Challenging the Dinosaur Theory

I first thought about counting all the unfinished articles and entries I’ve got tucked away as to remind me of my lack of blog activity and hopefully spark some inspiration to finish one (or a few), but I worried by the time I finished counting I would have lost my inspiration for this one.

You see, I’m an idea factory…at least that’s how my friends and colleagues have described it. Thoughts buzz around and I usually tell as many trusted friends and willing listeners as I can about them so I can verbally process and sort through my thoughts. For me, writing and blogging offer that same process of fulfillment and being heard as talking it out with someone– it just requires me to be significantly more intentional and usually leads to better conclusions.

Usually I’ll compose an article or start writing my thoughts just up until the point where I explain what I’m planning to say, but never actually say it then leave the journal entry or the blog draft unfinished. Maybe it’s some version of a “natural selection” process where only the REALLY good ones motivate me enough to intentionally compose a well thought out monologue worth of online distribution…I hope you’re laughing at my wishful thinking.

But truly, I often question what “authority” I have to be writing about what I write. As if there’s some unwritten rule that anyone short of “EXPERT” can form thoughts and ideas about a topic and then share them. Perhaps it’s a form of self-doubt or an insecurity, but I’d argue it’s largely in part to our lack of ability, practice and encouragement, to challenge the preconceived or pre-established authority, or any of the usual trolls who shoot down any of us dreamers or thinkers.

I’ll joke that my dream job is to talk to people all day and get paid to do that. Not the rehearsed small talk and “how’s the weather”, but real, gritty, thought demanding conversation. You know, like when someone tells you about their theory on dinosaur extension and while it goes against 94% of everything you believed to be true, it makes some sense, you ask questions, and by way of curiosity and a little hope to prove your stance superior, you research, read, learn and pick-up the conversation again based on what you did or didn’t find.

But my point in all of that is before the reading and intentional research, you were NEVER a dinosaur extension expert. But, you had a platform of beliefs that you felt were well enough established, vetted, and intentionally considered to start a conversation. In fact, you cared about a conversation so much so that you GREW because of it.

So I ask, why are we so afraid to start conversations about what we know, what we’re passionate about, or what we want to learn more about? PLEASE– weight in on this for me. I want to know your thoughts–even if you all you’ve got to say is “Miranda, it’s just you!”