I like things to be easy.
When I was young, most things came very easily to me. I didn’t have to work hard for much of anything. I quickly learned to stick to the things which were most obvious to me — and which impressed people the most — and just sit back to receive the praise.
For the most part, I‘ve done the same thing for my adult life. Unless I have a huge incentive, I stick to what I know how to do. It’s safe. It gets the praise I crave. And it keeps me from having to risk failure.
But every now and then, I push myself into something completely new. The old fears start surfacing. What if I’m a fraud? What if I fail at this? What if I‘m just embarrassing myself? What if I’m not perfect?
I’m in that position right now as I work toward the first complete episode of my new podcast, Love & Hope. (Listen to the three-minute introduction here.) I know the things I need to do. I’m working on them. But I’m not an expert at these things — and I once again feel the old fear of not being perfect.

Goodbye, Thomas (2006?-2023)
Separating religion, spirituality makes it harder to find the Truth
Too many voices with little to say: Politics matters less and less to me
Maturity asked me to learn that I’d never win certain arguments
Kind words can make difference for stressed parents at Christmas
Man who’s leaving infertile wife thinks world revolves around him
Preview of 2012? Voter landslide in Colorado against new school taxes
Should I become prophet of doom or fade quietly into the darkness?