This is such a great quote from Amy Poehler. She says lots of great things, but I really like this one. Before you are ready. Hmmm, that sounds like it would be scary. I tend to be a procrastinator. I want to analyze and think and stall and freak out and put it off until I have it perfect. Because that exists, right? Perfect? I know it doesn’t, but some little smart ass voice within me keeps telling me that if I just wait, perfect will happen. Sigh.
Enter yoga and meditation and I am what Brene’ Brown likes to call a recovering perfectionist. Take this blog for example. I have been considering starting a blog for more than a year, but I thought that I should have it all laid out perfectly with months worth of entries pre-written and ready to post. That sounds like authentic and real, in-the-moment stuff, huh? Not. And that’s really what I am after with my blog. A way to share my thoughts and maybe, just maybe, have someone else read it and say, “yeah, me too”. So, after speaking to several awesome friends, I have decided to just do it. (I probably owe Nike $ for that now)
Soooooo, here we are. (whistling and awkward looking at the ground)
Let’s stay with this theme of procrastinating, pro and con-ing, and just plain avoiding things out of fear for a moment. I mean, a blog for all to see seems like a great place to work through my personal shit obstacles, right? Ok, I have been sitting on an abstract to submit in order to apply to be a presenter at an upcoming conference. When I say sitting on it, I mean, I have had it for like 2 months. Yesterday, I went to the application site, pasted in my abstract- purely as a test run- and I was filling out some of the other required information when the Universe magically intervened and told me to get off my ass and submit it. By this I mean that instead of hitting ‘Tab’ to go to the next box with the intention of judgingly re-reading what I had written for like the 23rd time, I hit ‘Enter’. And then the computer screen in front of me said something like, “Thank you for your submission. We will review your abstract and send letters out in December with our decisions.”
WHAT?! WHAT?! Shit! No! Help! OMG.OMG.OMG. I immediately start dowsing myself in Stress Away (essential oil blend) and panicking. BIG. And then, I think of Amy Poehler. And I wish that we were friends because I bet she is fun and she would have something really funny to say and I would laugh and then I would feel better… And then I think of her quote and so I go find it. And I DO feel better.
So, maybe my brain said that I wasn’t ready, (multiple times over a 2 month time span) but how else will I be great? According to the movie Idiocracy, if we all wait around until we are “ready” the world will be overtaken by idiots and we will all be screwed. (I am trying to believe that we are NOT already there) Ok, I submitted my abstract. And they will either accept it or not. If they do, I will freak out then. 🙂 Let’s just be honest. If they do not accept it, no big deal; I tried and I am sure I will try again. So, go be great. Yes, you. Do something that pretty little liar in your head keeps telling you you aren’t ready for. Unless of course it’s something dangerous like jumping off of a building and your pack isn’t quite “ready”. And we will talk again soon. BTW, I think you are pretty great already.
k