Right Turn or Left Turn?

About ten years ago, I was stuck at a stop sign and had to make a decison: Right turn to go home. Left turn to someone who would likely reject me.

I turned left and drove to a book store called Andersons Book Shop in Naperville, IL. I asked the woman at the counter if the store would take five copies of my self-published memoir on consignment. All five other book stores I had asked, including Borders, had said no. She said yes.

Her store ended up selling more than 1,000 copies of Of Beetles and Angels. One of the book sellers at Andersons'  became my agent, selling my book to Little, Brown and Company (think Twilight) for six figures in a two-book deal.

I wish I could say I've taken the left turn every time in my life. But I haven't. Fear of rejection, fear of trying something new, fear of wasting my time have stopped me.

How about you? What stops you from making your left turns? What left turn will you take in 2012?

Some of your left turns will be dead ends. But some, and you never know which, will be Magical.