When I was a kid I hated to read. I’d skim every book for a book report. I’d read the minimum possible amount of pages in order to get by. I would’ve much rather been playing in the dirt, chasing someone, or playing a prank, than sitting still, reading a book.
Let’s just say I acquired a love a ready a little later in life.
Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. Maybe it’s because I’m reading more than I ever have. Whatever the reason, I’ve become increasingly grateful to authors and online teachers who make their wisdom accessible to me. To the rest of us.
My perception used to be quite skewed.
Just keeping it real, I guess used to think the whole book industry was about selling us something only to make money. Of course, making money is a good thing, but not when it’s the main goal. I never verbalized that, or even thought it congruently, but I’m seeing it now.
Now that I can’t get enough.
A little over six years ago, at the ripe young age of 33, I got a big fancy job that required me to drive long distances to sales calls several times a week. It also required me to learn . . . a lot. So I became a fan of audio books. I spent those long drives in the wee hours of the morning and late evenings learning from folks like Seth Godin, Daniel Pink, Brené Brown, Geoffrey Moore, Nichole Nordeman, and Malcolm Gladwell.
Let me point out the obvious here.
These are experienced, wise leaders with whom I couldn’t have called up to teach me while we carpooled to the hospital. Nope, I think they would have turned me down. But in a way, they didn’t.
In a way, they said yes.
They’ve taken their gifts and made them available. Not only in books that I can read any time it’s convenient, but in audio that I can listen to while I drive! They took the time to write, publish, and record their thoughts, their wisdom, and their experiences. And then, they made it accessible to me. All the stuff they had to learn the hard way, I get to learn the easy way.
So it turns out that it’ actually the opposite of selfish, it’s incredibly generous.
It turns out that I’m thrilled if they’re making great money from selling their books. I hope they make so much it will keep them writing everyday. I hope they get so much encouraging feedback that they never stop writing, publishing and sharing their work. I hope they make online courses and workshops that offer even more depth and insight that lead to transformation for those of us who are interested.
We need them.
We need you.
Whatever you’re feeling called to do, please don’t worry about what we think at first. Some of us are slow learners, but we need you to do your thing anyway. Please fight through the scary, the tired and the overwhelming moments. We need you to make it.
And we need you to share it.
Doing your thing is your gift to the world.
Please do it.
to more love
Crystal
