One of the main concepts that I’ve thought back on from the Hope*Writers Conference, came from co-founder Gary Morland. He told the story of baking a wonderful dinner for your friends and pulling it from the oven. The smell fills the room and you’re so proud of the masterpiece that you’ve created in your kitchen. Then, you look around and wonder where your friends are. Why aren’t they here to eat your magnificent dinner? They’re not here, because you didn’t invite them. 

Gary told us that our ideas and our writing doesn’t help our “friends” because we don’t tell them about it. 

We have ideas for books and blog posts and tips and strategies and art and then we keep them to ourselves. We never share the things we’re given for fear of them not being perfect yet. For fear of them not being finished or not complete enough. For fear of what the critic will say. We worry that they’re not the best that they can be yet, that there’s more to be done first. 

So we keep our ideas and our dreams to ourselves. It’s like telling your friends that can’t have any of the delicious casserole because you forgot to buy garlic bread. The bread would be a fantastic addition, and yet the casserole isn’t any less fulfilling because you didn’t have it.

This idea really hit home for me. I have HUNDREDS of drafts of things I’ve written with the intention of helping people live better lives, and they sit unused and untold in my drafts. So many ideas and concepts that I’ve never shared because they weren’t finished or weren’t enough. There’s so many Instagram posts and stories that I’ve never shared because of these various fears. 

Our ideas don’t help our friends if we don’t tell them about them.

Gary went on to tell a story of seeing a homeless man, cold and hungry on the street corner. We decide that we’re going to help him. We’re going to get him some socks and a sandwich. We leave, motivated to help, and then something happens. We get caught up on what type of socks he’d like. Will he think I’m narcissistic for bringing him these things? Is it really just about making myself feel good? Does he want mayo on his sandwich? I know I don’t like mayo. He might not either!  

We have an idea that we feel compelled around and then our minds get the best of us and we do nothing instead. We don’t share the blog post or encouraging caption. We don’t write the next chapter of that book. We don’t take the person that casserole or write the uplifting note. We don’t compliment the lady in line by us at Starbucks. We had good ideas and we do nothing. 

Our ideas don’t help our friends if we don’t tell them about them. 

There are so many things that we can ponder or overanalyze. In reality though, our friends just want to be invited over for dinner. Our colleagues just want to be complimented for a job well done. Our acquaintances just want an encouraging note in the mail or in their facebook inboxes. The world does need to hear our regurgitated inspiration, even if it’s not perfect, much like this post.

We can overthink for days and do nothing. “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions,” they say. The ideas in our minds help NO ONE when we do nothing with them. Whether we’re writers who hold our words hostage, safely in our own computers. Or whether we’re neighbors who never check on those people we meant to reach out to. We won’t be judged by our intentions. We’ll be judged for our actions. 

That homeless man just wants some socks and sandwiches.