What If Your Life Were As Inspiring as Your Facebook Memes?

Currently hanging on my Facebook wall:

Decide what it is you want.

Write that shit down.

Make a f@cking plan

And…

Work on it

Every

Single

Day

Sounds great. It inspired me long enough to post it. Now what? Now I want to go take a nap. I mean, shit…I put something cool on my wall and already 26 people have liked it. What more do I expect from me?

Only because I have such cool friends do I entertain the notion that anyone thought about the post for more than 30 seconds.

I practice what I preach. I encourage people to do great things, to overcome devastating shit and create kick ass lives. I urge them to share every struggle and express everything they feel. Especially fear. Every fear that remains unexpressed limits us.

So here it is: I want to write a book and it scares the shit out of me.

I write most every day. I blog six or eight hundred words. I write articles for cool sites like choosehelp.com. I know cool people, get paid well to do work I love doing and somehow I whine like a bitch because what I most want to do overwhelms me.

The length of an average book is 64,000 words. I’ve already written far more than that in my writing career (it’s been a short stint, less than 3 years of serious writing).

I marvel at my ability to get in my own way. Nearly everyone who loves me encourages me to move in this direction. I know in my guts that it’s the right thing. Still I fear.

I write the way I do therapy. I write the way I talk. I write the way I live. Open, expressive, taking risks, vulnerable. Wide open vulnerable. My heart isn’t on my sleeve. It’s in your face. I know exactly what Anna Nalick feels when she sings:

“I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you’ll use them, however you want to.”

I want my words to be used. I want them to touch the scars that we fear will never heal. I want to be like the Lost Prophets and let my heart scream from the rooftops.

I’m sharing my fear with you because I know it’ll help me be accountable for my dreams and having the courage and tenacity to pursue them. .

You get to do with it what you will. What do you fear? How does it f@ck with you? What does it stop you from saying, doing, becoming?

Share it with someone. Even if they’re a stranger. Get inspired. Work hard.

F@ck memes.

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Jim LaPierre

About Jim LaPierre

Jim LaPierre LCSW CCS is the Executive Director of Higher Ground Services in Brewer, Maine. He is a Recovery Ally, mental health therapist and addictions counselor. He specializes in facilitating recovery (whether from addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, or past abuse) overcome obstacles, and improve their quality of life. Jim is the cofounder of Sobernow.com an online addiction recovery program that is affordable and provides complete anonymity