My rock star daughter who doesn’t let a big BUT stand in her way. She rode her bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Now she’s in Hawaii twirling fire.
Everyone has a great idea.
For a business ~ mine is to open a laundromat/coffee shop/book store/movie theater or a tea shop complete with wacky hats and glitter on the floor.
Or an amazing book, a vacation, a career, or even a great idea on how to improve the internet. It might even be as simple as making a garden with the limited space you have in your backyard. Everyone has a great idea.
And everyone has a big but.
It’s that part of your idea when you start to say, ‘I want to write this book, but I don’t know how…’ or, ‘I want to lose weight, but I love cupcakes…’
Because, you know, doing something for real is hard. You have to sit your ass in the chair and write the damn book. You have to look at the cupcake, enjoy the smell of it, but not eat the damn thing. AND you have to learn the craft as well as the business of writing. It also wouldn’t hurt if you got your ass out of the chair to do some cardio and weights.
We can talk ourselves out of anything. That insidious BUT can kill a dream quicker than Roundup on weeds in summer.
The next time you start to tell yourself BUT stop. Rephrase what you were about to say. Replace your but with something empowering. Instead of, “I wrote a book, but the agent said no.” Try, “Hot damn! I wrote a book! I’ll find the right agent for this book and for me.” Or, “I’m eating right, but I’m not losing weight.” Try, “Damn, girl. You look fine! And your body is loving all the healthy food you’re putting into it. Keep up the good work.”
I know, it sounds a little silly, but you might be surprised at how it changes the dynamic of your inner monologue. Also, did you notice that little ‘but’ in there? Sometimes a little but is good. Just don’t get carried away with them. Keep the talk positive and motivating, that’s the goal.
Speaking of empowering ourselves, right now there is a huge shift happening in the publishing industry. Self-publishing is stepping out from the shadows of New York and taking its (rightful) place on the literary stage with the big guns.
It’s an exciting time to be an artist, especially a writer, and I wanted to share with you something I read yesterday. It comes from Seth Godin’s blog, in which he was expounding upon the idea that an artist doesn’t have to wait to be ‘picked’.
The artist who struggles in obscurity, unfairly ignored because he hasn’t been picked–that’s a poignant sight. But at some point, the artist has the obligation to seek a different path, one that isn’t dependent on a system that doesn’t deserve him.
Seth always has thought-provoking posts that are concise little nuggets of brilliance. If you aren’t reading his blog, check it out.
As you head out today to do whatever your heart desires, I want you to think of that last line. Yes, it starts with a BUT. A very good and big BUT. It gives you permission, no ~ validation, to do what feels best for you.
Don’t let your BUT stand in your way, work it to your advantage. Go out there with your big BUT and be amazing.
I’ll be in Dallas this weekend for the DFW Writers’ Conference where I’ll be hanging out with my WANA pals. We’re going to be a little bit crazy (here’s a teaser to the weekend on Jenny Hansen’s blog). I promise lots of photos next week and a complete recap of the hilarity!
What’s your big BUT? What keeps you from living your dream? More importantly, how do you overcome your big but? We’d love to know!
Tameri Etherton 