It’s like the junior high school dance, everyone is standing along the wall of the Gym, the music is playing, the lights are flashing, and there are a few people on the dance floor busting a move. There are also a few kids on the dance floor that look completely idiotic to us.
The kids busting a move on the dance floor have been doing it for a long time, they are good dancers. We can’t go out onto the floor because we won’t look like them when we start dancing, they are too good, and will make us feel foolish. We laugh at the people dancing foolishly, because we are scared, and it is easier to laugh at someone than to admit that it takes guts to do what they are doing.
20 plus years later, those people that were on the dance floor are leaders and influencers, and are using social media tools to grow and expand their personal and professional networks.
Looking back, what we didn’t know, was that those people on the dance floor did not care what they looked like to everyone else, and they were encouraging us to get out there with them. The people we thought looked foolish were taking a risk, trying something new, and now we envy them.
When we finally did get out on the dance floor, didn’t we have fun? Wasn’t there some disappointment over not being there sooner, and missing all the fun others were having?
The safe thing to do was to stay on the sidelines, not give anyone reason to question or pass judgment on us. The risky thing to do is to get out on the dance floor and just start dancing.
It’s time to dance.
Great blog – it reminds me of the acronym for F.E.A.R. (False Events Appearing Real). It holds many people back. Just get out there and do it and enjoy the journey!