Mount Magazine State Park, highest point in Arkansas.
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Every time I’m preparing for the road, a sentiment of the most potent kind permeates my being – Resistance.

When travel day arrives, and all that’s left is a Gus-leap into Betty and a gear-drop into drive, a strange thing happens…

My bed and living quarters grow increasingly snug.  The status quo becomes daring and desired.  And the monotony of routine suddenly transmutes into a recurring role on Survivor, or even wilder, a Powerball ticket that wins by the week.  To ditch the confines of safety instantly seems loony.

And so went the tune prior to my latest Fetch in 50 bout to and through an autumn-induced Arkansas.

For nearly a month, I found ways to push it aside.  First, baseball playoffs began, and the Cardinals kept advancing.  To part at such a time could seriously taint my fandom…. Two weeks wasted.  (Side note:  Baseball bores the hell out of me).

I piggybacked that excuse with another, telling myself it wasn’t quite “fall enough” yet in Arkansas, which might result in trees of an inadequate shade.  Can you even imagine?  I hear some don’t recover from such a tragedy…  Two more weeks down the shoot.

By the end of October, I shook the paralysis and made my way south.  And whad’ya know – another nature-enriched, heart-opening road retreat every mile marker of the way.  Blessings were everywhere.  Which then, of course, unearths the usual question.

Why not take action a month ago?

Well, aside from being human (and always pushing for multiple lessons), let’s go with the short version:

Fear.

Cliché to say, yet it fits.  Ask any artist, writer, actor, teacher, creator, pioneer, entrepreneur, or dreamer out there what’s keeping them from moving forward, and the honest ones will feed you the F-word.

Some call it resistance or hesitation; others say “I’m procrastinating” or “I’ve decided to settle down,” or my favorite, “I just don’t have the time.”  Fear, fear, fear.  Same color, different shades.

In my case, fear rears its ugly head in the form of resistance.  Nothing heavy, but enough to slam the brakes…. on everything.  Instead of surfing that cosmic wave called “flow” – one that’s inspired, guided, and completely got my back – I freeze in indecision.

Want to know the quickest route to doubt?  Stop choosing.  It’ll peel the passion and vigor right off your plan.  No one’s ever feared their way to freedom.  When you don’t decide, you delay the Divine.

own the glow
Indecision, then, is a very grand decision after all – one to stall your Story.

I’m not referring to those intuitive pauses where you take a step back in order to make space or because something doesn’t feel right, oh no.  That, in fact, is wisdom speaking.  I’m talking about those soul-pulling ideas you continue to push back on.

From experience, then, I must warn of its dangers:

1.  Hesitance kills desire.  Enthusiasm, opportunity, and trust too.  To get back in motion, a convincing almost has to unfold.  Putting your heart on the stand is the ultimate self-bitch slap.

2.  Powerlessness.  Major side effect.  It’d be a whole lot easier to just choose and choose often.  You are a creator!

3.  Those God whispers known as inspiration?  Count on them visiting less frequently.  Through action, your creative genius likes to be acknowledged.

4.  The longer you wait, the further “it” gets.  If you want a divide, visit the Grand Canyon.

5.  And the saddest of them all… not only do you miss out on you, so too do we.  Every visionary out there depends on the pursued dreams of others.  Success stories remind and spur us forward.

Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t designed to lambast the prospect of fear.  I would never.  Far too many have already contaminated its name.  Beat it, crush it, conquer it, the commercial runs.  A macho approach if there ever was one.

Why?

Fear doesn’t dissolve nor does it carry a white flag. 

It’s always there.

Your latest victories aren’t the result of defeating this ubiquitous emotion, but because you used fear as fuel.  Teamwork and combat are drastically different philosophies.  One’s harmonious and sustainable.  The other?  Not so much.

Think you’ve smashed all your fear?  You haven’t.  As soon as the next opportunity arises, you’ll have a new fear to befriend.   And that’s OK.

At the very least, I expect a smidgen of resistance to manifest every time I hit the road or jump into a new project.  It’s what keeps me on my feet.  The key though is closing the gap between inception and action.  Trimming hesitance, even if it’s to a five-o’clock-shadow.

Choosing hydrates our God seeds.

A lesson I’ve learned for the final time.

own the glow

own the glow