Leap, and the Net Will Appear

By Gail Richards - Aug 11 , 2008

For the past three or four months, I’ve had the distinct honor of serving on the steering committee for an event that took place here in Colorado Springs last Friday. The 1st Annual ThanksTroops Golf Tournament brought together several hundred soldiers and civilians for a day on the links to raise money for the purchase of modified sporting equipment and experiences for soldiers who return home from war injured or with compromised physical ability.Regardless of which end of the political spectrum any of us fell on, this was a cause we could all rally for and we did so thoughtfully and enthusiastically every Tuesday evening at 6pm.

I was one of the late comers to the group, which had been meeting for over a year. We had among us: people who worked with some of the soldiers who would benefit directly, high ranking military personnel who brought together support and spread the word, logisticians, marketing people, someone who organized our extensive corps of volunteers, graphics support, a group leader who kept us on task and accountable, retired military whose community outreach was unprecedented. Supporting us: many others who couldn’t come to meetings but jumped in to provide anything and everything needed from food to photography.

At the heart of our group was Scott, the man who thought this tournament might be a good idea. Not an event planner. Not a golf pro. Not a logistics engineer. Not a fund-raising expert. Just a guy who had an idea.

Scott knew something that we can all learn from——-when you truly want to accomplish something, surround yourself with people who know more than you do about the important things you know little about. Don’t try to be the expert—find the experts and get them on board.

Scott had faith that if he took this leap, a net would appear.

As you create your book, rather than fear and be distracted by the knowledge gaps you know exist, embrace them! Find publishing professionals who can bridge those gaps so you don’t have to. Start with people you know–if those people can’t help you, chances are they know someone who can or who is a better fit. And so on and so on.

Don’t be afraid to ask. The worst that can happen is that you’ll get turned down. And if that’s the worst that happens, you’re ahead of the game.

The point is, don’t become paralyzed by what you don’t know. And trust me, for everything you are sure you don’t know, there are at least five more you don’t know that you don’t know yet. And plenty of people out there who can help you through them.

How much do you believe that your book contains a message that needs to be heard? How passionate are you about making this happen?

Are you ready to leap?