Suffering in Silence with S.M.B!

Here are the top-10, most honest, reasons why it's been months since I've posted on facebook, my blog, linkedIn, twitter or any other social media forums that, as a published author, I'm "supposed" to do daily:

1. I dread it!
2. It frightens me!
3. I don't understand it!
4. I feel vulnerable!
5. I feel foolish for my ignorance and guilty for my lack of interest in it!
6. I've been completely overwhelmed with the demands of publishing, promotion and public relations since the launch of both the book and the academy!
7. If I miss a day I fear I've permanently sabotaged any and all previous posts, so why bother?
8. I'd rather sulk about my inability to afford a social-network manager to do it, than to take the time to actually do it!
9. I'd rather eat liver and sardine soup!
10. I suffer from "Social Media Block"!

"Social Media Block" (my own term) is the opposite of an obsession with social media, or an addiction to it, or even Social Media Anxiety Disorder which is when people's lives revolve around participating in social media to the point that they can't really function in real life situations or connect with real people, which is what those with SMB prefer to do.  Authors occasionally suffer from "writer's block"which is when they draw a blank, their creativity is squelched, they're stuck, and no words come to them, so they sit motionless at the computer whenever they attempt to write. This can last for a few hours, days, weeks, or even years.  This is not my problem.  However, the joy-in-the-journey on the road-to-being-a-well-known-author may be forever buried under my fears if I don't snap out of it!

Suddenly I can relate to the character, Bob, in the film "What About Bob?" and I realize I simply must muster up my courage and be satisfied with "baby steps".  And accept the fact that some days (or months) it's perfectly reasonable to expect to take three tiny steps forward and one little hop back.  But as long as the steps forward are more consistent than the hops backward, I'll get there.  Wherever "there" is!  Remember, it's not the destination, but the journey. There goes the well-intentioned, menacing voice in my head again.  Ramble....ramble...ramble!  Just be done with this post!  It doesn't matter if anyone on the entire planet reads it!  Today it only matters that I write it and post it.

Tomorrow I'll take another step.