Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters

Start:   Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters

by John Acuff

I think my friend got tired of my whining to her on the phone about fear and discouragement and how greatly they were affecting me to move forward with my dreams.  Being the practical sort that she is, her response was to buy me four books through Amazon and send them to me via email. 

Actually, her solution was quite brilliant.  It accomplished many things.  She sent me an "unexpected gift at an unexpected time" which is the best sort of gift to receive.  That gift told me that she had heard my whining and wanted to help.  She did what good friends do, she reached out and bridged miles of ocean with a hug.  She also shut me up by giving me some direction.  Now she doesn't have to listen to me whine, so we both win.  

So this book became my new best friend.  Whenever discouragement was about to wash me out to sea, I opened the book, put on my boxing gloves and read a few pages.  I loved the author's practical and direct way of pointing out the fallacies in my thinking.  

The encouragement is to find those things that give your life fullness and purpose and to become awesome in those areas.  It's taking the gifts and skills we've been given and moving forward with them so they influence other people in a positive way.  It's so easy to get caught up in the mundane necessities in life that I push the creative things I love aside and never become really good at them.  Case in point is a project I am currently working on.  It began as a diversion then moved into an enjoyable pursuit and now has grown into a dream.  But the dream scares me so I want to tuck it away and let it slowly die rather than be brave and grow as a result of making myself vulnerable.  Every step of the way in this process has been emotionally hard.   Honestly, the fear of failure has been a huge battle for me.  This book has been the whisper in my ear that I've needed each day to continually creep forward.  

Now I'm on to book two.  I'm sure I'll have to read all four books to see this project to it's completion.  Thank you friend for caring!