Be bold! Do something today that scares you or simply takes you out of your comfort zone or pandemic rut. When you look back on it, you will be proud of yourself. As writers and authors, we are often called up on to be bold. Here are some ideas to give you practice flexing your bold muscles.
When you are bold you may or may not be afraid, but there is some trepidation about taking a bold move forward whether it be to say no to a friend or acquaintance or agreeing to be interviewed on Randy Lacey’s podcast. It is something that may be outside our comfort level. And you don’t have to pick the scariest thing on your list. You just need to pick something that can help you increase your comfort level.
Oh gosh, I still remember my first day teaching first year students at a community college. I had been invited to join the team in the Business Department. The rest of the team had done all the prep work already (lesson plans, handouts, test creation). I just had to ‘go into the classroom and follow the lesson plan,’ they said. Thirty students in their late teens and early 20’s and me who had daydreamed through school. I was standing there with sweaty palms and a piece of paper clenched firmly in my hand. By the end of the semester, I was hooked.
As I was typing the first paragraph of this blog post, something on my laptop caught my eye and I noticed a large flying insect on the keyboard. I screamed, quickly brushed it away with a largish book onto the floor and ordered my husband to rid the house of the invader. My heart was still pounding as I not so nicely requested this service! He, being a caring and compassionate man, came with glass and paper and took the bug safely outside. I am not bold about everything in my life.
We cannot always be bold, but we can pick our moments.
One thing that I did several years ago to increase my bold level was to take a first aid course. I used to be terrified that someone would have an accident at my workplace, and I would not know what to do. I took the course, discovered I could act as manager and not as the ‘curer’ of the problem. In emergencies after that I took control, and delegated tasks to the appropriate people. I felt confident and that I was really helping because I understood the process. Even when a woman fell as she was having a stroke, I was able to clear the area, instruct someone to call 911 and her daughter, and keep her comfortable until the paramedics arrived. Sometimes, simply by increasing our understanding of the process can bring us a higher level of comfort and competency.
Practice, of course, also helps. Why do children learning the piano or other musical instrument, or dance class have to participate in a recital at the end of each term? To increase their comfort level and to come to understand that it is not going to kill them, and in fact, may increase their quality of life if they perform each year in the concert.
And yet, here we are, writers, authors, who complete the first draft and go to pieces if someone asks to read it. Or as published authors, we are being asked to come and read out loud to a group of people or be interviewed on a live talk show. We tell ourselves “Introverts don’t do this kind of thing.” And feel justified by the fact. And yet, did you know that JK Rowlings is an introvert? So is Elon Musk, Stephen King & John Lennon. Personality type is not an excuse.
Here are some ideas about how to practice being bold and making an impact on life around you at the same time. Start small and build up.
1. Make a new friend in your neighborhood. Invite them over for a drink of your choice on your back porch or at a coffee shop (pub) close by. Be prepared to ask them about themselves and then listen to their answers. Tell them some interesting stories about yourself. Let them know you are a writer. You might ask them if you can feature them in a chapter of your book.
2. Write in a different genre than normal for a week. You could also offer to be a guest blogger on someone else’s blog. Find an interesting and different way to introduce your writing content to the group.
3. Test out a recipe from a different culture, serve it to friends, blog about your experience.
4. Learn a new skill. Take a course at the local college on something you know nothing about. Maybe computer coding or conversational Chinese.
5. Be prepared for life’s eventualities. Read my book “The Ultimate Guide on What to do When Someone You Love Dies” so that you know where to find the information when you need it. Also look at the chapter on what to do to have your own affairs in order so that you don’t leave undue work for your family. (Each time I invite someone to buy my book I feel bold!)
6. Write a letter to your local newspaper on a topic that you feel strongly about.
7. If you don’t have an agent or publicist who will do this for you, contact a local news media and tell them about the work that you do as a writer. Offer to be interviewed. If they are not interested at this time, tell them you will contact them in a few months, or simply call another media. Keep trying until someone says yes.
8. Go up in levels, contact a provincial or national agency and tell them you are available.
9. Accept an invitation to be on a podcast.
10. Take a trip to somewhere you have never been before. Go alone. Take your laptop. Write about the experience. Share your stories.
11. If you are self-published submit something to a traditional publisher; if you are with a traditional publisher, write something to self-publish on Amazon.
I hope I’ve included something for everyone or sparked your imagination on how you can be bolder.
Laurie Mueller is the author of “The Ultimate Guide on What to do When Someone You Love Dies” which is available on Amazon. She is also a writer and columnist for “Inspired 55+ Lifestyle Magazine”. Her current bold step is learning how to create & host a podcast series.
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