Thought for The Day - Push it Aside

Big presentation, a meeting lead by you; your opportunity to be in the spotlight. Oh you aren't a glory hound or 'showboat,' but you know what it would mean if you didn't show up or appeared unprepared. So you put as much thought, preparation and anxiety into this moment as you possibly can. Some might go through "what if drills" to ensure they have planned for every possible failure or 'unforeseen' scenario. But one thing you didn't plan on: your child getting sick, the traffic backed up for miles or your car breaking down! And despite the new "brick wall" built, the impending mark on your character, you will not be deterred! While 'ego' isn't your issue, showing up and making a good impression is. So you negotiate, call a baby sitter, promise you will drop off your child for a while and pick them up as soon as the presentation is done. You think of alternate routes to work, get off this street and reroute. You flag down anyone willing to stop, call for a tow and try to get there as soon as possible. You move stuff aside and for good reason.

But there are things you don't plan for. More importantly, there are other matters, other issues you have in your life that you will not push aside anger, fear or frustration to complete. You choose to stay 'stuck' and on the couch. All of your dreams are postponed because "what if they don't like my work?" Or "I'm too fat and out of shape and look terrible in anything I wear!" Or "I'm too old to start now!" And yet, you can't settle into the austere life your conscious seems to suggest is appropriate for the "slacker" you imagine you are! Strange disturbances occur, felt physically, but mostly emotionally and it's as frustrating to "not" achieve - or at least make the effort - as it is to try.

Push it aside. Think, plan, set deadlines, goals and make it happen. Everyone reading this, has, at many times in your life thought something was impossible and not only did they make it happen, they completed the task exceptionally well! Push aside those thoughts that tell you can't and DO IT!

Thought for The Day - The Best Work

Give it a shot; a phrase, I've recently adapted. It means I'm going to try 'this' new thing out, see if I can be good at it, and after some effort, great at it. I'm not overly adventurous, by my own standards, but progressively over the years, I've taken on things at one time I would be reluctant to do; too embarrassed, "what will people think (especially my Christian brothers and sisters)" and the like kept me captured in a world far too small for what my soul longed to express.

So I'm drawing, painting, testing software and writing because it is my best work. There are so many things I write and draw that may never see the light of day; and it's possibility it could be deemed my "good" or even "great" work. But for now, I'll keep it close to my heart and perhaps, some day, my best work will be revealed.

In this venue, this 'media outlet,' I get to share my thoughts and hopefully someone reads it and finds courage to do their best work. In my opinion, some of the best work you can do is to contemplate, dream and in some small way, put into action the grand plans of your heart!

I've Got to Try...

No picture this time. Just listen. So, I really wanted to be an artist, though I think as early as 8, I thought "I can't be an artist; they don't make any money." So I searched and searched to figure out what I wanted to be and earn money.

I grew up, I did customer service, worked in retail store stock rooms, sold dishes, insurance and car care products. I took other customer service positions with other companies and begin to work with "computers." Data entry jobs. Enter this data and "something happens." But I had to try.

Started making a little more money, which was necessary because I had a family and bills and stuff. Worked with "computers" a little more and thought of ways work could go smoother if we had _____ and _____. Worked with computers more and people less; computers seem good. I've got to try this.

Every department or company I moved to, someone wanted to talk - I mean the baring one's soul type of talk. I'm good at this; I've got to try...

Somewhere along the way, I came full circle. Art: painting, drawing, oil painting, acrylics, watercolor, pastel and charcoal. I've got to try.

I've thrown in 'this' and 'that' along the way, including preaching, teaching and scrubbing toilets, but when it comes right down to it, I've got to try...

You hear me, you understand. This isn't about revealing a great secret or having answers for it all. This is about living and trying. Sometimes I fail at stuff, other times I succeed, but like you and nearly every person on the planet, I've got to try. Check out my website to see what I mean: www.eddiehudson3.com