Just Do It

Last night, we drove up to Fort Collins, CO, to see David Sedaris.

He killed, as always.

And, as always, he opened the floor to questions at the end of the show.

One question was, "What advice would you give a young person today who aspires to be a writer?"

It was a pretty dull question.

Like, "Come on! You have David Sedaris' attention, and you are going to ask this trite, cliche question?"

The guy may as well have asked from where Sedaris draws his inspiration to get out of bed each day.

Seated on the second row, I could see his face clearly, and I'm reasonably sure he agreed with my assessment of the question.

His answer, however, was striking.

"My advice is just to write."

I know so many people - you probably do too - who talk on and on about what they want to do.

But they talk about it as if the very thing they want to do is some insurmountable obstacle.

Like it is illusive and just beyond their reach.

"Some day, I'm going to . . "

"When I get past this point, I'm going to. . ."

"Maybe when I retire, I'll finally be able to. . ."

Fuck that.

Stop waiting.

Go do it.

Now.

You want to be a writer?

Write.

You want to be an investor?

Invest.

Want to see more places?

Travel.

Will it be hard?

Yes.

Will it all work out all the time?

No.

But I've seen and read and studied enough to know one thing.

When it comes to doing what we've always wanted to do, the number one thing that prevents us from doing it isn't external.

It's not time.

It's not money.

It's not inability.

What it is - is us.

The Royal We.

Ourselves.

We simply don't do it.

Which is why David Sedaris' advice is so good.

And why Nike has the best slogan in the corporate world.

Whatever that thing is you want to do -

Just do it.