What a topic. Everybody has fears or fears something and I am not left out. Some don’t show it as much as others though, but it is there alright. No, I am not afraid of death because I am in Christ and therefore life after death is settled for me. I don’t fear public speaking either, that is my forte. It wasn’t so from the beginning but now I am an accomplished broadcaster and Master of ceremonies. It puts food on my table too.
What then is my fear? Writing! Not as if I don’t write but I just freeze when it comes to writing. I fear people’s response to my write-ups. Not as if I don’t think when I speak but thinking is stressful for me while writing. I fear nobody is going to enjoy what I write. I fear I am not going to turn out writings that will be compared to that of bestselling authors that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. Such writers have caused me sleepless nights… I am sure you feel me on this, that novel that just won’t leave you be until you finish that last page. I desire to have that effect on others too. I wonder that I cannot bring the effect I have on those who listen to me on those who read me. I am a lifelong student of communication.
This is an attempt to overcome that fear. Having read many books on getting started and sat under several seminars on personal development, one thing that keeps popping up is, just write… which is just what I am doing, writing. Am I making any sense? I hope so. Is it compelling? I’ll leave you to be the judge of that.
I guess this is kind of like walking the tight rope only that my readers are the tight rope and their critic will determine the thinness of the rope. I hope I survive the criticism. What am I saying? I am jumping the gun. Am I even sure people will get to read this piece? Sit down run through it and then decide to drop a line? That is pushing it, right? Well, the die is cast already; I have already gone past 300 words. Wow! What a feat. Phew!
I have done it, I have written, or I am writing, are you still with me? Are you still on this page? Well, if you are still with me, please let me know what you think. It is not as if I have not written before now and it’s not as if I didn’t have rave reviews. It is just that I have not done a lot of writing and I would really love to be published some day.
This is all about me for now of course not in a selfish sense, but in a I’ve got to do this sense, as in I am past caring now as I can’t afford to. I just have to write and blog and invite people to read and then wait to see if anyone reads and wait for comments if any. Should I beg, plead, implore, appeal, coerce, entice etc. I have dived into the water; I hope the water carries me. I have taken a step to overcome my fear; will you join me in this venture? What is your fear? What do you hope to overcome? Act like I have done, just do it. Just dive, worry not yourself about what others will say, at least for now. Close your ears to what people may say, grow deaf, then when the noise is getting too much to be ignored, open your ears slightly to sieve in the positive criticism and a little bit of the negative. This is to ensure that necessary adjustments can be made, on your side that is. I have taken a leap, if Obama can, then I can. If Angelique can, then I can and if I can, then you can… just do it… let’s do it…
No comments:
Post a Comment