It’s just over a week since I returned to Perth from the Problogger Conference on the Gold Coast and my brain has finally settled down enough to truly process the big takeaways from the event.
And my biggest takeaway came from the very first session – a keynote delivered by ‘the Problogger’ himself – Darren Rowse.
This is such a simple truth.
If something causes you to pause. If it causes flutters deep in the pit of your belly … it means you care deeply. And when you care deeply about something, that means you are passionate about it and will be applying that passion to what you are about to do.
It’s a huge service to the world when you bring passion to something you are doing.
So why, when we are doing this great service to the world, do we tend to stop … and think what if?
What if people don’t respond well to this thing I am passionate about?
What if they take the heart and soul I am about to pour into this thing and stomp all over it?
What if they think I am stupid for putting this thing out there?
Is it funny that we spend very little time considering: What if they don’t?
As Darren quite rightly pointed out, we all spend so much time thinking about the worst that could happen that we seldom stop and think what’s the BEST that could happen?
When I started writing this book I nearly stopped halfway through the first chapter. I was overcome with the hubris of it all. ‘Who are you even?’ I thought. ‘This is pure and utter indulgence.’
But I kept going.
What was the best that could happen? It could influence people’s lives in a positive way. People could learn some lessons from my story and hopefully short-cut the long and painful process I followed in learning to live a life less frantic.
(What was the worst that could happen? No one would read it, or if they did read it, they might say it was crap. Hurtful and demoralising – yes … life threatening – no.)
Since then there have been countless emails from people saying:
I sat down with a coffee to read a chapter or two of your book, and two hours later found myself still reading.
Your book really made have a good think about the way I am living my life/the path I am on.
I really saw myself in your book … and it made me stop and think.
That’s pretty cool right?
So when Darren mentioned wobbly courage in his keynote – I knew exactly what he was talking about. When I pressed on writing that book things were VERY wobbly, but I am glad I persisted with it.