My last blog about taking back journalism inspired the following response:
“I like you, I really do but this is a romantic delusion. Nowadays journalism is driven by ratings. With the ever expanding number of sources all grasping for attention integrity has been watered down to the point of being lost. Call it collateral damage. Chalk it up to relativism or alternative facts, it’s real.”
There was some additional ranting, then my critic closed with, “Most people want honesty in media but nobody know[s] how to accomplish it, including me.”
My response: “Possibly. Probably, even. Doesn’t mean I have to be quiet about it. 😛 ”
This exchange has been simmering in the back of my mind.
In the Croc-Pot that is my subconscious, I’ve got several things brewing: this response to my blog; my ongoing personal and professional development; the books I read; that video of the bulldog puppies; and so on.
With all that stirring around, something jumped to the front burner – it’s all a “romantic delusion” if I’m quiet about it!
Goals, dreams, plans, desired outcomes – whatever you want to call them – are significantly less likely to happen if you keep them to yourself.
If you want to be a lawyer, you have to go to law school. To go to law school, you have to apply. You have to tell someone you want to be there. If no one knows about your dream of becoming a lawyer, it will stay a dream.
If you want to make a change in your industry, community, or government you must give voice to that change.
While this epiphany started around my desire for the free press to be free again – including free from the drive of ratings – that’s not the purpose of this blog.
The point of this blog is that change doesn’t happen in silence.
Change takes noise. More than just the noise of our voices, the noise of our action. And when someone asks what you’re doing, TELL THEM. You never know, they may just add some noise of their own.
Every change in my life, in my business, started when I gave voice to the idea.
The delusion that I could be an independent writer creating content for business owners was a delusion until I said something out loud and acted on it.
I have other dreams and goals that people know about (going to Paris, finishing my book), there has been noise. However, things are currently quiet on those fronts. Change needs noise to start and to finish.
My desire to push the boundaries of my comfort zone is making noise in the form of improv workshops and shows. Shows that I talk about and invite to.
And, just to push the point a little harder, the founding of the United States was a romantic delusion – until some people started making noise and doing something about it.
And to my Facebook critic: if you really want honesty in the media, may I suggest that you start talking about it? You could start with sharing my previous blog. <wink>
-Lorrie Nicoles