Launching my podcast, If I’m Being Honest, feels like an absolute win!  I don’t know if it’s going to be well received, if it’s going to be noticed, or if anyone is even going to listen.  I am hoping for all of the above, I want it to reach and impact a lot of people, but just getting it to this point marks a major shift in my life.  For years, even decades, I’ve been handcuffed by fear.  My fear of failure, fear of being exposed, of sharing thoughts and feelings, all dictated what I would or wouldn’t do; mostly what I wouldn’t do.  The thought of trying something new, something different, putting myself out there to possibly fail or show weakness, was out of the question.  I thought it was better to play it safe and operate inside my comfortable space, shielding myself from outside influence and opinion, or possibly even ridicule.  Unfortunately, I cut myself off from opportunity, growth and exploration at the same time.  Those days are finally behind me!

The fact that I’m sitting down with people and having open and honest conversations about our lives, and willingly revealing my truths, is something that was unimaginable a year ago.  Now I’m doing just that, AND recording it, AND sharing it with the world.  Recovery is a beautiful thing!  I’m not going to pretend that I don’t care what people think about the podcast, I do and I hope they are interested in and are impacted by it.  But I don’t care so much that It will keep me from doing it.  I’m no longer afraid.  The opportunity to sit with interesting people and share our shit offers too much possibility for personal growth and for helping others.  Not to mention, after years of only having time for myself, I’m fascinated by other’s stories and experiences, and love to hear how they have overcome adversity.

Fear stunted my growth as a person in every way, as a human and a friend, a husband and father, a creator and entertainer.  My podcast is helping me connect with people and learn from them.  I’m really listening and growing through the experience, and grateful for everyone being so brutally transparent about their own lives.  My recovery journey has already taken turns I never expected, this podcast being an awesome one.

Yes, I hope people listen, and yes, I hope they like it.  But I’ve already won with this adventure as I’ve overcome so many fears by asking guests to be a part of it, sitting down and chatting with them, and now offering it to the public to listen.  If I’m Being Honest, this podcast is incredible for me.