Hello and welcome to week 2 of Contemplation, where we answer a prompt from my Kikki.K A Sentence A Day journal.
Please join in and tag your post Contemplation and use the title “Contemplation – Week 2” and the badge above, if the mood strikes you. Write something heartfelt, funny, silly, or real – anything that you think of when you read the prompt (even a photo instead if you prefer) and link back to this post so that I can read your response and I’ll also pop a link to your post at the bottom of this one.
Our prompt for this week:
What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?
This prompt is a daunting one. It’s hard to admit out loud something that is important to you when you aren’t sure if you will succeed.
I was a research scientist for 5 years, and have been in scientific sales for almost 11 years (that seems like so long when I actually write it down!). In the last few years, I’ve taken up photography and writing and I have never loved doing anything more than these things.
If I could be assured that starting a business based in photography and writing would not fail, then I would jump into it in a heartbeat.
However, I think that being afraid of failure is failure in itself. I will never succeed in that business if I don’t actually start that business, right? How do any of us change or grow or learn if we don’t make a start and try something new or different.
For me, moving cities also means starting something new. This interstate move was a huge deal. Once I had made the decision, the ball started rolling and it seemed almost impossible to stop it, even if I wanted to. I was speaking with a friend recently about how I had been feeling a little unmotivated on the creative front lately. I wanted to go out shooting and I wanted to write, but I couldn’t seem to bring myself to get started. She said to me – you’ve just done this huge thing, moving interstate. It’s something that consumes you, consumes your time, your concentration, your life.
And it’s like a moving train, staying its course and bringing me along with it. There was so much to do – prepping my house for sale, all of those open homes, selling the house, figuring out what furniture to keep, selling items I didn’t need, donating things to charity, finding a new place to live, paying mortgage and rent while waiting for the house to sell. And doing all of that outside of work hours!
So now, I’m moved. The house is sold. It’s all done. Work is very busy and our new office is up and running. And now it’s hard to get started again on the creative side. It’s weird, because it’s what I want to be doing, but I’m having trouble starting. I didn’t think I was afraid of failing, but maybe I am?
I think I’m ready now, and this feature/challenge is part of it. While the journal asks for just a sentence a day, I want to dive back into writing so I’m enjoying giving these prompts more substance that just a single sentence.
Anyway, it’s time to really get started now, regardless of what might happen.
Here goes nothing!
x desleyjane
We’ve had some fabulous responses so far, I am so pleased with the impact of this prompt. Everyone has been so open and reflective, please visit these wonderful posts:
Lucile de Godoy – Bridging Lacunas
Julie Powell – Photographer and Graphic Artist
Amy Sampson – Snapshots, Snippets and Scribbles
Inidna – Snippets of a Panda Life
Dx.
Musings of a Frequent Flying Scientist 
I’d love to hear from you!