This morning found me in Panera Bread having coffee with my new friend, Mark Bailey. We got together to discuss some common loves and drink coffee. We talked writing (he’s in the middle of a non-fiction book on patience), prayer, church, dreams, pasts and more. During our talk, I remember opening my laptop and showing him some things that have helped me in my writing journey. Afterwards, I began reflecting on that and wondering if I was really helping or intruding.
Have you ever felt that way? It’s the old doubt of whether or not I have something worth giving. I believe that was one of the biggest obstacles to my decision to start a blog. Would anyone really consider what I have to say important or helpful? Here I am presumptuously offering my thoughts, ideas and opinions to a limitless audience of cyber-surfers. Surprisingly, my presumption has been able to help people along in their journeys.
The truth is that ideas are much like the economy. Recessions occur when consumers, vendors and lenders refuse to pass around the money through the market. Likewise, there is a recession when people are not willing to share the ideas, opinions and life lessons that have gotten them to where they are. This recession of ideas is much more dire and final then that of the economy. If the right person poses the right idea at the right time, people will have faith in the idea, put their money into it and the economy will begin to churn back to life.
If it were not for those who presumed to help me by offering their unsolicited advice and opinions, I would not be able to do what I do or be who I am today. The blogs of Michael Hyatt and human3rror influenced me to start a blog. The advice of my parents and grandparents thrust me forward in life. My colleagues in the Mid Ohio Writers Association share their methods and thoughts on writing which has directly affected my writing. Thank God for his greatest resource: people!
Do you enjoy other people’s unsolicited input? Do you give unsolicited input frequently?
