--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you keep thinking about putting on a…" description: "\"If you keep thinking about putting on a conference or being a Hollywood screenwriter, and you find the idea terrifies but intrigues you, it's probably ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/derek-sivers-9939_conferences_if-you-keep-thinking-about-putting-on-a_2833905.jpg" --- # If you keep thinking about putting on a conference or… ![“If you keep thinking about putting on a conference or being a Hollywood screenwriter, and you find the idea terrifies but intrigues you, it's probably a worthy endeavor for you. You grow (and thrive!) by doing what excites you and what scares you everyday, not by trying to find your passion.” quote by Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/derek-sivers-9939_conferences_if-you-keep-thinking-about-putting-on-a_2833905.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/derek-sivers-9939_conferences_if-you-keep-thinking-about-putting-on-a_2833905.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/derek-sivers-9939_conferences_if-you-keep-thinking-about-putting-on-a_2833905.jpg) > “If you keep thinking about putting on a conference or being a Hollywood screenwriter, and you find the idea terrifies but intrigues you, it's probably a worthy endeavor for you. You grow (and thrive!) by doing what excites you and what scares you everyday, not by trying to find your passion.” [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fearful yet exciting projects drive growth; passion follows action, not the reverse. **In simple terms:** Do scary things to grow. Key Takeaway Act before finding passion. Themes career creativity growth Mood energetic encouraging Type motivational practical When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - artistic endeavors - personal challenges Key Concepts risk‑taking skill development self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What scares you most in your work? - How can you turn fear into motivation? A Different Perspective Fear can paralyze if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conference Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conference-hollywood-3677473/) [Conferences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conferences/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Hollywood Screenwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood-screenwriter-3677471/) [Idea Terrifies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-terrifies-3677472/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Intrigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrigue/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Scare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scare/) [Screenwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenwriter/) [Screenwriter Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenwriter-idea-3677474/) [Screenwriters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenwriters/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thrive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrive/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Worthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthy/) ## Related quotes > [My story is comic because I've spent vast amounts of effort trying to become a Hollywood screenwriter and made no direct effort on making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-holland/my-story-is-comic-because-i-ve-spent-vast-amounts-of-effort-trying-to/) [Dominic Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-holland/) > [House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., whose youthful dreams of being a successful Hollywood screenwriter never materialized, is proving to the world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/house-intelligence-committee-chairman-adam-schiff-d-calif-whose/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > ['The Buccaneers' was an Edith Wharton novel, and she never finished it, and a screenwriter adapted it for television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/the-buccaneers-was-an-edith-wharton-novel-and-she-never-finished-it/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [It's funny because when I was growing up, I was really into science fiction and fantasy as a kid. And, when I first became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-orloff/it-s-funny-because-when-i-was-growing-up-i-was-really-into-science/) [John Orloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-orloff/) > [I could be just a writer very easily. I am not a writer. I am a screenwriter, which is half a filmmaker... But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/i-could-be-just-a-writer-very-easily-i-am-not-a-writer-i-am-a/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [I often say that a lot of my job, as a screenwriter, is sort of being a stock picker, in that I need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-often-say-that-a-lot-of-my-job-as-a-screenwriter-is-sort-of-being-a/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [“Novelist by day; screenwriter by night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-posey/novelist-by-day-screenwriter-by-night/) [A.D. Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-d-posey/) > [One of the things I love about my job as a playwright or as a screenwriter is that I get to do a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-my-job-as-a-playwright-or-as-a/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [I think that scripts should be published, but they are published, really, because when you're a screenwriter, your stuff ends up in samizdat form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-think-that-scripts-should-be-published-but-they-are-published/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [Fiction and screenwriting blend for me. I feel like being a TV writer/screenwriter has definitely made my fiction writing better, although I have less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/fiction-and-screenwriting-blend-for-me-i-feel-like-being-a-tv-writer/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [Every screenwriter worthy of the name has already directed his film when he has written his script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-l-mankiewicz/every-screenwriter-worthy-of-the-name-has-already-directed-his-film/) [Joseph L. Mankiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-l-mankiewicz/) > [When you're a screenwriter, it's like being a mechanic. You open the hood of the story, the director is the driver, and he says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bidegain/when-you-re-a-screenwriter-it-s-like-being-a-mechanic-you-open-the/) [Thomas Bidegain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bidegain/) > [You are the executive director and screenwriter of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/you-are-the-executive-director-and-screenwriter-of-your-life/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/a-screenwriter-is-much-like-being-a-fire-hydrant-with-a-bunch-of-dogs/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [A great trick that I learned having worked as a screenwriter for many years, the way screenwriters work, is they break the project down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/a-great-trick-that-i-learned-having-worked-as-a-screenwriter-for-many/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) ## More by Derek Sivers > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/whatever-excites-you-go-do-it-whatever-drains-you-stop-doing-it/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [“Never forget that absolutely everything you do is for your customers. Make every decision—even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/never-forget-that-absolutely-everything-you-do-is-for-your-customers/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Let’s never forget that whatever brilliant ideas you have or hear, that the opposite may also be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/let-s-never-forget-that-whatever-brilliant-ideas-you-have-or-hear/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Making a company is a great way to improve the world while improving yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/making-a-company-is-a-great-way-to-improve-the-world-while-improving/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [I love that sometimes we need to go to the opposite side of the world to realize assumptions that we didn't even know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/i-love-that-sometimes-we-need-to-go-to-the-opposite-side-of-the-world/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [I realized why I need to start a new company. Not for the money. Not because I'm 'bored'. But because a company is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/i-realized-why-i-need-to-start-a-new-company-not-for-the-money-not/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [The first follower is actually an underestimated form of leadership in itself. … The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/the-first-follower-is-actually-an-underestimated-form-of-leadership/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Pay close attention to when you're being the real you & when you're trying to impress an invisible jury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/pay-close-attention-to-when-you-re-being-the-real-you-when-you-re/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Five years after I started CD Baby, when it was a big success, the media said I had revolutionized the music business. But 'revolution'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/five-years-after-i-started-cd-baby-when-it-was-a-big-success-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Every time you're making a choice, one choice is the safe/comfortable choice - and one choice is the risky/uncomfortable choice. the risky/uncomfortable choice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/every-time-you-re-making-a-choice-one-choice-is-the-safe-comfortable/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Business is not about money. It's about making dreams come true for others and for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/business-is-not-about-money-it-s-about-making-dreams-come-true-for/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Everyone who became great at something has a similar story: For years, they worked on their craft every day, even if they weren’t in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/everyone-who-became-great-at-something-has-a-similar-story-for-years/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Don't be on your deathbed someday, having squandered your one chance at life, full of regret because you pursued little distractions instead of big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/don-t-be-on-your-deathbed-someday-having-squandered-your-one-chance/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Make every decision—even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money, or promote someone—according to what's best for your customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/make-every-decision-even-decisions-about-whether-to-expand-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) [Explore all 69 Derek Sivers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) ## More Conferences quotes > [This is the culmination of a lot of people's vision. I think this is just another step towards making Central Michigan football among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/this-is-the-culmination-of-a-lot-of-people-s-vision-i-think-this-is/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [ I know that some of the folks in the press are uptight about this \[moving the press corps out of the West Wing \],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/i-know-that-some-of-the-folks-in-the-press-are-uptight-about-this/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [I got into acting in high school mainly because I wasn't doing anything else and started to hit a few bumps in the road.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-letscher/i-got-into-acting-in-high-school-mainly-because-i-wasn-t-doing/) [Matt Letscher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-letscher/) > [My father? A hard drinking man from the 70's. We actually have no pictures of my dad where he is not holding a beer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/my-father-a-hard-drinking-man-from-the-70-s-we-actually-have-no/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [I owed Lewis one thing, at least. Once you had suffered the experience of presenting a case at one of his Monday morning conferences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-storr/i-owed-lewis-one-thing-at-least-once-you-had-suffered-the-experience/) [Anthony Storr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-storr/) > [The president had a press conference about this this week and he said that the U.S. has no plans to attack North Korea. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-president-had-a-press-conference-about-this-this-week-and-he-said/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Spiritual leaders are not made by man, nor any combination of men. Neither conferences, nor synods, nor councils can make them, but only God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-logan-brengle/spiritual-leaders-are-not-made-by-man-nor-any-combination-of-men/) [Samuel Logan Brengle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-logan-brengle/) > [I feel blessed that I had an opportunity to be in the Big Ten for four years as a player and be in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-alford/i-feel-blessed-that-i-had-an-opportunity-to-be-in-the-big-ten-for/) [Steve Alford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-alford/) > [I don't have a whole bunch of literary connections. I don't write reviews or attend writer's conferences. I'm kind of shy and don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/i-don-t-have-a-whole-bunch-of-literary-connections-i-don-t-write/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [In 1992, one of my dearest friends, Anita Borg, came to me with an idea: a conference featuring women Computer Scientists. The conference would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/telle-whitney/in-1992-one-of-my-dearest-friends-anita-borg-came-to-me-with-an-idea/) [Telle Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/telle-whitney/) > [I have done conferences explaining that cloud is a bad idea. It's putting all your eggs in one basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-demon-calce/i-have-done-conferences-explaining-that-cloud-is-a-bad-idea-it-s/) [Michael Demon Calce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-demon-calce/) > [I have no idea, actually, where I fit in, in terms of poetry camps. At AWP conferences, I have been on panels about humor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-duhamel/i-have-no-idea-actually-where-i-fit-in-in-terms-of-poetry-camps-at/) [Denise Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-duhamel/) > [Before the civil war, Pottibakia was a normal member of the Comity of Nations. She erected tariff walls, broke treaties, persecuted minorities, obstructed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/before-the-civil-war-pottibakia-was-a-normal-member-of-the-comity-of/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [In the early 1980s, I burned my Social Security card at the New Orleans Investment Conference in protest of the state pension system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/in-the-early-1980s-i-burned-my-social-security-card-at-the-new/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [Well, the disarmament conference is off to a flying start. There is nothing to prevent their succeeding now but human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/well-the-disarmament-conference-is-off-to-a-flying-start-there-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Browse all 497 Conferences quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conferences/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you keep thinking about putting on a conference or being a Hollywood screenwriter, and you find the idea terrifies but intrigues you, it's probably a worthy endeavor for you. 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