What’s Holding You Back:
A few weeks ago, I was discussing personal and professional goals over lunch with a friend. She shared her plans that were in process. She is making new, exciting additions to her website and asked about my plans. I said that for some time, I had wanted to set up a website and write a blog post sharing inspirational, personal, and professional growth ideas. My friend then asked, “what’s holding you back”?! I’m not often caught off guard, but her quick and direct question did just that. I told her a website would have to be set up, and there were a lot of details to consider. Her response was, “oh, that’s easy”.
We went on enjoying our lunch and catching up with each other, but as I drove home, my friend’s question played over and over in my mind. Later that evening, I asked that question of myself. “What’s holding you back”? I took a serious inventory that night. I wanted the true answer. Here is what I discovered. I really wanted to write blog posts and knew I would love the process of jotting down ideas as they occurred to me and sharing them with others. What I learned from my inventory, was that the technical aspect of setting up the website had been intimidating me. There are all sorts of tools available to help with setting up a blog site, but I had allowed myself to become a bit overwhelmed just thinking about it. After having a talk with my husband, Tom, (aka; Cowboy:) who is much more tech savvy than I, the intimidation began to erode. We followed each step for setting up a blog site as outlined in the tutorials. It all looked great on my computer screen, and I excitedly typed my first post. I had told friends about my site and asked them to subscribe, which they did. Unfortunately, they never received my post. As far as I know, it may still be floating somewhere in cyberspace. After spending some time trying to figure out what went wrong and asking divine intelligence to clear up the situation, I released it and waited. The answer came to me with such clarity, but not in the way you may be thinking. The answer was loud and clear! “You have many gifts, Marlene. Communication is one of them. Technology, not so much.” By trying to set up my own blog site, I was still allowing technology to hold me back from achieving my real goal—writing my blogposts and communicating with and encouraging others. I knew there was one more step in the process of releasing my technology intimidation. It was time to enlist the services of someone whose gift was working with the technical aspect of my goal. That’s what I have done. And, while there are still bugs in the system, I am confident she will work them out.
Now that I have released the rest of what was holding me back, I can see myself writing and interacting with my readers. Frustrations may pop up from time to time along the way. Isn’t that often true in the pursuit of a worthwhile goal? When they do, I will release them and ask God to make the learning curve a short one.
Goals are important at every age. They keep us energized, moving forward, and participating in life. In my conversations with people, whether they are twenty five or ninety five, those who are happiest and most excited about life, have a goal. Sometimes, the biggest reward is what we learn as we work toward that goal.
So, what is your goal or dream? And, what’s holding you back?! Take an honest inventory. If you need help, ask for it. Then, release any and all fear or intimidation, and take that first step. Let the journey unfold, and enjoy the process,
Blessings,
Marlene