Something like "that" already "existed"

When I was younger, I always had many ideas.
I wanna do this, I wanna do that.

And almost every time, someone would say,
“Isn’t someone else already doing that?”
“YouTubers already make that kind of video.”
“There’s already a comic like that.”

And almost every time, I followed their advice.
I have to be original and creative. I can’t do what others are doing.
Why should I do what other people have done?
I don’t want to be seen as a poser or a plagiarist.

But the more I listen to them, the more I realise that my life is going nowhere.
Because I had been asking the wrong people.

That was when I learned one thing:
Most people are more afraid than they look.

They aren’t really saying, “It already exists.”
They’re saying, “I’m scared to try, so you probably shouldn’t try either.”

Your manager who “knows” writing but never publishes.
Your friend who always has opinions but never does anything.
Your coworker who loves to “give feedback” but never risks their own name.
Anyone who objects, but never does.

They are not bad people.
They usually mean well.
But they are afraid.
And afraid people give afraid advice.

“Be realistic.”
“Don’t embarrass yourself.”
“Don’t waste your time.”
“Play it safe.”

If you listen to that for long enough, you start to believe that safety is the same as wisdom.
You start to move more slowly.
You start to doubt yourself more.
You start to delay the things you actually want to do.

Until one day, you wake up and realise: you’ve collected more opinions than experiences.

So here is something I wish I learned earlier:
Don’t ask for advice from people who never do the thing.
They can only pass down their fear.

Ask yourself:

• Do they actually do this thing in real life, consistently?

• Do they take risks and ship their work?

• Do they grow, or do they just comment on other people’s growth?

If the answer is no, their advice might come from love, but not from experience. Because good intentions are not enough.

If they don’t know what they’re doing, why let them be the voice inside your head? Why limit yourself just because someone inexperienced told you not to?

Instead, find people who are in the arena.
Those who have their skin in the game for a while.
The writer who publishes even when it’s imperfect.
The designer who keeps posting even when the likes are low.
The friend who tries, fails, and tries again without making drama about it.

These people are different.

They might still say, “This already exists.”
But it sounds more like, “Yeah, it exists. So what? Do it your way.”

They won’t try to slow you down.
They won’t laugh at you for being a beginner.
They won’t shrink your idea just to feel safe.

They will:

• Show you what actually works.

• Tell you where you’re messing up, without killing your spirit.

• Remind you that every “original” thing started as a repeated idea with a different soul behind it.

Because this is the truth:
Almost everything has been done.
But not by you.

Your job is not to invent a completely new universe.
Your job is to bring your version of it to life.

So if you have an idea and someone says, “Someone already did that.”
Good. That means it’s possible. You just have to make it different.

So, sit down.
Make your thing.
Hit publish.
Share it.
Do it.

Let the afraid people keep their fear.
Go find the ones who know what they’re doing,
and let them remind you:

It doesn’t have to be new.
It just has to be yours.

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I hope you find this insightful. Remember:

It’s not going to be easy,
But it’s not impossible.

Your friend,

Brian.