By Jane Blaufus — Guest Blogger
Have you ever wanted to write a book but had no idea where to start? Well, join the club.
I had an idea for a book rattling around in my head for more than five years. I really needed to write that book. I had talked about it, even tried writing a few words, but I could not seem to go further. One day someone asked me: “What are you waiting for”? The answer was: I do not know, what am I waiting for? Is it . . .
- Permission to follow my dream
- Divine intervention
- Courage
- Faith
- Belief
- Help
- Support
- Guidance
- Coaching
- Reassurance
- A swift kick in the derriere
- A combination of all of the above
That question finally made me realize I was waiting for was the courage to put myself out there. It is one thing to talk about writing a book, because it stays inside of you. Really writing the book is a very different exercise. When you write it, it is no longer safe inside your head but out there for the whole world to see and judge. The thought of actually writing and publishing the book brought a myriad of thoughts and mixed emotions to my head, upsetting my stomach.
- What if people hate it?
- What if people think I cannot write?
- What if people think I am just trying to garner sympathy?
- What if the dream I have had all along actually turns out to be a nightmare?
Wow! Do you think the noise in my head was getting in the way of me writing the book? You bet it was! So last year, I decided to get out of my own way. I finally wrote and self-published my first book, WITH THE [STROKE] OF A PEN™, Claim your life. I have been thrilled with the positive reaction I have received and, for the first time in more five years, there is silence in my head because the book is finally out and in print.
In 2012, I wish all of you the courage to follow your own dream!
Jane E. Blaufus is the owner of The Blaufus Group, which helps companies find and train talent, offers sales and marketing training programs, and assists individuals who want to build their businesses. She’s also author of With the [Stroke of a Pen], Claim Your Life.
