
A CROWDED FIELD
Very often the stories you tell yourself keep you stuck in suck.
TOO MANY PEOPLE GOT THERE FIRST
Here’s one that’s likely to stop you in your tracks: “There are too many people doing __________ (fill in the blank) already.”
You tell yourself this and then make up a story about how you’ll get lost in the vast crowds of people doing the same __________ (fill in the blank) that you want to do.
Maybe you tell yourself, “Nothing I can do will really make me stand out in this crowd,” and then, after surveying all the competition, maybe you allow yourself to be intimidated. Maybe you ask yourself, “Why even try?”
THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD
Remember the Good Mom Litany? Do this, don’t do that….”If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump, too?” If you’re running the “too-many-people-are-already-doing-it” story in your head, it could be you took that Litany to heart a little too much.
In this funny YouTube video published by joeschoi, comedienne Anita Renfroe condenses what a good Mom says in 24 hours into 2 minutes and 55 seconds in “The Mom Song,” sung to the William Tell Overture.
That litany, like all the other Mom (and Big Person) admonitions, was supposed to get you to stop and think before you did something irrevocably damaging – physically, mentally or socially — to your little self.
It was supposed to keep you safe and unhurt when she or some other Big Person couldn’t be around to watch over you and protect you. Maybe you heard it so much that now it just pops up all on its own every time you want to try something new or do something different.
In order to get your head turned around when the Litany is running through your head, you will probably need to do another Un-Seeing Exercise….
CHANNEL YOUR INNER IMMORTAL
The best way to turn this situation around is to channel your Inner 12-Year-Old.
- Remember when you still thought you were Immortal?
- Remember when you thought you could do anything?
- Remember when you wanted to try something just because you wanted to see what happens next?
- Remember when you were too dumb to know what the Smart Thing was?
Here are some counterpoint thoughts you might want to roll around in your head that will encourage that 12-Year Old to step on out:
- Just because somebody else…or even many somebody elses are doing it does not mean that you can’t too.
- Nobody is you. You will bring your own gifts, your own skills, your own sensibilities to this thing you do. (Just make sure you do the thing the best way you know how.)
This YouTube video, “Too Many People Already Do What I Do” was published by Sean McCabe, a young entrepreneur who is the founder of seanwes, a brand that mashes together making art (in this case, hand-lettering) and creating a successful, audience-driven business.
In the video, Sean deconstructs and refutes the too-many-people story.
He points out that in this vast interconnected world of ours, we are exposed to the best of the best on a daily basis. We often populate our daily feeds with all the minds we appreciate.
He also points out that it’s quite likely that when you are checking out all of the makers you admire and against whom you measure yourself, you are probably only seeing a tiny fraction of the 7 billion-plus humans on the planet.
The tiny fraction of the world’s population that is grabbing your attention are the ones who are doing things and making awesomeness. If you’re looking to become one of that number, then you’re going to be one of the relatively few.
Most of the rest of the people on the planet are more likely to be spectators, audience, or customers….people who are waiting for you to share your own gift. That is a very cool thought, huh?
Imbue what you do with your own meaning and start building and sharing your __________ (fill in the blank) your own way.
Listen and respond to the feedback from your audience and persist in sharing what you do.
REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR MESSAGE SIMPLE
Steve Jobs once said, “This is a very complicated world. It is a very noisy world. And we’re not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us…And so, we have to be really clear on what we want them to know about us.”
Keep your message about your __________ (fill in the blank) focused. Keep your message simple. There is incredible power and freedom in simplicity.
Think. What’s the ONE thing you want people to know about you?
If you can distill your message down to one simple phrase that’s aligned to your values then that one phrase will help you maintain your conviction.
With that one phrase you can carry on through the whole obstacle course you may encounter and finish what you start.
Showing up is what counts.
Doing what you do the best way you know how is what counts.
Maintaining your effort tenaciously (McCabe suggests showing up every day for at least two years) until you’ve made your dream real is what counts.
The rest is just parsley.
ANOTHER FOOL, ANOTHER FOLLY
I am a Maker.
(You are one too.)
The choices and decisions I make
Determine and define the life I live.
They make a springboard or a pit
As I run and tumble and leap,
Cartwheeling across this stage
We call the World,
Dancing like God’s Own Fool.
I do have to remind myself:
It is only another performance,
Only another folly,
Just another chance to make
Someone else smile or frown or weep,
A chance to grow,
A chance to make Beauty,
A chance to touch the Mystery.
And I have to think:
It is not such a bad thing,
This dancing like a Fool.
by Netta Kanoho
Header photo credit: Great Reno Balloon Race by Ken Lund via Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0]
……
SOME OTHER POSTS TO EXPLORE
(Click on each of the post titles below and see where it takes you….)
- Use Your Fear As Radar
- Choose Your Delusion Well (Another IPS)
- Embrace Shadow (An Un-Seeing Exercise)
……
Thanks for your visit. I’d appreciate it if you’d drop a comment or note below and tell me your thoughts….
16 thoughts on “A CROWDED FIELD”
I loved this post! It was very inspiring, So many people are stopped from fully realizing their potential because of fear.
I loved the “Mom Song” video. It is funny and rings true. The second video was very inspiring, too.
The challenge to come up with one thing that really describes me is difficult for me. I have so many interests that it is hard to boil it down to one statement. Although, this post has me thinking about it again. I know that most of my interests involve creative and artistic pursuits and lean toward my devotion to God. Maybe I will come up with something because of reading your post.
Thank you for a great post.
Jeannie
Thanks for your visit and your comments, Jeannie. I am very glad it helped. Please do come again….
Hey Netta
I just stumbled in here to your site, and I just have to say thank you for an inspiring post. Just what I needed to a reminder of.
It is so easy to get stuck in my own “pseudo reality” and feel insufficient to get anywhere.
I really need to keep on reminding myself of this.
And by the way, I love the poem 😀
Thanks for the visit and your comments, Marika. I do appreciate it. Please do come again….
I loved the Mom Song sung to the William Tell Overture! So true and I’m only a dad!
I do believe that we need to quit worrying about what everyone else is doing and do what is right for us.
I just started blogging and get caught up in this train of thought every once in a while. Then I have to shake my head and remember that it’s okay if I do what I do because I truly try to bring value to others. We can never have enough good people.
Absolutely! I do agree!
Thanks for the visit and for sharing your own story. I do appreciate it.
Please do come again.
Hahaha! I don’t know how I got to your page, but I love the mom song!! I don’t comment online very often, but I thought I had to with this one!
There are some great insights you have here. I never realized poetry was built into everyday things lol. Are any of these originals?
Keep posting! very cool
-Jason
Hee! Thanks for your visit and for sharing your thoughts, Jason. I agree. That Mom Song is a delight!
I’m a poet, among other things, so I do tend to see all the everything as fodder and ammo for my forays into Word-World. I started calling my poems “Life-Built Poems” because, for real, that is what they are. Most of the poems in this thing I do are mine. I’m glad you like it!
Please do come again!
I love this post! It’s so true that we need to channel our 12 year old selves.
I had so many dreams back then. I did make a lot of changes as I grew up and now I’m almost to the point of believing I can do anything once more.
It’s helpful to think that there are more than 300 million people in the US alone, so whatever you do, you’re going to reach some of them!
Thanks for the visit and for sharing your thoughts, Genesis. Congratulations on waking up your inner 12-Year-Old! Good job!
Please do come again….
This is very good here. I like your inspiring post and I just couldn’t help but keep reading.
Its true, sometimes we believe that we are not enough and that what people are doing, I can’t meet up with it. Its really bad and sometime it sends us to a lake of depression.
I like how you have dealt with this topic and I live your poem too. You’re not only a good writer but a also a good poet. Awesome!
Thanks for your visit and for sharing your thoughts, Henderson. I do appreciate it.
Please do come again.
Woww, thank you, this article is very timely Netta!
I just started blogging again and I already feel like there are already a lot of people that are blogging about the niche that I have chosen. I was starting to get discouraged, etc. This article is a timely reminder for me to just keep on going.
And “make your message simple” also hits home as I was already overthinking on what “extraordinary things” to do on my blog. Now, I just have to focus on being myself and make the message simple, yet awesome.
Thanks for your visit and for sharing your story, Julai. All I can say is, “You go, girl!” That’s just great!
Please do come again.
Thank you for this refreshing take on being productive.
I watched the singing comedian and it had me in stitches, I think most moms had said every line that she used and a few that she didn’t dare include. We are all unique and sean does a great job of deconstructing the too many people theory.
I truly enjoyed reading this and the poem was delightful.
I am so glad you enjoyed your visit, Lily.
Please do come again.