Hello? Is This Thing On?

Do you ever feel really small in the vastness of it all? Scientists will tell you the universe is expanding. Are you growing with it? Where is your place in this grand adventure called life? Do you even care? Maybe you believe that nothing you do will ever make a difference, so you just sort of ride the wave of life, looking to whatever will make you happy. Maybe you believe that every decision down to the color of your shirt makes a difference, so you spend great stretches of time in contemplation. Most people are probably somewhere in between.

As an aspiring author, I lean towards the everything you do makes a difference path in life. Especially in writing. Every detail I decide to put into one of my books can make the difference between a terrible book, an okay book, or a great book. I might choose a poor descriptor at an important junction, or write that there were three birds when earlier there were four. Everything has to be checked and rechecked to make sure I am putting out the best possible product, the best possible representation of my talents.

I spent many years as a public speaker, and there were times I felt the audience hanging on my every word. There were also times when I felt like tapping the mic and asking, “Hello? Is this thing on?” The success of my talks always hinged on several decisions. What was I speaking on? How well did I prepare? What was I wearing? What was the weather like that day? Anything and everything could play into whether the lecture succeeded or failed, so my decisions counted then, and as an aspiring author, they count now.

How about you? What decisions are you contemplating that might have an impact on your life, or even more importantly, this ever expanding world we live in. Are you content to just hitch a ride and take the path of least resistance while you search for happiness, or do you truly want to make a difference in this grand adventure called life?