What Would You...
What would you write. . .?
What would you say. . .?
What would you do...?
Fear inhibits our writing, speaking, doing.
At times it should, because there are things we shouldn’t write or say or do. But they are few.?
There are other things, however, that need to be published, shouted and shared. But fear strangles. It breeds caution. It invents and imagines the reaction of the world. It whispers, “Amateur.” It slips into our minds, takes up residence, and consistently points out why it’s just better to stay quiet.
And then. With two small words, fear gives us hope. A way out. The right to remain silent.
Fear leans in, and right against our ear so we can feel its breath, it exhales, “For now.”
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“Don’t write that . . . for now. You’ll be better one day. After years of writing in the dark you can step into the light.”
“Don’t say that . . . for now. Your time will come when you have more credibility and more authority and more right to say something so bold.”
“Don’t do that . . . for now. Leadership is granted, not grabbed. Be content to follow until you are positioned by another.”
O fear. You’re so sly like that. Not killing the dream, just telling us to wait. Assuring us that our patience will be rewarded. Hinting at the bright future.
Fear, you liar, you. You know we will always be insecure. We will always doubt. We will always feel we are not good enough.
Fear, here’s where you messed up. You blew it. You didn’t pay attention to the other voices. The voices of encouragement. The ones who grew from the words we were scared to send out, but did anyway. The ones who thanked us after the knee-knocking speech. The ones who shook our hands after taking a feeble stand. Terrified, yet driven by passion, we released our imperfections and lives were touched. Support came to us in our weakness.?
Our “time” may never come. And that’s OK. We won’t be content while we wait “for now.”?
We will write . . . now.
We will speak . . . now
We will act . . . now.