Who or What are You Listening To?

You have a great idea. It can be anything. Perhaps joining a bowling team, or a speech club, maybe a writer's group. What does the voice in your head say?
"You can't write." "Bowling? You'll make a fool of yourself." "You're too old." "You have no time." Or perhaps it's an idea to create or build something.
One day I walked into MacDonald's, and there sat The Red Box.
What an amazing idea. Just swipe your card, punch a number or two, collect the video, return it in a day or so, and it charges you a dollar. A buck!
Sheer genius.
I hope the inventor is filthy rich.
I thought of that idea fifteen years ago. No kidding! Imagine getting the jump on The Red Box.
Why didn't I act on the great idea?
Too busy.
I had a million reasons why it wouldn't work.
Hmm. Yet when I saw the red vending machine, I said, "Hey, that was my idea!"
But that's all it was. An idea.
Norm Willis worked at a church as a custodian. When alone, he'd stand behind the podium and pretend to preach, imagining what he would be and how he would do it. A few years later, he stood behind that very podium and preached to the congregation he previously imagined.
What about the external voices? Parents, spouse, siblings and friends can rip your idea to shreds.
Colonel Sanders travelled all over the country, pitching his '11 herbs and spices' chicken to anyone who would listen. Hundreds of doors closed on him. Yet he soldiered on, eventually launching KFC and becoming a wealthy man. In his 60's.
How about the agent that told the Beatles they were no good?
Being a writer, I 've heard dozens of stories of authors who endured myriad rejection letters, and eventually achieved success. One writer in our group received over 500 rejection letters. Two weeks ago he got the green light on six books.
Talk about not giving up. That is persistence.
So what do you want to do? Be an 80's golfer? Bowl in the 250's? Speak in front of a crowd? Start that business, or launch that new product? What's stopping you?
Probably just you.