I was on a leisurely walk with a good friend who knows I’m having a lot of fun writing my first book. At the end of our walk we both took a seat. I was enjoying a mini vacation watching people walking along on the other side of the street when he began asking me questions.
“Tell me how you are doing this book?”
“What do you mean?” I responded.
“I mean, you’ve said you’re putting it together, what do you mean by that?”
I replied, “I’m discovering that I have most of the stories written and the original artwork already done, so I’m just having fun piecing it together, like making a scrapbook for friends.”
His questions seemed odd, since it was him that suggested I take the lighthearted approach of thinking it as a putting together a scrapbook rather than the daunting task of writing a book. But he didn’t let up. “I know you say it’s like putting together a scrapbook but what do you mean by that? How are you going to format it?”
After that he continued with still more questions about the mechanics of how would I turn what I have into a book? Then he asked still more questions - regarding publishing, layout, style, etc… While he kept inquiring about how I was going to accomplish this I began to feel uncomfortable and defensive. How am I supposed to know the answers to any of this sh#t? I've never written a book before. Then I blurted it out, “I don’t need to know how to do any of that crap now.”
I went on to explain that if I bothered myself with any of that stuff at this stage I’d stop dead in my tracks. All I needed to do was continue enjoying what I’ve been doing and everything I need to know will present itself right when I need to know it. Whenever I try to figure out how to do something first, it’s just an excuse to put off whatever inspiration is nudging me to do at that time. Nothing great was ever created by trying to figure out how to do it first. After a moment he began to laugh and told me how he just realized that all the questions he was asking me was the crap he uses on himself - that get in the way when he’s inspired to write music.
We both were laughing at our discovery and I said, “Isn’t a relief to not have to know how to do something you really want to do?”
So when these questions come up I can honestly dismiss them with “I don’t need to worry about that right now. I’ll jump off that bridge when I get to it.” By doing so I take on the role of the loving but firm parent of my dream. Whenever I’ve approached any new project with this attitude, whether is was building my first go-cart when I was 10 or making my first documentary at age 34, I felt confident in knowing that all I needed to be concerned with was doing the minimum I knew how to do at that time. Everything else I needed to know, have help with, or get done, always seemed to come together perfectly and right when it needed to. Disregard your doubts and the doubts of others by stepping out boldly in the direction your heart is leading you. You will become magnetic to all the support you’ll need and favorable coincidences will become commonplace to see you through to a successful completion.
When you begin to question yourself consider this old parable;
“Tell me how you are doing this book?”
“What do you mean?” I responded.
“I mean, you’ve said you’re putting it together, what do you mean by that?”
I replied, “I’m discovering that I have most of the stories written and the original artwork already done, so I’m just having fun piecing it together, like making a scrapbook for friends.”
His questions seemed odd, since it was him that suggested I take the lighthearted approach of thinking it as a putting together a scrapbook rather than the daunting task of writing a book. But he didn’t let up. “I know you say it’s like putting together a scrapbook but what do you mean by that? How are you going to format it?”
After that he continued with still more questions about the mechanics of how would I turn what I have into a book? Then he asked still more questions - regarding publishing, layout, style, etc… While he kept inquiring about how I was going to accomplish this I began to feel uncomfortable and defensive. How am I supposed to know the answers to any of this sh#t? I've never written a book before. Then I blurted it out, “I don’t need to know how to do any of that crap now.”
I went on to explain that if I bothered myself with any of that stuff at this stage I’d stop dead in my tracks. All I needed to do was continue enjoying what I’ve been doing and everything I need to know will present itself right when I need to know it. Whenever I try to figure out how to do something first, it’s just an excuse to put off whatever inspiration is nudging me to do at that time. Nothing great was ever created by trying to figure out how to do it first. After a moment he began to laugh and told me how he just realized that all the questions he was asking me was the crap he uses on himself - that get in the way when he’s inspired to write music.
We both were laughing at our discovery and I said, “Isn’t a relief to not have to know how to do something you really want to do?”
So when these questions come up I can honestly dismiss them with “I don’t need to worry about that right now. I’ll jump off that bridge when I get to it.” By doing so I take on the role of the loving but firm parent of my dream. Whenever I’ve approached any new project with this attitude, whether is was building my first go-cart when I was 10 or making my first documentary at age 34, I felt confident in knowing that all I needed to be concerned with was doing the minimum I knew how to do at that time. Everything else I needed to know, have help with, or get done, always seemed to come together perfectly and right when it needed to. Disregard your doubts and the doubts of others by stepping out boldly in the direction your heart is leading you. You will become magnetic to all the support you’ll need and favorable coincidences will become commonplace to see you through to a successful completion.
When you begin to question yourself consider this old parable;
A centipede was happy quite,
Until a frog in fun
Said, "Pray, which leg comes after which?"
This raised her mind to such a pitch,
She lay distracted in the ditch,
Considering how to run.
Artist Yves Klein "Saut dans le vide" (Leap into the Void)
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