One of my clients told me the other day that, since her own life is not on track, she isn't comfortable offering self-help classes for other people, even though that's what she really longs to do. This brought to mind, a flippant remark a colleague made to me many years ago, while I was going through divorce, "You're always telling people what they should be doing, when your own life is fucked up."
This is actually kinda funny really, because one of the main reasons it took me nine years to write my first book was because I felt I wasn't 'there' yet - that I hadn't reached some preconceived level of writing wizardry.
Sure my life was probably a bit fucked up during that time, but this guy was wrong about a couple things. I never make a practice of telling anyone what they 'should' be doing. Namely because I'm not them, I haven't walked in their shoes and certainly don't have all the answers to life's perplexities (if only)! I simply share what I've personally discovered throughout my journey. If by chance my ramblings inspire or help someone, that just makes what I've been through all the more worthwhile.
Secondly, there is no 'there' level that we need to reach in order to do the work we love doing. Life is a never-ending growth process. If we wait until we've acquired some sort of preordained mastery, we may never reach that good enough place where we feel comfortable sharing our gifts with the world. In fact, if we're not a little scared, we're probably not all that enthused about the endeavor. Heartfelt ventures require vulnerability and that's always a bit frightening.
Telling our stories and sharing our viewpoints, feelings, ideas, etc, is what connection is all about. Relationships are about... well, relating. From such sharing, we may even discover insights about ourselves, like how I realized that guy with his flippant remark was mirroring my own self-doubt in regards to my writing. Talk about incentive!
So I encourage everyone - tell your stories, write, paint, dance, teach and express your passions in whatever way you see fit, regardless of where you are on your path. Most importantly, never let anyone stifle your sharing of them with the world. Because if we're being brutally honest, we're all a little fucked up at times. Sharing our imperfections with others is real and relatable and will generate inspiration far more than any flawless journey ever will.