For too long I made excuses about what I was afraid to try. I was a serial excuse maker. In fact, I was so good at it that I convinced everyone around me, including myself.
I finally woke up one day and realized the pain had finally gotten to me. I could no longer stand the thought of not trying something. I took a stand against the excuses and walked out. At first they screamed and yelled and made some awful threats. I was scared, but I just kept walking. The voices got softer and softer as I left them. I still hear them sometimes, but nothing like I once did.
I didn’t walk out on my family or my job. I walked out on my excuses. I discovered that making excuses was slowly killing my dreams. I wanted to be comfortable, but I was afraid to take a risk. I discovered you can’t have both. You can’t be comfortable and take a risk. The two don’t go together. They can’t coexist in the same house.
I’ve had many dreams in my life, but I’ve had one that’s been nagging at me for a while. Do you want to know what my dream is? Are you ready for this?
I want be a writer
There I said it. It’s all out in the open.
I was afraid to admit it because I had never done it before. I was afraid to vocalize it because someone would hold me accountable for it.
Recently, at a breakfast meeting with two of my peer mentors one of them dropped the question, “How is your writing coming?” He asked the hard question that I wasn’t expecting. It was the right hook I didn’t see coming. At first, I made an excuse but then I stopped. I simply said, “I’m working on it.” I then told him to keep asking me the question and not give up.
After starting a peer mentor group I discovered I now have two great cheerleaders in my corner. I’ve always had my wife cheering me on, but she would love me regardless. My two peer mentors keep me encouraged and pray for me. The benefits of the group have been amazing for me.
In the next post we will look at taking action on our dreams. I will share with you the steps I took toward another dream I once had. In the meantime, I want to challenge you with a question. I want to challenge you to actually write your dream in the comment section. Go ahead, I dare you. Get it out in the open! Let someone cheer you on.
I dream of being my own boss. After believing all of the lies about why I could NOT be in business, I have taken the risk. After months of planning, I have just started pursuing this dream and am now sitting in a small coffee shop, having completed the mornings self-imposed to do list, building a prototype (demo) for one of business ideas.
Funny how the blogs I choose to read seem to speak directly to my most recent issues and concerns. Must be a God thing.
Thanks for this post Eric.
That’s exciting Charles! I would encourage you everyday to keep working on your dream. I’m glad God is good like that.
I have several dreams, that I am intentionally working on to become reality. Like you, I want to be a writer. No, I am writer, and so are you. I want to open a totally online business and make a living. I want to use my financial freedom to go on 3-4 missions trips a year.
That’s a great goal Juan! I like the idea of using your dream for a greater purpose. One thing that helped me was that a while back I decided that I was a writer and started writing. It’s funny how a little decision can like that can change things for you. Keep pushing toward your dreams!
You know, that accountability has been one reason why blogging has been helpful to me. I don’t think anyone would really care or miss it if I stopped posting, but at least doing things in the public eye spurs me on.
I would agree with you. It has helped me to stay on track. Blogging has also become a sense of expression for me. I don’t have a major audience yet, but I’ve learned a lot through blogging.