“I’m not original enough”
Have these thoughts occurred to you lately?
I’m not original enough.
So many others are already doing what I want to do.
OMG, she beat me to it.
How can I possibly stand out?
Do you feel the twinge of pain when you see someone come out with a book, podcast or talk that is oh-so-similar to yours? (You know, the one you’ve been thinking about and working on for months, maybe even years, and intending to publish, launch or deliver.)
But then you stop yourself–or seriously drag your feet–with getting your message out to your audience.
I get it, my friend. It’s something I struggle with, too!
So what to do? Here’s what I do:
* Recognize that the universal cesspool of negative thoughts from which these come from are not mine. They are not Truth.
* Remind my human self of the truth and renew my spirit with soothing words of inner insight and knowing. Seeping in daily doses of divine receptivity help SO much.
* Rely on the wisdom of others. Hearing another’s perspective when it rings true gets me out of my head and into my heart, and moving forward again with publishing, launching and delivering my unique expression.
This wisdom bomb from one of my favorite books, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, helps collapse my negative thinking:
“So what if we repeat the same themes? So what if we circle around the same ideas, again, and again, generation after generation? So what if every new generation feels the same urges and asks the same questions that humans have been feeling and asking for years? We’re all related, after all, so there’s going to be some repetition of creative instinct. Everything reminds us of something. But once you put your own expression and passion behind an idea, that idea becomes yours.
Anyhow, the older I get, the less impressed I become with originality. These days, I’m far more moved by authenticity. Attempts at originality can often feel forced and precious, but authenticity has quiet resonance that never fails to stir me.
Just say what you want to say then, and say it with all your heart.
Share whatever you are driven to share.
If it’s authentic enough, believe me–it will feel original”
So… so what if you, or I, aren’t original enough!
Pour your heart into your authentic expression anyway, and share freely.
Each time you publish, launch and deliver your message, think of it as polishing a diamond.
The more you do it, the more brightly it shines. The more of its authentic originality is revealed.
Here’s to you, beautiful soul, shining and expressing your powerful, authentic and original voice!
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