no more of this...

I think it's about time this phrase came out of your mouth and I'm going to use this note to tell you why.

Last night, I get a text from a friend. It is a series of screenshots that were taken during a conversation. Who was involved is irrelevant because this note isn't about them...

... it's about you. Well, not all of you, but the ones that are afraid and have let the process that comes with pursuing a passion shut them down.

As everyone here knows, minimalism is a passion of mine.

Did I mess things up? Yes. Do I still mess things up? Yeah, but it is my passion so I am relentless. Why aren't you? Strong indictment? Yes, because I'm not mincing words here. You have something that is destroying you inside and you are trying to ignore that because you feel that, deep down, it is completely unobtainable.

No more of this and no excuses.

Yes, you are tired and are human and have feelings and have tried and have tried and have tried and have become exhausted with trying and and and and... and you still aren't going to get what you want if you let any of that stop you.

Am I going to act like any of those feelings don't matter? No, they do, but your passion should be the largest thing in front of you and nothing should be bigger than that. Not your fear, insecurity, depression, discouragement or general sense of apathy and pessimism.

Again, what are you doing?

I want you to think about what you want most.
Now think about why you don't have it.

I want you to think about all of the reasons in front of you and hold them firmly in your mind as you read these words: the problem is you. I'm not one to wait for the negativity in my life to give me permission to do something good. I can't always decide to be and do and try my best when my mood is up to it and if you are going to get the things that matter to you most, neither can you.

Again, what are you doing? Probably reading this screen and listening to the millions of excuses (because that's what they are) playing and replaying and replaying while seconds that you could be using to get closer to that thing or things you want vanish into the past.

Again, what are you doing? Reading Facebook is not your passion. It's a pasttime. So is just about everything else you're doing other than what you are really passionate about. Hanging out with friends, going to the mall, going to the bar, playing a video game, reading the Bible (yes I went there and no, I don't think there's anything wrong with it, just keep reading)... it's all a pasttime. What would you want to be doing most if you weren't doing all of these things to distract yourself from just getting up, going out, and trying again...

Yes, again... and again... and again... u n t i l y o u g e t i t.

In the end, you're just afraid and refuse to admit it to yourself.
Fine. I'll do it for you.

You're afraid of trying again and you're looking around for side windows because going through the front door is too hard...

You're afraid because it didn't work last time...
or the time before that...
or the time before that...

Still rehearsing those thoughts? I would think that if you wanted to succeed you'd be thinking about something other than failing. You should be. You need to be. So start thinking about it now. If you don't, when success finally comes to meet you, you won't be able to handle it.

Let me repeat: if you can't handle failure, then success would be the worst thing to ever happen to you.

The fact of the matter is, no matter how you want to excuse yourself from it, if you're not pursuing your dreams and passions right now in one way or another, you are dead. Not dying, dead as you continue to stare at this screen. Your life is so predictable, if you had a car, it could drive itself and all the while, you're pretending to be satisfied with the way things are or thinking that they'll somehow right themselves in some nebulous future time without your active effort...

What are you doing?

Go do your passion. Not now, but right now and don't stop. Don't turn. Don't rest or sleep. Rejection is not the last word. Denial is not the last word. If you are a Christian, all of this and more is especially true for you. In the end, the only person that can deny you your passion is you...

...and if you have read to the end of this note, you're probably doing a good job of denying yourself that passion. Stop that. No more of this.

Do your passion.
Right now.
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