.
Will we fight or watch other people fight for us?
This is the kind of time we’re living in right now.
Some of us are coping by being in denial.
Others are hiding.
But you are sitting at home reading this feeling antsy because you have been called.
You have been called to do something that scares you maybe even more than the virus itself.
You try to ignore it.
You try to distract yourself.
You try to argue with it.
You tell it that you have no right to get up and do something. That this is a terrible time to test out ideas. That you have no experience or confidence and there are thousands of people more ready, resourced, and talented than you.
These all could be true. But no one ever got far by stopping before the journey begun.
You can spend more days and months waiting for the world to return to normal, which it never will, or you can enact change from the seat of your home.
You can do something different-the thing you know you were meant to do, the thing that darn right scares you.
The important thing to know is that you know you have to.
The thing you’re wanting to do may be to get published in a real magazine or write a book.
It could be to do a live Facebook call or an online book party.
Whatever it is, you know you’ve got to do it even though you have a mountain of excuses not to.
Successful people don’t wait until they have enough experience. They don’t wait for permission or until someone asks them to do it.
Over the years, I’ve read of countless people who lied about their resume or became the thing they wanted to be before they had the experience to do it.
I’m one of those people.
I don’t know if I ever told you this. But I landed my first paid copywriting job by a fluke. I finished graduate school in counseling psychology, but knew I wanted to be a professional writer. I did everything I could to get a writing position. I interned. I called newspapers and asked if I could shadow a journalist. I was almost 30 when I did that. A gracious journalist introduced me to his colleague which ended up being my golden ticket. When I interviewed for my dream job as a copywriter, meeting that reporter who knew the owner is what ultimately landed me the position.
I didn’t have years of experience. All I had was tremendous passion and enthusiasm, and the bulldog attitude that I would figure it out along the way. And I did.
Every time a client comes to me terrified because they don’t think they have the skills or experience to do what they want to do, I know it’s a confidence thing. I know that everyone starts as a beginner. That on the job training is a real thing.
When I was in graduate school, professors pushed you into the front lines. We had to counsel one another while videotaped while everyone watched and critiqued you. It was terrifying. Literally every word that came out of my mouth felt like fire. It burned inside to speak when I could be crucified for my words. But that’s how you learn. You learn best when you’re in the trenches, walking through the fire of your fear. There’s no way around only through it.
That’s how you get to the place of confidence. You do it. Sometimes you do it badly. But you get through it. And the next time you suck just a little less. Until one day, those things don’t get to you anymore.
That’s how you stretch yourself and grow and become the person that buckled through a crisis and came out the other side, purposeful, inspiring and resilient. In other words, the person you were meant to be.
Here are practical action you can take now if you feel called:
- To help plant a tree for Earth Day, color this free page and email it to Blue Dot Kids Press. Bonus: It’ll keep your child busy too.
- To volunteer virtually, from April 19-25 Blue Zones Project is making it easy to make a difference. You can win free stuff for participating.
- If you feel moved to discover what your passion is, I’m working on an article for a magazine. But you don’t have to wait that long to get my tips. Send me an email to learn what ways you can discover more meaning in your life, how to use this time to grow spiritually as a person, and find ways to move towards your purpose.
