Who Knows What You Might Do?

I'm sorry. Things are just too weird right now. Am I right? I also think weird is the understatement of the century.

How about...terrifying? Confusing? Like we've slipped into an alternate universe, or as I think my sister said, are being led by the Ghost of Christmas Future toward a dark vision of what's ahead and I hate it.

And this is coming from someone who doesn't mind being a little scared — by movies, murder podcasts...I even drink something Dave Asprey made called Danger Coffee.

Note: This is not an ad for Danger Coffee.

It's really good coffee, make no mistake. But I'm not vibing with the name right now. Because the world feels like a very dangerous place. I don't need my coffee to be dangerous.

The tagline: "Who knows what you might do."

I choose to read that as...optimistic. Like, who knows what you or I might do this year! Things could be amazing. We might try something or achieve something we never dreamed. Possibly, yes.

But also, please, can my coffee not be dangerous? Thank you.

The world feels dangerous enough. People in power are using fear to destabilize us. The forces at play would like to burn democracy to the ground and start over.

Who knows what you might do?

You might...cut off all federal spending! Raid churches and schools!

Upside: Kinda puts things in perspective, right?

Aside from the obvious world-on-fire stuff, what else are you afraid of right now? Afraid of...failure? Messing up? Looking stupid?

The upside of all this chaos is that the more pedestrian fears we might have day to day start to look less fearsome. I mean, if the world is ending, who cares if someone doesn't respond to my email!

In this book Tribes, Seth Godin writes,

"What people are afraid of isn't failure. It's blame. Criticism. We choose not to be remarkable because we're worried about criticism...because we're worried, deep down, that someone will hate it and call us on it."

The slightest edge in someone's tone, roll of the eyes, or sigh can be enough to slice right through you, to make you step back, stand down.

What's worse, you don't even have to experience actual, real-life criticism to have it take an effect, he says:

"Fear of criticism is a powerful deterrent because the criticism doesn't actually have to occur for the fear to set in. Watch a few people get criticized for being innovative, and it's pretty easy to convince yourself that the very same thing will happen to you."

I'd never say I'm fearless, or that what people say doesn't affect me. Of course it does!

The difference is, I've learned to pick my battles, and I choose my critics.

The worst thing ever is not that someone will criticize you, in my mind. It's that no one notices you at all. That you don't even merit criticism. And the best way to have that happen? Is to not take a shot. Not try it. Not risk it.

So yeah, these are dangerous times. Yup.

What are you going to do in the meantime? Sit and wait it out, and assume someday later you can go for it?

Nah. We have no time to waste.

What will you do next?