The Heroes Are The Ones Who Do It Anyway

First published on December 6, 2018

I was reading back through some of my old articles this week. When I send something out to my mailing list I include - because I now have over 100 articles, plus other videos and different pieces of work available - an 'in case you missed it'. I wanted to choose an old piece I'd written. When I looked back at some of those early pieces, I realised just how much better my writing is now than it was two and a bit years ago when I started writing pieces in 12 minutes, then always on my train journey.

I didn't really judge myself for that change, because of course that is one of the powerful things about a regular practice. Not only do you create a body of work, but also you improve. If it's a writing practice, not only does your writing improve, but your thinking does too.

And then I was reminded why it's important to share our work, even if we aren't proud of it. And why it's important to leave it out there, even if we think it's not nearly as exciting as what we can create now.

One of the first longer pieces of writing I published was one about Resistance, the force which we have to fight in our creative battles, which tries to keep us small and keep us from the things which - deep down - we are called to and desire. I originally wrote it in response to a request from someone for guest posts for their blog, but they didn't use it, and after a while I started to think: maybe this is somehow Resistance. I need to get it out. So I did.

One of the people who commented on it was my friend Paul. He works - for now at least - in public health, doing important work in the Lancashire borough where he lives. Something about the article resonated with him and - as I remember it - within a few days he had done something he'd been meaning to do for a while: started his own business. The message in the article was clear: you'll feel Resistance, you'll always have reasons not to take the steps. But you need to take them anyway.

This week I've been reflecting on that, because Paul handed in his notice. From next year, he will be working full time on PT Health Coaching. And whilst I know he has done valuable work in his role at the council, I am also confident that freed to be entrepreneurial and follow his spark in his own business, his impact will be even greater, helping people look after themselves, and organisations look after their people. And, I'm happy for him: I'm pretty sure that he will be happier, and create the money and lifestyle that he wants, from taking this step. And that's exciting, and I feel like I was a part of that. The world will - for Paul and the wider community - be at least a little better when he is freed to have a greater impact through the vessel of his own business. And what more than that could we really hope for: that the world is a little better tomorrow than it was today?

But it got me thinking, again, about Resistance. And about the importance of sharing our work. I had so much Resistance about that article. I haven't looked at it for a long time, despite linking to it in articles when I mention the concept, because I don't feel like the writing is as good as it is now. More than that: the ideas aren't even mine. But none of that matters, because - even if the only impact it had was on Paul, and even if in reality that was a tiny impact - sharing that article was work well done. Putting that out there was a good day.

So remember: there are no new ideas, so don't get tied up in being original. Just share it.

Remember: the only thing we can really hope for is to make the world a little better today than it was yesterday, in some small way, and do the same again tomorrow. So make it better.

Remember: you only need to impact one person today, in a tiny way, to potentially change the course of their life, and their family after that, and who knows who else, forever. So make the impact.

Remember: it doesn't have to be perfect, and the you of tomorrow will probably be better at it than the you of today anyway, so there's no point trying to be perfect. You can't compete with you of the future, so stop worrying and get it out there.

Remember: Resistance will always be there. You won't always feel like it. You'll be scared. You'll doubt yourself. But the heroes: the heroes are the ones who do it anyway.