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.

Galt’s Gulch? I can live without that, but I need my own ‘Akston’s diner’
Do five big beer companies force Native Americans to abuse alcohol?
The biggest question a human faces is how to live a good life
Surgery report: It went very well, but first time is one too many for me
Can’t we all get along? Why is the liberty movement so fragmented?
Sudden realization of hunger for taste of kindred soul is killing me
In an age when lies are expected, integrity matters more than ever
Modern weddings seem designed to conceal reality of relationships
Political attitudes about race prove we’re still living in a tribal world