Do Something That Matters, by Jon Acuff
Why have we not spent more time being awesome in our life so far?
We probably got stuck in the forest of voices.
What have the voices told me?
~I'm not good enough, smart enough, up to the challenge.
~I'll be lucky to achieve "average".
No one has a Positive Internal Voice.
Most people believe the internal voice is telling them the truth. We've heard them for so long that we trust them. We think it's looking out for us, that it has our best interest in mind. We think it's trying to protect us or help us, and that it's our friend. It's not. The voice is a voice of fear and doubt that gets loud when you do work that matters.
The first step you take on the road to awesome, "fear and doubt" stir from their slumber. The minute the purpose door creaks on its hinges and you push it open, the pointy ears of fear and doubt perk up. Continue the road to awesome, and fear and doubt begin whispering lies and confusing statements to get you back on the road to average, the safe path.
Fear and Doubt convey three basic messages:
1- Who are you to do that? Regardless of what you want to do, or who you are, fear and doubt will always see you as wholly unqualified for anything you ever dream or attempt.
2- You're too late. You're behind. You'll never get ahead. Fear and Doubt try to tell you two main things about time: "Do it later" or "It's too late!" The first delays you with laziness. The second destroys you with regret. Neither is true. Fear and Doubts calendar always starts with yesterday or tomorrow. The truth is that you have today, and today is all you need to start. The rest will come into view as you go.
3- It has to be perfect. "It will never work," and "It has to be perfect." The first thought here tells you that no part of your dream or plan will succeed. The second thought tells you that every part of it must succeed. The reality is that Fear and Doubt will tell you that nothing is going to work out for the good.
Doubt and Fear are like muscles. Every time you believe a lie about yourself, it gets easier to believe it the next time. If you listen to the voice for the next ten years, they'll only be stronger in ten years. They get louder and closer to the surface over time.
Don't become an emotional hoarder, storing up anger and bitterness before eventually thinking everyone is out to get us.
Two things you can do to beat the voices:
1- Document them. Voices are invisible bullies and hate when you make them visible. Write them down in a simple notebook. Once you can visually see them, you will see how stupid they are. Lies hate the light of day. Every time you take a step toward awesome, and the voice shows up, write it down.
2- Sharing our voices. Fear and doubt aim to make you feel alone, like you're the only one who feels a certain way. Fear wants to isolate you. As long as you keep your fear to yourself, no one can tell you the truth about it. No one can help you see what is really going on, or encourage you.
The forest of voices is an insatiable black hole, gobbling up our time, energy and hope.
START. And as you pass through the wall of purpose, kick over the ladder of entitlement, and fight back against the voices of fear and doubt. The map to awesome will become clearer.
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Wow! Fear and Doubt have been working overtime on me. They've kept me treading water when I could have been going the distance. For as long as I can remember, I have been carrying around the three basic messages of Fear and Doubt. I've always felt that I am a "nobody" and therefore "why bother?" I've carried around the "You're too late!" for a long time. This is what has kept me from enrolling in college classes and pursuing a college degree. The "perfection" message has added to my lack of self-confidence and lack of belief in myself. I have become an emotional hoarder, not only storing up anger and bitterness, but also guilt. Guilt is a big one here.
I really don't like the idea of sharing my "voices" with others, but I will definitely put them down in writing.
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