The Second Guessing Game

It's been really scary for me to put myself out there every week for examiner.com.  Whenever I finish a piece, I post it on Facebook and send it out in a twitter message.  So I basically announce to my friends and anyone else willing to listen (and read) that I've written something that I think is worth reading.

And each time I put one out there I hold my breath hoping and wishing that someone will think it is worthwhile.  I guess that's what writing is about.  You share yourself (or more correctly your thoughts) with your readers and hope that it is of some meaning to them and that they connect with it or you in some way.

But each time I also second guess myself.   What if "they" don't like it?  Or think it's silly or trite?  Maybe this will be the one that turns them away.  Why didn't this person or that person comment on it?  They liked my last one!  Why didn't they like this one?  I could go on for days with my doubts.

I realized today, however, that if I'm going to continue doing this that I have to be a little more thick skinned and have more confidence in my pieces.  Are they all going to be great?  No.  But they might all have something interesting or new that I want to explore and share.

Just like blog posts, you write something that means something to you at the time you're sharing it and sometimes it gets a big response and sometimes it doesn't but it is the collective sharing that is meaningful.

I've been so grateful for the support that my friends have given me in this new adventure.  It's been a real gift.  And I'm working hard to make each piece I put out there meaningful and interesting.