Just start with the hard things!” Sounds easier when someone else says it. Easy to say, hard to do.
Popular wisdom says emotion (motivation, inspiration) and expertise will follow the action. Show up, and you will find that inspiration will show up. As an amateur or someone new to something, you make the mistake of waiting for something to happen or changing before you start. This is where the professional would just show up to “work”. It is these “professionals” that everyone looks up to. That everyone wants to be. Or rather, whose success everyone wants.
Habits can make the hard things easier
If you research enough, you get to the following steps: “Just make it a habit!” and “Just be authentic!”. Then you will automate your actions and share more of yourself. But only doing the same thing over and over deliberately (not mindlessly) will make you get better at it. And also, simply sharing every detail of your life is not the same as telling a story with value. The magic lies in the nuance.
A good story makes you feel something, ideally a range of emotions. Not just happy or sad. Life is textured with infinite shades and variations. Life is about the experience of that emotion. Doing something of value means you need to tap into that emotion, which is easier if you open yourself up. Opening yourself up means you are open for others to see – to their judgment. They can say something which can make you feel good or bad. It’s often easier to shy away from that softness, choosing instead to close up. But life also requires contrast.
Chocolate tastes better if you don’t have it every day. If you had one candy bar after 6 weeks without sugar, it would taste amazing. But you would not savour each candy bar if you had 60 in a row. Too much of a good thing can become not-so-good, right? And too much of one thing can become stale, tedious, and boring. We crave novelty and stability. So you need the contrast between vulnerability and invulnerability.
So we need you to share your wisdom with us. You have been on a journey of experience, learning things along the way. We need you to share your newfound knowledge with us. Because everyone is figuring this out as they go, everyone is looking for answers. So what can you tell us? Yes, it takes a conscious decision to do the hard thing despite the feelings. But take a moment to look at other hard things you do despite fears. There are areas in your life where you show up and get it done. And I am sure there are things in your life you do from a place deep inside, not just because of other people or things. Those feel better than the things you do for reasons on the outside. So the decision to be open and share something from the heart needs to become more critical than NOT sharing it. Then you can find a way to overcome your doubts and fears and show us what you have learned.