Used to be, I could spend an afternoon over coffee talking about music or books or ideas or God or girls and feel totally as if I’d done something. It was easy to lose myself in discussion and feel truly satisfied afterwards. And then, I’d get in my car and go home and…watch a movie or something.
As I get older, I’m becoming less attracted to the idea of dialogue and more captivated with the idea of doing something about it (no matter what IT is.) I believe discussion is important, and I think there’s incalculable value in seeking wise counsel, but I’ve seen in myself a tendency to suck the spirit from the occasion – to feast and to learn and consume all kinds of exciting ideas without ever having to make a move. Discussion without action is impotence. Inspiration without action is escapism.
And I know it’s easy to get stuck in that place. Even if philosophical debate isn’t your thing – it’s easy to get stuck there, where you’re fed and fat and full, but your ideas – the ones that actually might change the world, stay starving on the street corner, kept out of the restaurant because it costs too much to feed them. It is easier to scratch the itch of consumption than it is to do the work of creation.
So this is a message for me as much as it is for you. Do you want to do something? Do it. Do you feel called to something? Go do that thing. Get out of the coffee shop and go do that thing. We need it more than you know. We need it more than you need to stay safe.
So, the next question I have, which might be another blog post… “What is your IT?”
Starving on the street corner. Brilliant. I love seeing this from you! So go do it! And write about what IT is. I think you know it, sort of. But do you still fear it?
perhaps the coffee shop is a starting point. but I do like this: “It is easier to scratch the itch of consumption than it is to do the work of creation.” // great job. now, go and do.
You’re exceptionally good at transitions, metaphors, and referencing other blog posts. Those are hard things to come by, well done
Yeah, David – I DO think there’s tremendous value in the “Coffee Shop” stages of our dreams, but I’ve just seen in myself a tendency to fall in love with that stage. I’m definitely an “idea guy” so I’m inherently drawn to the beginning of projects -but I think Satan loves for our dreams to stay at Starbucks.
[...] Sometimes, they’d get adopted. A friend would share my vision and we’d share approximately 3.8 caffeinated conversations and 114 textual transmissions before he or I realized that the idea was too big or too small or too self-indulgent or too… already being funded by one or several venture capitalists. Sometimes, they were truly great ideas, but our timing or leadership or vision didn’t sync and we’d call it a cat’s-game. Or sometimes, we just needed to get out of the coffeeshop. [...]