Motivation and Steam #Monday Motivation

Steam exists like motivation exists. It is there for us to choose. It is a feeling for us to choose at any moment, but when steam is properly channeled, it powers a train. Danielle Thienel (You can listen to her podcast here.)

 (But steam can also evaporate and disappear into the air. Same thing with motivation.)

In this podcast, Danielle talks about losing her inner cheerleader. I've been thinking about this a lot--

what makes my cheerleader drop her pom poms and hide beneath the bleachers?

Fear. 

Fear of rejection.

Fear of ridicule.

Fear of people's pity.

Jeffery R. Holland said "To fear not is the most ignored and disobeyed commandment the Lord gives."

This week, I'm heading into a lion's den--a writer's conference--where I'll mingle with hundreds of people, stay in a hotel (by myself) and share my manuscript in workshops with people I don't know including other writers, agents, and editors. I'm doing this for honest, unbiased feedback on my book, The Invisible Maid.

I have no doubt everyone will be kind, which makes me think that the pity is the thing I fear most of all.

How about you? What makes your inner cheerleader run and hide? How do you coax her out from under the bleachers?