The English poet and painter William Blake felt that conceit and cowardice masqueraded as modesty. Author Brenda Ueland in “If You Want to Write” put a point on Blake’s observation with:
It is just fear of acting and making mistakes. It is a refusal to follow one’s vision. It is a wish to get everybody’s approval by being utterly harmless, a zero.
Being rare requires courage, effort, and preparation. It’s easy to be a zero. It’s even expected.
I’ve written about preparation previously. The belief that time management should be your full time job. But think a moment about the role that fear plays in stealing the precious time required to act.
Most shot clock violations are rooted in the fear of acting and making a mistake.
Being rare requires courage, effort, and preparation. It’s easy to be a zero. It’s even expected.
Be rare instead.