I’m Nervous to Take Action So I‘m Taking Advice from Steve Jobs

The Curation Series: The Difference Between Dreamers & Doers

This week, I’ll be reaching out to one of my biggest heroes in film and in life.

His photo is on my wall of mentors.

I’ve had this plan to reach out to him for a couple months and just delayed it until this week.

Well, what a week to pick, because he was just tapped to direct a film in one of the biggest movie franchises there has ever been.

When I Heard the News, I Felt Sick

And aaaaall these excuses began flooding in.

“My window of opportunity had closed.”

“I missed my chance.”

“I’ll just be one in a million people who want to contact him now.”

“He’s too busy.”

These might all be true, but if I don’t do anything, they’ll only be true in my head.

Even if they are true, I’ll never know because it may be just as unlikely that me reaching out to him would have had any effect anyway.

But I’m still feeling sick.

I needed some inspiration.

And when you’re looking for something, whether it’s serendipity, fate or your reticular activating system on the prowl, what you’re looking for often somehow finds you.

You’ve Got to Act

I read a Facebook post from a friend who said he felt paralyzed — that it was so hard to just do anything.

The advice I would give to him if he were to ask would be to just do something. Whether it’s wiggling your toes, counting how many times you blink or getting a cup of coffee.

Action leads to more action.

I was so thankful to have read his post because as I’ve written before, friends think of solutions while you think of excuses and talk down to yourself. The answer for him was as clear for him as it was for me.

So I must take my own advice.

And the first action I needed to take was to find a little inspiration.

Enter Steve Jobs.

“That’s what separates sometimes the people who do things verses the people who just dream about them. You gotta act.” — Steve Jobs

Action is so rare. Most people seek comfort or don’t act simply because they don’t want to fail or be seen as foolish.

You must take pride in your foolishness. I must take pride in my foolishness.

I have take action on what most people would deem a fruitless endeavor.

Most people would just throw in the towel.

I had to be different.

“You’re Going to Die”

It’s macabre, but this is what I tell myself any time I feel afraid to do something.

I am going to die.

So what am I’m going to do with the short time I have?

As one of my mentor’s reminds himself:

“Get as many cool things done before I check out.” — Taika Waititi

I think I’ll take his advice, and act on it.

— — — — — — — —

This article is Day 21 of the 30-Day Fishbowl Series

You can start the series by clicking HERE.