Thursday, August 18, 2011

Overcoming Yourself

In the movie Back to the Future, what was the greatest obstacle George McFly had to overcome? Hint: It was not Biff. Oh, and getting the girl to avoid having his brain melted by Darth Vader from Vulcan doesn't count. (I wonder what he thought when Star Wars and Star Trek came out.) It was his own self-confidence or lack thereof.

Punching Biff might have gotten Biff to back off, but realistically it would not transform him into a published science fiction writer. Until he gained the confidence to submit, his stories would remain in his desk drawer. Biff, Lorraine, Marty and party might be a help or a hindrance, but the proverbial buck stopped with George. After all, the key word here is "self".

Do you have "science fiction stories in your desk drawer"? Yes, you do. I know this because we all do. So, what area are you holding yourself back in and what are you going to do about it?

Overcome the internal obstacles and the external obstacles will significantly lessen or disappear completely. Focus on the external obstacles and it will be an uphill battle with no lasting pay off.