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.

Forced sterilization gets to heart of arrogant progressive agenda
Peshawar murders show need to support those who share our values
Shouldn’t standards be higher for those trusted to enforce our laws?
In the name of ‘fairness,’ everyone forced to pay for expensive chair lifts
For a culture where God is dead, spiritual emergence is madness
I’m horrified that it’s become so difficult for me to finish a book
Fear of intimacy causes confused people to run from love they need
Personal growth feeds a romance, but lack of honesty destroys love
Would you have been on a ship? Or back home complaining?