Sunday Confessional - Put Up or Shut Up!

Within a week of the closing ceremonies of the 1994 Winter Olympics I had the privledge to hear Olympian Gold Medalist Dan Jansen speak. Jansen said one thing that night that has both haunted and dogged me ever since. As Jansen described it, the race was won on the mornings that he didn't want to get out of bed to train and the days when he would double over vomiting from the strain he put on his body during the heat of summer - training for a winter event that seemed light years away. He attributed his ability to achieve his gold medal in the 1,000 meter race to "things that were easy to do but easier not to do".

Jansen's statement was simple. The truth is simple; it is our efforts to avoid it that complicate the situation. The consequence of speaking about your dream aloud is that someone might hear it. And if you are silly, bold or desperate enough to direct that spoken dream to someone in particular it is bound to be heard. Speak it repeatedly and you multiply the result; write a dang blog about it and you might just pass the PNR (point of no return) So now what? You either "Put Up or Shut Up" which calls into play a truck load of qualities you might not have planned on needing on such a large scale (like determination, character, integrity, knowledge, skill etc.,). A plethora of "things that are easy to do but easier not to do."

I find myself at a crossroads. There a people who know that I want to be a writer not many really probably less than 200. And, there are people who have read this blog as well as my Breadcrumbs blog, probably less than 25 at this point. Writing is work. Even if I have natural talent I have to develop it and that is work. I have a husband, a job, a dog, a Farmville habit (for those familiar with facebook) all which require time and then there is American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, reruns of the Rock of Love...the list can sprial right down into oblivion along with my dream. With the exception of the first three items (Husband, job and dog) which are reasons to be the best I can be - the rest are just activities I can use to not think about writing.

We are quick to allow eachother to "slide" when it comes to "things that are easy to do but easier not to do". We tell someone we are going to loose weight and the next time we see them (sporting an extra 5 lbs. instead of losing the 10 lbs. we declared would be gone) they don't say "hey you gain weight? thought you were supposed to lose 10 lbs." Of course they don't, that would just be poor manners. Actually of course they don't because during the interim they have made and broken a hundred similar promises to themselves, they understand.

So, confession - this is more difficult than I thought, it takes time and it is work. The choice is mine to make (and don't fool yourself, regardless of what it is you ALWAYS have a choice). Shall I just delete my blogger accounts and not mention this silly notion of writing to anyone again? Everyone will understand and will have the "good manners" to never mention it to me. But, a little piece of me will have died, a little spark that was starting to flicker will dim and a possibility will have been missed. Or shall I put the big girl panties on and get on with it?

Since our actions speak louder than words you will have to see if there are any new posts...meanwhile, what promises have you made to yourself or dreams have you spoken aloud? What things are easy to do but easier not to do for you? I encourage you to go for it...you won't be average if you do and you won't be alone!