Every writer suffers obstacles on their journey. I overcame mine as a result of two brilliant questions. The most amazing thing about them is that came almost exactly 12 months apart and, as a combination, they changed EVERYTHING.
Some people who are reading this may have heard this story before. I make no apology for that. A good story always deserves retelling, however. What’s more, I would be only too delighted if other people followed the same path I did. Then they would be as happy as I have become.
In September 2015, I started watching live broadcasts on Periscope by a life coach called Pete Cohen. I wasn’t in a great place – I had been working too hard for too long and, exhausted, was on sabbatical. I started following him because I wanted to lose weight but, in the second week of watching, he covered a topic which blew my mind.
The topic of the week was Purpose. Deep stuff for 7am of a weekday morning! What’s your purpose? is a tough question to ask and I felt challenged. I knew I wasn’t in the right place but had no clue what I was really here for. Then he asked another question.
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
I knew at once – I would write. I would have a series of best selling fiction books and spend my time in the south of France writing. Easy.
I held that thought in the back of my mind: When I retire I told myself. I can last another 10 years. That was my plan. One day, I’d be a writer.
Those three little words
A year later, Mi365 held its first Summit in London. I was back at work – still telling myself one day, I’ll be a writer. Over lunch, a couple of friends and I bumped into one of the speakers from the morning. He was probably only interested in getting a sandwich and a cup of coffee but he chatted to us quite amiably.
I mentioned my dream of being a writer and he uttered those three little words, in the form of question. The question.
What’s…
Stopping…
You?
Decisions – and other obstacles…
I had no good answer. I went back into the Summit in thoughtful mood. By the end of the day, I’d made my decision. Other that some short term financial considerations there was nothing stopping me.
From that day on, I was on a mission. I would be a writer.
So, in your writing journey, let me ask you… What’s stopping you?
I always think if I could do anything and knew I wouldn’t fail I would write too. I have just completed the 30 day blogging challenge and am planning writing my second book this year, and am now starting to feel like I might just be good at this, and I can keep getting better if I just keep writing.
And the answer to ‘what’s stopping me’….my fearful imagination of what people might think – but the worst part of that is that the voices I imagine are the voices of people I don’t like, or at best, are my friends and not the people I am writing my blog posts for! Daft isn’t it?
There is a brilliant quote from Dr Suess which I love….
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mi d don’t matter.”
Hold on to that idea Esther
There is a brilliant quote from Dr Suess which I love….
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter.”
Hold on to that idea Esther