Most people who are capable of doing more have no idea they can choose to do so. Creating a life that means something to you, that brings you fulfillment and joy, is possible. And you can choose this.
It's not something bestowed upon a lucky few. You can consciously pursue a path that brings you satisfaction. Finding happiness through meaningful work is a wonderful way to show our appreciation for the time we have here.
So how do you start?
Start by acknowledging your power to choose. You can create an intentional, mindful life by taking deliberate action and tuning in to your own truth before making decisions each day, week, and month. Understand there's a difference between how things are and how things could be if you stopped talking and started doing.
You have a choice to make and create. If that's what you want, choose to do it.
It sounds simple, doesn't it? And indeed, it is simple. But simple doesn't mean easy. I'd be willing to bet there's a host of factors and obstacles that hold you back right now, that cause you to pipe up and say, "but I don't know how," or "but I'm not good enough" or "but I can't figure out what to do."
These comments are the real slayers of your goals and dreams. Thoughts like this do more to stop you in your tracks than any lack of resources or skills or natural talent ever will.
But it's not really you piping up with these comments, is it? You're just echoing what the army of tiny but ferocious voices clamors about whenever you think about focusing on your craft. I don't mean to make you sound crazy -- you're not. But you and I both know these voices exist, because you and I are both creative people. And the tiny but ferocious voices plague every single person who's ever tried to make a break for the fence to climb up and achieve something great.
These persistent little voices clamor about all the reasons you cannot do the thing -- whatever the thing is for you: writing, painting, crafting, designing, building, making, any or all of the above. The voices will convince you the thing is not for you to do. Only others can even try the thing. They'll be sneaky, devious, clever, coy, treacherous, cruel, sly... and worse. Worst of all are the ones among them that are reasonable.
The reasonable voices make good arguments. They're rational, logical, practical, measured -- even accurate and correct about what they say.
You need to use all your strength and willpower and determination to hear the voices and create anyway. Because you'll never, ever tune them out or shut them up, not entirely. They will be your army of tiny but ferocious host of critics, naysayers, disbelievers, and scorners of your work. And they will trill loudly when they so much as sense an external ally they could use to bolster their arguments: a bad review, a rejection, a failure, a goal missed, a mistake made.
When the voices launch their attacks, your best defense is to shift your mindset. These little whispers and criticisms and snide comments that bubble up to the surface of your thoughts have a harder time holding you back from creative work when you stop giving them an audience. Instead of ceding the stage to these nagging, nasty little things, give the spotlight to positive thinking and confidence and a willingness to try and learn new things instead. Have faith in yourself.
Your next defense? Just do the work.
Do the very hardest work you'll ever do -- the work it takes to execute on a dream, a vision, a love, a passion. It's time to do the thing.
And once you do it, you keep doing it. And you work harder. And you push yourself. And you always work harder to create more for yourself and for the world.
The more you do this, the more you show up and put in the work and make and create, the more timid the previously ferocious voices become. They're still there, make no mistake. But they tend to grumble more among themselves about how you no longer give them the energy and attention they once commanded from you.
The army of tiny but ferocious voices will always try to keep you from doing the thing, the thing you know you need to do. It doesn't matter how good you are, how successful or knowledgeable or gifted. The goal is not to silence them, and the end result is not a sudden ability to pour forth creative efforts that are always loved and well-praised.
Instead, the goal is to acknowledge and understand them -- then round them up and corral them up in a place where they can't keep running amok all over your mind. Containing their chattering nonsense will allow you a bit more space to spread out and let your creativity roam free instead.
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