Is the train delayed? Or are you resisting getting on?
You’d like to start a TV show – 29 minute meals – in competition with Rachel Ray’s 30 minute meals! Or pitch American Fiddle to Hollywood – a spin-off of American Idol for fiddlers.
Or start that new insect stamp-collecting hobby where you collect stamps with insects from around the world and then go into the Amazon to dig up those very insects to match the stamp.
Or start that new ‘career’ in your ‘family’s ‘trash-collection’ business in Jersey.
You get the idea – you have big dreams. Ambitions. Goals to achieve in life.
What are you delaying today?
There are new ventures and projects that you want to start in your life. In fact, you may have already started them but are having trouble pressing forward after kicking it off the ground.
When I delayed doing something in my life, like kicking off this blog for example, I found many obstacles and challenges that delayed my blogging.
♦ I had a full time job so of course I didn’t have time to blog.
♦ Web and graphic designers cost money so I had better save up some capital before launching my blog.
♦ Who’s going to read my blog anyways except my writing coach, blog coach and therapist? (Kidding folks, at least about 2 of those 3 people). Maybe I should kick of my blog after I made some blogging buddies.
♦ I couldn’t actually start blogging until I had a theme, logo, tagline and full time office staff to answer my media calls.
♦ Why should I associate myself with a group of people who probably spend lots of hours locked up in dark rooms with their laptops commenting on other blogs and checking their Google analytics? Maybe there was more fame and money in getting into the tabloid business and working for Rupert Murdoch?
♦ Who cares what I have to say when everything that I want to say had already been said by Tim Brownson at www.adaringadventure.com with more wit, humor and intelligence and Sandra Pawula at www.alwasywellwithin.com with more clarity and wisdom.♦
♦ I should only blog after I publish a book then I can blog about how to write a book!
♦ What if I started succeeding and had an international following of readers, and couldn’t get through airport security checks due to the throngs of fans and paparazzi? Should I find out how much it would cost to hire personal bodyguards?
As deranged as it sounds, these were some real reasons I didn’t start blogging.
How about yourself – what are you delaying? What are you putting off? What are you making excuses for?
What did your dog eat today?
What did your mother-in-law serve you for dinner last night that made you feel like you were poisoned and you couldn’t wake up at 3:30 a.m today to start training for that triathlon?
Resistance speaks in the language of delay.
As you can see, most of the excuses I had for delaying the kick-off for my blog was not really a legitimate reason.
For example, if I was mobbed by the paparazzi as a celebrity blogger, I could always have certain friends of mine fill in as security guards. (A couple of them have had to leave jobs with the Secret Service but that’s a whole other story. They’re heart’s in the right place, man!!)
If only 3 people were going to read my blog, I can almost bet my blogging coach and writing coach would each know one other person who they could cajole to read my blog (maybe their wife or Ruffo, their dog!)
I soon realized (not really – it was a huge delay before I realized this) that the excuses I was making for myself were not so much different delay tactics but a form of resistance to embracing my blogging journey!
I was scared, nervous, doubtful and embarrassed even. Of what? Having my words seen publicly? Having my thoughts displayed to strangers? Bearing my soul to outright criminals who are hoping I accidentally post my credit card numbers on this blog!!!
Be aware of delays to kick down the door of resistance.
What the hell am I talking about?
You know. Stop hiding under the bed covers.
Stop the delays!
Stop resisting yourself!
Stop the madness!
Stop reading this blog. (I beg you – please read this blog)
Stop saying you can’t or you won’t.
Stop saying you will or you shall.
Stop saying you don’t have time or you’ll do it later.
Face the resistance. Acknowledge the resistance. Confront the real reasons you’re not doing what you need to be doing.
Then kick down that door of resistance.
(Disclaimer: I mean don’t kick down any doors or break any part of your apartment…this is just a figure of speech folks.) Thanks Janet for inspiring this post!
* Photo by Carlos A. Zambrano