Saturday, April 20, 2019

VOICE | It's Not Too Late: Don't Let Perfectionism Stifle Your Words





On Tuesday, I sat down with a woman I'd never met before and listened as she told me stories about places and faces half a world away. I was interviewing her for a podcast series at my job, but we talked about so much more than the questions on my list. In that hour, she taught me about perseverance, how you've got to continue to move forward even when your spirit is crushed, how you must keep on using your VOICE even when it feels like you're shouting into the void.

When I meet people like that, it just lights something up inside of me.

I couldn't help but think of this space, and my own little assortment of words. I thought about all that I want it to be, and how I want it to matter, even if it's not there yet. That's been something that's been stewing on my mind for a while - blogging (or just writing in general) and perfectionism. It's something some of you have shared that you struggle with, too. It's the post I've been trying to write as I sit in coffee shops, but, ironically, it never comes out sounding right.

It's taken some time, but I'm realizing that my fear of not having the perfect words (or the perfect blog) shouldn't be enough to stifle my VOICE.

To you worrying if your novel is good enough, if you should just quit writing, if your blog is pointless, or if your VOICE even matters: It does. You do. Just the other day I was thinking about how intricate the world is, how there are so many of us on Earth, but how each one of us has a personal impact. Only you know the people you know, and only you can reach them. When your best friend calls you crying or your sister has a panic attack, they are not looking for Perfect Words. They just need you, your true and authentic self.

Often I think that the biggest blessing comes when we have doubts,
but we write the thing anyway.

When we share our VOICE in a post or a text. When we write the book even as our hands tremble. When we take a step of faith and believe in ourselves and hit that big orange Publish button. I think often times there is opposition and difficulty in getting that message into the world simply because someone out there needs it. Even if it's you.

So that's what this is.

April, all of it. The VOICE theme. It's refusing to give up even when it feels like I don't have the pretty words or motivation to keep bringing words into this space. It's waking up and writing my novel and having a good laugh at what I wrote even thought it's just me and the word doc. It's forgetting about page views and just pouring out my heart. It's believing that the Lord gave me the love of writing for a reason and that it's never too late to Do the Thing. And it's not too late for you, either.

What about you?

What has been holding you back from sharing your VOICE? What would you write and say and do if you were completely unafraid? Wishing you a wonderful Easter, my dudes.

Miss the last VOICE post? Check it out here.
Or click here to read all of the posts in the VOICE series.

16 comments:

  1. this post was absolutely beautiful. using your true voice is a choice we must make for ourselves, even when we want to give up.
    she sounds like a wise woman :)
    -- vaishnavi @ written in stars

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    1. Thank you so much!! It can definitely be difficult sometimes to be vulnerable and use your true voice, but it's so worth it. She was the best. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your Sunday! :) <3

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  2. Love this! I've been letting perfectionism get me down a lot lately.

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    1. Thank you so much Skye! :) Sorry to hear you've been struggling with these thoughts. You are definitely not alone!

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  3. I love this so much!

    I've been working on reminding myself that my voice matters. I feel like a lot of the opposition we face inside ourselves stems from the fact that we know it matters and we're scared we'll mess it up. Like, with the things that don't really make much of a difference, nothing will really happen if it's not perfect. But we know the weight of the important matters and it sometimes causes us to get a little scared.

    But at the end of the day, we have to remember that our voices matter and it's important to show up with it for ourselves and others even if it's not perfect. So thanks for the reminder!

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    1. Thank you so much Sarah!! <3

      Oooh, that's a really good point. Maybe it's that we feel a certain amount of pressure to do our words and thoughts justice? And knowing that we want to speak truth about important things, with the exact right words?

      I think a lot of it is about the intent behind what we write. If we are seeking to create something important and purposeful but accept that we won't always have the perfect words, our hearts are in the right place and we can rest in that.

      Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!! <3 I really appreciate it.

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  4. Having courage in your writing can definitely be a challenge but because I’ve written about issues that I’ve kept inside it’s been so freeing. And I’ve often found that I’m not alone and others find out they’re not alone.

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    1. There is 100% a freeing aspect to letting your thoughts outside of your heart and into the world. It's definitely an act of bravery and vulnerability, but totally worth it! One of the best things is finding out others feel the same way, like you said. Thanks so much for commenting! :) <3

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  5. I've been thinking on all of this as well, and you put it so perfectly. I know I love writing and blogging, and I while I do want it to be good, I don't want my perfectionism to paralyze me from doing what I love. In the end we can only do what we can and let God do what He wants with our voices. Lovely post!

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    1. Thank you, Hannah! I totally have that paralysis aspect sometimes, and I definitely compare my words and blog to other writers, which is ultimately fruitless. We each have our own individual voice and that is so important. I love your "Let go, and let God" mentality. I 100% agree. Thanks so much for leaving such sweet words. Have a stellar Sunday!!

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  6. ouch ouch ouch. fighting past the trembling hands every day and learning to just DO the thing. love this. love you.

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    1. I am the same way! It's a constant battle to not judge my words and ability, and instead push past and publish things EEK. You are the best, Grace Anne!! <3 Hope your weekend has been stellar.

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Go with grace.