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.

Black? White? Brown? Santa Claus is any color you want to make him
Cycles keep us circling through life until we get something right
Tradeoffs about values leave me feeling like ‘double-minded man’
Aren’t you thankful for the right to vote before they take your money?
Love & Hope — Episode 13:
To stay sane and fight life’s battles, we aliens need places of sanctuary
I’ve jumped off a career cliff and now I have six months to find net
To become extraordinary people, we can’t behave in ordinary ways
Unless your spirit’s been broken, your flaws will always be hidden