Spotlight on the Art of Fear is the fourth collaborative project created and published by the Alternative Book Club. My essay, “Turning Fear into an Asset” is my fourth contribution to the series. There is a question that frequently cross my mind; Where do I come up with my ideas and the experiences that go into my essays?
I still remember our first collaboration, Spotlight on the Art of Grace. I was a reluctant contributor; finally the editor, knowing I had given speeches about some of my life experiences, suggested I write about some of my experiences and the lessons I had learned in the process. The result was “Turning Life Experiences into Learning Experiences.”
My reluctance to write about events in my life was because, from my standpoint at least, I have lived a rather hum-drum life. I haven’t scaled the heights of Mount Everest or plunged into the depths of the Marianas Trench. In fact, I’ve sometimes referred to myself as Joe Schmo. I had a hard time trying to convince myself that I had anything to say that anyone else would want to read. (Forget buying the book.)
In writing that first essay, I learned an important life lesson, one that I didn’t write about at that time. Simply put, everybody, even Joe Schmo, has lessons to learn; those lessons are important enough that they should be shared. I came to realize that without the Joe Schmos of the world, there would be no-one for the leaders to lead!
I have had a plethora of experiences in my life; some of those experiences have been more “successful” than others. But, win or lose, I came to realize that as I lived through life, I gained experience and became a better person.
That, ultimately, is why I contributed to Grace and continue to contribute to the Spotlight series. Everyone has wisdom gained through experiencing life; I write to pass that experience on to others.
Be a writer – start writing today!