March Editorial: Own It
PHS Founder and Editor Trish Wylie, talks about claiming ownership of your life, both the good and the bad, so you can strive for your own vision of perfection ...
Do you still trust your gut instinct? If the answer is yes, absolutely, then reading this intro is probably going to be a waste of your time. But if the answer is maybe or sometimes or no…
Call it a sixth sense or a premonition or any number of things, but whatever its moniker, I believe in that feeling you get when something feels inherently right or categorically wrong. Of course, there are numerous shades of grey when it comes to that feeling, which in turn can make it difficult to decipher. Learning how takes a while, but once you’ve gathered some life experience and tucked it under your belt, it should, theoretically, get easier.
Trouble is, along the way, we often learn a few other lessons about things like self-doubt and failure and fear. Those voices can yell much louder in your head in comparison to the whispering sensation in your gut. So, we second guess the whisper, pretend it's not there or ignore it. We allow ourselves to be talked into doing things we don’t want to do. We question our abilities and talents. We accept failure as the norm or as a rite of passage we must earn by tripping into every pothole along the way. Mistakes lead to self-flagellation. Missed opportunities are forevermore looked back on with regret. And we’re so damn busy getting nowhere, there isn’t time to sit in silence for a moment and listen to that whisper which could guide us in the right direction.
Well, y’know what? We all need to BUCK UP.
It’s time to take possession of our lives. Made a mistake? Own it. Learn from it. Admit it to others so they know it's not just them. Make the same mistake twice, slap yourself upside the head, but own it. Make it a third time… Well, there’s a saying about that, isn’t there? Own it, anyway. Lesson finally learned (hopefully). And if not, guess what I'm going to say...?
Failed at something? Own it. Try again. Fail again. Own that, too. Fail lots. Fail often. Fail spectacularly. Then dust yourself off, pick yourself up and KEEP TRYING, cos that’s the most important part of the journey. If the road is blocked, look for other ways to get where you’re going. Think outside the box. Turn the box upside down and shake it to see what falls out, then throw the box away. It was your box. You owned it. So, if you decide you’re done with it and want to kick the crap out of it for being restrictive, that’s your choice. Screw that box and the truck it rode in on! Own the kind of f*** you attitude that makes failure want to climb inside that pathetic battered excuse for a box and hide.
Failure isn’t gonna hold you back anymore. You’re gonna make failure your b!tch,
And. Own. Your. Talent. Whatever it may be. Use the gifts you possess by virtue of DNA or nurturing or The Powers That Be or bloody hard work because wasting them is just plain wrong and you know it! If your gut instinct doesn't tell you that, then hindsight will. Do you really want to get to the end of your limited time on this earth and look back on all the roads not taken? I know, I don't.
So, whatever you consider the perfect life or the perfect career or the perfect love or the perfect idea for a story that will resonate with readers for generations to come, claim each and every step you take towards it, regardless of whether some of those steps leave your feet brown and smelly. It's your journey and yours alone, regardless of who walks beside you or whose hands reach out to help you get back on your feet when you fall.
Own it. And make it EPIC!
Trish's latest book is Mostly Married To keep up to date with upcoming releases and find out what she's doing you can visit her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Do you believe in and/or trust your gut instinct? Have there been times when you've ignored it to your cost or it has led you astray? Do you own all of your mistakes alongside your achievements or do you prefer to forget the former and focus on the latter? Let us know in the comments or join the discussion on our Social Media.
