Exposure

I've been thinking a lot about exposure and how if you've never seen something done before, it might seem impossible that you could do it.

I hear people say that they'd be afraid to start their own business because they'd be lonely. But they don't realize that there's a coffee shop full of people just a block away doing the exact same thing.

I hear people say that they're afraid to make art, because they don't know anyone who will like it. But your art can't be perceived if you never show it to anyone.

There are also those who are afraid of what their life might look like if they decide not to have children, worried about how they'll fill their lives... as if they haven't filled their days with meaning up to this point.

I was afraid to leave my marriage. I didn't know anyone else who had such a short go of it. I thought I'd never be understood. I was ready to stay stuck for the rest of my life because it was the one thing I did know how to do.

Now I know a few other young divorcés, and they are the coolest people I've ever met. They have learned from their heartbreak and have come out more whole than they were before.

The unknown is scary. But we've grown so afraid to make mistakes that we forget the joy in trying and the growth that comes with failing, and we don't make any moves at all. We stay on paths that feel longer with every step. We become complacent and pessimistic, and it's not fair to anyone around us. By not giving yourself your desires, you cease to inspire others to do the same.

On the other side of that fear is a lot of possibility. There are so many people out there living unconventional lives, making art, building the businesses of their dreams, choosing a different way of being. There is so much to learn and so many teachers out there who are ready to show you. But you must cross that threshold in order to realize what's waiting for you.

The only way to live the life you desire is to simply start living it.