Dear Me,
So you read your day 1 letter from yourself.
You started dissecting the lie that you have a crappy life, no passion for your creativity, and nothing to offer.
Today is about when, with a healthy dash of why.
When did you start talking to yourself in so much psycho-babble spin-speak? Why not just be honest and see where this will go…
It’s time. It’s totally time.
Do. You. Feel. It?
It’s time to stop talking, time to start doing.
We’re going beyond dreaming. We’re going beyond asking ‘what if.’
We’re going radical here. Right now.
You’re finally excited for the first time in years. Years.
Why do you think that is?
No really. Why?
Why do you think after you spent years fulfilling other people’s dreams you’ve read a few words on this post and the other post and your blood is start to pump like you finally give a damn?
No really. Why do you think you feel this way right now?
You feel again.
You’re finally feeling what you haven’t felt in ages. You feel like you matter and that you have passion for your creativity. You’re starting to feel again. You feel that you have something to offer and that if you don’t do it you’d not be fulfilling your dream. No someone else’s dream.
Your dream.
I know you don’t like the word dream. It’s overused and makes your desires sound superfluous.
So instead of ‘dream,’ call it destiny.
Here’s three parts to moving to day 3.
Question One: What is my destiny?
If you can answer this question in one or two sentences move on to day 3. If you can’t write it down succinctly, it’s not real. Just to make you further impassion you: if you can’t write it down succinctly (one or two sentences) it’s not real.
If you can’t answer question one, move on to question two…
Question Two: Why Don’t I Know What I Want?
There are two reasons you don’t know what you want.
- You already have what you want. In that case, be happy, stop reading this and go help someone else get what they want.
- You’ve forgotten what you want.
“But I just am not passionate,” you may say. “I don’t really want anything.”
Then… WHY. ARE. YOU. READING. THIS?
We read because we want something. We all want something. What do you have to do to you to realize you are lying to you? Remember: this is a letter from you, to you.
It’s simple. 1) You either already have what you want so help others get what they want (that, in a nutshell, is how business happens), or 2) You’ve forgotten what you want.
Harken back to a simpler time, to when you were in a candy or toy store with an adult who had money. What did you do to get what you wanted?
No really… as a kid in a candy store what did you do to get what you wanted?
- Cry
- Scream
- Beg
- “Borrow”
- Steal
- Tantrum
So that’s what you need to do now right? Throw a tantrum?
Probably not. But you do need to feel something. You need to be passionate about it. You need to reinvest in your creativity. Cry. Scream. F-ing roll around on the floor and declare that you’re going to let your creativity out.
See what you’re feeling right now? Maybe this letter from yourself struck a nerve and you’re angry.
You’re feeling again.
Yeah, you wanted something at some point. You just stopped wanting because of disappointment. So that leads us to…
Question Three: How Do I Rediscover What I Want?
It’s not a good question to ask yourself. It’s riddled with too many doubts and gray areas. Instead of asking ‘how do I rediscover what I want,” ask…
When did I stop wanting, desiring, and working toward something that mattered to me?
Now, if you’re for real serious but this book/laptop/ereader/iphone down right now and write out three pages of what you feel answering the question….
When did I stop wanting, desiring, and working toward something that mattered to me?
For real.
You got yourself here, and you get to pull yourself out.
No one else can do it.
And if someone else did it for you, it wouldn’t matter as much.
You got that pen and paper?
And no, a computer isn’t the same. You need to WRITE. IT. DOWN.
Then we’ll move onto Day 3.
I love that you didn’t just write heroines and thoughts and opinions in this post, but gave concrete instructions of things readers can do to take a new step towards their destiny! Writing your dream/destiny down is HUGE! I have a wall in my home office that is dedicated to my dream – its a map of the world with notecards of everything I want to see/do/accomplish in my life and steps I need to take to see that come to pass. It keeps my dreams in front of me even when life tries to crowd them out.
Thanks Jason. I’m really passionate about my own purpose and seeing others fulfill theirs… especially creatives.
Thank you for this series. Victor Hugo said, “Like the trampling of a mighty army, so is the force of an idea whose time has come.”
You are stirring an army, my friend.
That’s a rich, meaty, wonderful quote Michael!
I’ve got the funny feeling that this series could make a wonderful eBook, Andrew. Good on you for providing these resources!
What a compliment coming from you, an experienced writer and editor, Todd!
I may have to tap you for some help on making that a reality.
(Aside: I’m loving writing this. My blood is pumpin’)
I would be sincerely honored to offer any assistance. It would be an awesome (and much needed) project to have out there for other creatives. Keep the blood pumping and the ideas flowing, good sir!
Love this series Andrew!” I decided a little over a year ago that I had to follow my dream to be writer. As a small child I just knew that writing was what I was meant to do. I wrote all the time, burying my pieces in folders and tattered notebooks, but life got in the way. Last year I figured that it was time that I at least gave it a try. My blood was pumping with excitement and I thought that after spending my whole life helping, supporting, and raising others, it was time to help myself. Until, one day a well meaning family member echoed what I had heard my whole life, “I don’t mean to dash your dreams, but shouldn’t you be doing something more productive? I mean, after all, writing is only a hobby.”
Elation changed to doubt and I deal with it still, everyday. I write anyway, but not without the little voice reminding me the whole time of all the things that I could be doing, more productive things, and that spending time at my desk writing is a waste of time.
You are right, no one can pull me out of this but me…and that is what I struggle to do.
I like the line you wrote, “1) You either already have what you want so help others get what they want…” and since that hurtful and discouraging remark, I have upped the ante. I don’t plan on just being a writer….I plan to encourage, perhaps teach?, coach and support those who feel the way I did before my dream came true. 🙂
Thank you for the, ‘pick yourself up by the bootstraps’ series!
You’re very welcome.
And know you’re not alone in that struggle Pamela!
Thanks for sharing your story. I’m sure it will encourage others.
(part 6 coming on Monday!)
Don’t know that I responded to you Pamela! My apologies!
It’s amazing what happens if we keep working… if we stay inspired .. so we can be inspiring!
Thank you for getting back to me Andrew. I know you are a busy guy, no worries. 🙂