Showing up is all about being present (physically, mentally, emotionally). It’s about being accountable and owning your impact. For me, my goal for Finding My Float, was to show up for myself in a way that I may have lacked and needed my whole life … and to keep showing up for all of you who can relate. For those of you kindred souls out there, I wanted to be a voice reminding you that you aren’t alone. And that there’s hope for us. Real hope. And happiness. As the voice behind this blog, it’s nobody else’s job but mine to keep showing up, reaching out and writing.
It’s my job
According to Oxford in the first listing that pops up when I google (aka, search for) the word blogger, I see “a person who regularly writes material for a blog.” When scrolling down and looking through similar definitions, you don’t find “a person who writes every once in a blue moon for a blog they maintained really well for the first six months.”
So, that said, if I’m going to continue considering myself a blogger, girlfriend needs to more-than-kinda write r-e-g-u-l-a-r-l-y and maintain it real time in the real world … for REAL. Not just in this wonderland up in my noggin. Y’all, in my head, I’m thinking of things to write to you every single day. But the vast majority of those words never usually make it from my head into my computer and along to your eyes and ears. (Argh).
That’s a problem.
“The true writer simply shows up. Ready to do the work.
Whether the work is successful or acknowledged is not important.
Creating is our primary concern.”
— Jeff Goins
So Just Create
In theory, it should be easy. If I want to write, I should just write, right? It really shouldn’t be so hard or complicated or take an act of congress. All it should really take would be three little steps …
- Show up.
- Write.
- Post.
It’s what Seth Godin urges us to do. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Well, sort of.
Excuses, Excuses
ADHD or not, any ole run-of-the-mill creative type (even though resourceful by nature) generally struggles with getting stuff done. We just do. We tend to think in more than one direction at once, observing and examining the world around us and in our mind’s eye without even trying. And … because we love ideas, care about quality and have a hard time turning off our brains, we have frequent brainstorms, perfectionistic tendencies, and are endlessly distracted.
BUT … Here’s the Deal:
And that’s a huge BUT in the subhead above … if you are a plumber by trade, people are going to expect you to plumb. Artists make art. Bakers bake. Writers write. You get the idea here. If I’m to be a blogger (a person who writes for a blog), it’s my job to write for my blog.
So, regardless of all those excuses we can deliver for why it’s not “easy,” it really IS that simple. I need to stop thinking that I need to write… and I need to start writing. I need to just show up — and write.
The Truth About Showing Up
The truth is — the most important way I (or you) can be successful and inspire positive change … is by showing up. Being fully present for the process is a necessary habit to insure being available when the muse shows up. If I’m nowhere to be found when the muse knocks on the door of opportunity, then a potentially beautiful thing might miss being born. That’s how I’ve got to look at it. If I can make sure to show up for myself, for you and for my muse … amazing things have the potential to happen that couldn’t otherwise.
My Promise
So here it goes. Taking the advice of Seth Godin, Jeff Goins, the Hubs, my primary care doctor and even myself, I’m going to write not just today, but every day.
I’m going to challenge myself to get out of my own way, and let what is flying around up there come out of my head and share it with you every day for a week, and then the next week after that… and the next after that.
If you are out there and still reading, I invite you to hold me it.