Sometimes all it takes to create change is action.  One action.  One action is greater than none, right?  Whether you are trying to impact someone else, or simply your own life, one action is all it can take.

Sometimes our fears can prevent us from taking that first step.  “What if I fail?” we quietly ask ourselves.  And so we can procrastinate our way from ever taking a chance.

Dreaming is Not Enough

As PersistentIllusion grows in its success, I have been eyeing the blogging ‘marketplace of ideas’ Alltop. 

From Adoption to Yoga, they have just about everything that could possibly stoke one’s passion. 

I also really like that you can completely immerse yourself in an unfamiliar topic, allowing you to really absorb it.  (I could easily spend a day exploring the outer reaches of Homeschooling!)

Of course the topic I prefer – no surprise here – is LifeHacks.  It contains some of the most inspirational bloggers in the field – Steve Pavlina, ZenHabits, The Discomfort Zone, and Alex Shalman.  Everytime I went through the LifeHacks articles, I would think to myself “I want to be on Alltop someday.”

Make ‘Someday’ Today

For some reason, ’someday’ was never that  day.  I didn’t feel I was ‘enough’…until last night.  Everything simply clicked.  What was I waiting for?  What would be different a month or a year from now?  What’s the worst that could happen?

Imagine the Worst-Case Scenario

The absolute worst that could happen is that I receive the response that says:

Dear Hayden,

We received your application and are at a loss as to why you even applied.  We’re clearly out of your league.  Go back to your blog-hole and cry yourself to sleep.  We are going to post a message on our homepage about how awful you are.

Please don’t reapply.

Sincerely,  Alltop

Well that would just be absurd, and anything else is manageable!  Armed with my ability to face the worst I sent Alltop an email.  And then waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.

If You Never Try, It’ll Never Happen

At 1:22 a.m. they finally put me out of my misery at ease.  “Thank you for getting in touch with us. We agree!”  No kidding.  They actually said that. 

If I never tried, never asked, there would be no opportunity.  How many times do we do this in our lives?  On what are you procrastinating, while indulging your ‘daydream’?  What can you do today, right now,  to take one action – one chance – towards your dream?

As for me, you know I posted the “Alltop” badge on PersistentIllusion with a quickness.  

Alltop, all the top stories

If you have a moment, check out LifeHacks.  You’ll see me…on the bottom of the page in the middle of the page…with the biggest smile in the world.

Be Grateful

So thank you  Alltop.  And thank you  to those of you who donated. 

I was paid $23 (!) for doing something I love – writing this blog.  ($21 of those love dollars came in after I had already met my goal.)  The sheer knowledge that I had made over $1 doing something I loved, that I had incredible support from you  – my love muffins! – gave me the courage to take that chance.  To send the email.

So I urge you.  Take action.  Take one step, even a small one.  One step matters.  

Just ask Neil Armstrong.