Reaching

Your

Audience

Requires

Recognizing

You 

Are

The Only Critic

Worth 

Listening

To

 

At some point, hopefully sooner than later, any endeavor requires serious and sincere scrutiny. Questioning what we do and why we do it, is the first step in building the why not wall, and once you open that door, the "helpful" critics will arrive with their wheelbarrows of bricks and mortar. Can't. Won't. Shouldn't. This way. That way. Less of this. More of that. Suddenly, your creative view of the horizon is blocked.

What happened? 

You gave yourself away, brick by brick. Piece by piece. Inch by inch. You were your welcoming self, but instead of being the life at your party, you relinquished your seat at the table. 

Doubt. 

Is in the house. 

So from behind the brick wall of why not, you wave and holler and stomp your feet for attention. 

That doesn't work.

So you try standing very still, listening to all the voices with a perpetual grin on your face. 

 

Everyone else knows you better.

You should know better.

You should. 

And you do.

 

Trust

Your

 Instincts.

 

There is another voice.

There is another choice. 

Climb over the wall.

Don't worry about how you got there. You were just being friendly. You forgot to invite your best friend, that's all. 

You.

Inside your head and your heart is a voice. Put one hand over your heart. Make yourself a promise. Promise to love, honor and cherish this life. Promise to protect, defend and be tender with this soul. 

If you tend your own garden, nourish its needs, show up whether there is drought or flood, you will grow.

This is your house. Your home. You own the paintbrush. You control the pen. You write the story. You are responsible to yourself first. This is not selfishness. This is all you truly control and because you are the editor of your story, you can cut, edit, amend and embellish without giving yourself away. 

 

There is a still small voice.

Listen to it. Trust it. 

What you will have left is a pile of bricks. 

Pick them up. With your own hands. And build....

 

A Believing Space

 

 

Happiness cannot get in when you fill up all the spaces with what ifs and what thens.

Build a "Believing Space" around you. Close your eyes. Picture in your  mind your dreams and hopes. 

Be specific.

Add lots of detail.

Move center stage.

Listen for the applause. 

Now open your eyes. If you lack courage, fake it.

If you must, pretend at first.

Rehearse. Stretch. Move it. Do it. Live it.

Not ifs and thens...

not in this space...

only room for "I" and "can".