Thanks For The Push

So…I write a blog now. Of course, if you are reading this, it is not news to you.

I have been writing this blog since July. I made a commitment to post one blog per week for a year. Some weeks that is easy and the thoughts flow smoothly. Some weeks it is a dreadful task that keeps getting pushed later and later in the week as I avoid it.

Why Do I Write?

I started this blog under duress. I was convinced I didn’t have anything useful to say. Even if I had something to say, surely nobody would be interested in listening. While that may be true, I have found there is value to writing anyway.

• I get clarity. When I have an idea for a blog and I start writing, I often discover I don’t really know what I think about that idea. At least not well enough to say it out loud. Sometimes that results in putting the blog on hold until I get clear. More often some time soul searching brings that clarity and then I put it on paper.
• I am building a library. If you are around me for very long, you will realize I have a story for nearly everything. Many of them are actually true. By writing those down, I believe I am extending those stories across audiences and across time.
• It is a catharsis. I often write something I feel strongly about. That expression is often freeing and gives me a creative outlet. I notice a sense of peace and accomplishment when I am ready to publish.

Who Got Me Here?

Like I mentioned above, I did not just wake up one day and decide to write the blog. It was quite the opposite. People had been asking me to write for a while and I resisted. They eventually wore me down. I wanted to mention a few of them here and how they encouraged me. In no particular order…

• Steve Caton is a friend here at Church Community Builder who has been writing our corporate blog for years now. He encouraged me to believe my thoughts were interesting to people and that I would enjoy it. I want to lead like Steve when I grow up.
• Kevin Knebl is a friend who has taught me to focus on relationships and adding value to others, even in this environment of high technology and pressure to perform. He told me to get started and “do your pushups”. I want to love like Kevin when I grow up.
• Jon Plotner is friend here at work who balances people and processes better than most. He is insightful in the ways he cares for people’s feelings.Jon did much of the original work getting the technology sorted out, since he saw me using that as an excuse to delay. I want to care like Jon when I grow up.
• Ben Stroup is a writer I met several years ago. We talked about how to write. How much to write each day, how long a post should be, why people read some posts and not others, and how to disrupt the market. I want to be as insightful as Ben when I grow up.

There are many other folks who have moved me along on this journey, and held my feet to the fire.I appreciate everyone of you who reads the blog, who comments on it, or who leans on me to keep going. You are all very encouraging to me.

Your Next Move

Is there something out there people are pushing you to do? If they truly are friends looking out for your best interest, let them push you to get started.