Recently I had a conversation with my coach {Coach Jennie} and this favorite phrase came up, “If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one around to hear it, does it even make a sound?” Or, however you’re most familiar with the specific wording of this phrase.

What are your thoughts on the topic? Oh, trust me, you’ve got thoughts on the topic. I see you, sitting there, wondering why I would be asking if you’ve got thoughts on the topic … you do! I know you do!

Do you believe that you should share your gifts with the world? Or do you, perhaps, believe that you should keep them bottled up inside? Because sharing them would be much too difficult, if only for the irrational {come on, you know it’s irrational!} fear that someone might not love them as much as you do?

Do you secretly pine with envy when someone creates something new? A new book, a new podcast, a new program or course, a new painting, a new bookcase, a new batch of wine, a creative and compelling manifesto?

I do.

Okay, no. No, I don’t. I don’t secretly pine. I publicly pine. I Ooooh, and Aaaah all over them about it.

I tell them how cool and awesome their new thing is. I tell them how proud and excited I am that they created something so fantastic!

I encourage them.

But that’s just how I roll.

Do the people in your own life support and encourage you? If not, then that’s the prob – not your gifts. You have an obligation {oh, yes, I just went there!} to share your gifts with the world.

If you keep them bottled up inside of you, you might just explode into a gooey mess of, well, goo. And that’s just going to be gross, trust me.

You have gifts, we all do.

You may not be aware of what they are. That’s okay, too. But if someday {or if, perhaps, right now} you realize that you have a special talent, then it’s high time you shared that talent with the people in your part of the world.

Oh, back to those people for a moment, if they don’t support ya, then find some new people. I’m not saying ditch your current friends+fam. So don’t even try to pin that idea on me.

I’m just saying that it’s a really good idea to be sure to add some new peeps in your life who get what you’re going through. People who get the creative struggle. People who’ve been there, who’ve tried it, who’ve risked it all to unveil their precious creative efforts, and watch them romp around in the yard like a new puppy.

Support is crucial to the human spirit.

So, does a tree make a sound when it falls in the forest, even if there’s no one around to hear it?

I know it does.

Just like I know that there is somebody out there who needs to hear, or see, what you’ve been afraid to share with the world.

Please believe me when I say that the worst thing that could happen isn’t that bad, after all.

How would I know? Who am I to say these things? I’m just, just, just, a what? A blogger? An author? A podcast-er? An ex-corporate monkey? A stay-at-home wife? A mom? A grandma? A sister? A daughter? A friend? An entrepreneur?

Yeah, that’s right. I’m all of those things and more.

And this week I double-dipped my toes into the pool of “Oh My God, what if they hate it!?” uncertainty. And it turned out okay. Actually, I’m quite overwhelmed with how it turned out.

On Tuesday I released my very first eBook. It climbed the Amazon charts that day to become a #1 Best Seller & a Hot New Release in its category. I’m humbled, truly.

On Thursday I released my new podcast onto the iTunes bandwagon. It’s climbing the New & Noteworthy charts there. Already sitting at #54 in its category with over 500 downloads in 2 days. 2 days!

I am not sharing this to brag, because that’s truly not my style. But my coach tells me that I can be, and should be, an inspiration to others who dream of putting their creative efforts out into the world, but are too afraid to do so.

Hey, if I can do it, you certainly can!

If I can help, ping me by using the Contact Ninja page at What About Today.

Get out there and unleash your gifts! It’s ready for them, are you finally ready to share?

And why should you care about the analogy to a tree falling in the forest and whether or not it makes a sound? Because, once you build “it”, you’ve got to tell the people about it. That’s the only way to properly share your gifts with the world. What are you waiting for?

Tell me in the comments below what you dream of creating first, next, soon, at some point before you die.