Excerpted from J. Michael Dolan’s Blogs & Stories | The Search for Barenaked Integrity…
GOOD BYE LADY LUCK (read time 1:53)
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So perhaps you’re thinking if you’re “lucky” enough, some day you’ll make it. Really? Do you really think that? Still, after all these years? After all the times she’s let you down, you still believe that Lady Luck really cares about you? I’m not sure. She’s never around in the beginning of a project when you really need her; yet she’s always there to claim the credit AFTER the prize has been won. People always say, “Boy, were you lucky,” or “Man, were they lucky,” or they walk away in a huff and proclaim, “Some people have all the luck!” Our hard work and dedication seldom get the credit, because “Lady Luck” always grabs the perk AFTER the fact. Heck, she even shows up at the Academy Awards and claims the credit right on TV, saying “I feel so “LUCKY” to be among such a talented group of nominees.”
So it’s time to let her go. I know, I know she’s been there (hiding in the shadows) all your life, but she’s too elusive and unreliable—she’s a flake at best and the truth is she only exists when you say she does. Plus, (need I repeat myself) she’s never around in the beginning of a project when you’re the one busting your ass doing all the work! It’s time to cut her loose, give her the boot and slam the door behind her!
I want to introduce you to a new flame. A real hottie! She’s sharp, count-on-able, reliable and someone you can really trust. Plus, she’s always on your side, no matter what, without ego. She’s also someone who’ll come through for you time after time and she will respectfully step aside and allow YOU to take the well-deserved credit. Her name is “Muse” and you’re gonna love her. She’s your creative spirit, your inspiration, your intuition and your bright ideas. She’s the stand you take, the word you give and the 10,000 hours you’ve put into your career. She’s a lover, a giver, a partner and a best friend, and her only request is that you silence your inner critic, and heed her soft whisper of wisdom.
Get to know your Muse, embrace her and honor her. With great respect and love, she patiently dwells deep in your soul, waiting to be expressed, eagerly anticipating your acknowledgement and anxiously awaiting her call to action. She’s so intelligent, so brilliant, that some great sages insist that she knows EVERYTHING! She wants to help you write that music, finish that book, sell that script and splash paint all over that canvas. She’s there to help you make executive decisions and there to help tweak your website. Heck, Lady Luck hung around your neck like a noose and did nothing but watch you hang! What have you got to loose? Why not give your “Muse” a chance?
Someone once said: “Jump, and the net will appear.” I suggest that you simply TRUST your own judgment, your own intuition, your own creative spirit and your own talent. Then follow your Muse in the direction SHE wants to go.
I’d love to here your whisper of wisdom…
