When Writers Discover Their Kayak Moment

Sometimes it takes a “Why not me?” moment to get you to see that you can transition or transform into someone you didn’t think you really were. As a result, by taking a risk or altering your game plan, you may just achieve a new level of success.

I bought a kayak this past week online.  I trusted in my 10-year-old son’s research and let his persistence beat me into submission.  Don’t get me wrong, I want a kayak, but it never would’ve happened if it weren’t for him looking into it and giving me daily updates ever since I uttered my interest in getting one after our family vacation two months ago.

By buying something I never imagined owning, I stepped outside of expectations and patterns.  The old me would think about buying the boat and then let reasoning talk myself out of buying it.  “I could rent it when I want to” or “Who knows if the kids will still want to do this five years from now?” are some of the negative thoughts that danced in my mind.

This time they got countered.

With the help of my son, I ended up getting the kayak.  I’m glad we did.  Not only will it be fun, convenient and more economical to own vs. renting long-term, the purchase converted me into a new way of approaching life.

All of us have labels and limitations placed, often by ourselves, on us.  But over time you may decide you could be more or other, yet you still may be repeating old patterns and following the thinking that you’ve always let dictate your life. When you can make a change, even by going from a non-kayak family to a kayak-owner, something wonderful happens.

You’ve changed.  You’ve grown.  You have opened yourself up to new experiences, ideas, and ways.  It doesn’t mean you throw out all of your views, methods, and approaches to life, but it does mean you are free to change, to question, and to try new things.  We don’t have to be locked into who we’ve been to become who we want to be.

Sometimes we don’t even know what we’re capable of, or what we’re desirous of doing or having, simply because we don’t let ourselves entertain or explore a new route.  We just go on being who we’ve been.  It’s comfortable that way.  Certain measurable results happen from it.  We don’t have to feel on edge, challenged, or confused – but we also don’t get to feel success, exhilaration or mystery.

As writers, and as a result, book promoters, we need to buy that kayak, to find the thing we wouldn’t normally think we’d do, be, or say.  But change is right there for the taking.  Opportunity and choice exist all around us. Turn right instead of left.  Go to the event you didn’t think you’d attend.  Search for something online that isn’t typical of what you’d seek out.  Change something.

Maybe the key to reshaping our thinking and encouraging new actions is to have someone close to you to push you into becoming a new person.  For me it’s my son.  He elevates me.  His voice stirs something in me that I’ve either forgotten or never fully pursued and developed.  Find your coach, friend, relative, colleague or special someone to nurture your metamorphosis. 

When I start paddling my kayak this coming spring I will float across areas I never would have otherwise seen.  My perspective will forever be altered.  I will be so thankful.  We all need to change our landscape every so often, and by seeing something new, we’ll move back in touch with our old selves.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015