“The cowards never started and the weak died along the way” – Phil Knight
Pacing, panicking, puking…
I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it…
I can’t and I won’t, I can’t and I won’t…
I just can’t do it – would if I mess up?
Would if they hate me?
Would if I suck?
Would if I forget the songs?…
Lights out, curtains up, it’s show time…
My guitar intro starts…
Then stops…
If you think you can’t, do it anyway. Can you relate to that intro? I didn’t really puke but I sure felt like I was going to. I am recalling how I felt before the first real gig when I was in a band a long time ago. I was full of fear and anxiety consumed me as show time drew nearer. Then it was show time and I felt good until my guitar went silent. Actually, my amp. Apparently I had cracked a tube in my amp during warm up, transport, or sound check and it decided to go out three seconds into the show.
The anxiety and panic came back. All I wanted to do was run far away and hide. Fortunately, Sarah and Jeff took control of the crowd while I sorted out my technical issue. It was December so they started singing Christmas carols, while my friend got an amp from one of the other bands on the bill. All worked out and we went on to finish the show.
I share that story to illustrate that no matter what it is you want to do in your life, it will not always be easy getting there. You are going to be uncomfortable, you are going to feel sick, you are going to be scared, and you are going to feel like giving up. That is normal. You don’t find success at the end of a smooth road after a pleasant, leisurely Sunday drive. There are always bumps in the road, but you have to keep on that road if you want to get to the other side.
If you want to excel at what you do and accomplish your goals you have to be willing do the things you don’t want to do. These are the uncomfortable things that can make you anxious, afraid, and feel like you want to puke. That is normal, just do them anyway. Do them now. If you don’t do them now you will just have to do them tomorrow. There are always little things that pop up everyday that I don’t want to do. If I put them off today, tomorrow is harder because I have twice as many uncomfortable and undesirable things to do. Put it off a few weeks in a row and you can imagine what happens.
The good news is that the more you do the uncomfortable things the easier they become. So when you think you can’t or won’t, just do it anyway. That is how you push through and find the real you that will meet your goals.
Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator
You have to leap if you want to live
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