The start of something big?

So, I'm doing this thing. I'm starting a Page for my writing. And I'm so incredibly scared and I just might call the whole thing off. If you know me, you know guts aren't my forté, but words and encouragement are, so I'm letting those two things rule all others for the time being. I know if I don't do it *right now* I'll totally lose my nerve, so I'm jumping in feet first. Or maybe head first, because that feels more reckless...

If you know me personally, you know that I love to write and write and then write some more. I have other hobbies, too, like laughing and reading and cooking and eating and exploring the world around me and generally causing a ruckus all in the name of fun, but writing is never far from my mind. I write everywhere. On my phone, on my computer, in a journal, in the checkout line at the grocery store, in the car while stuck in traffic, in my bed when lying awake listening to the steady breathing of my wonderful husband juxtaposed against the white noise machine that I'm addicted to... You get the point. I'm always writing and the locations are sometimes as eclectic as my tendencies. But I cling to the hope that that's all part of my charm.

I have lived a lot of life in my 38 years, and with that whole lot of life comes a whole lot of lessons. And for reasons that might make me insane, I have taken to sharing those experiences and lessons with the world at large. My goals are as lofty as they are simple: I want to reach people. I want to help people feel less alone. I want to make people laugh. And I want to show you that nothing is impossible if you arm yourself with these three things:

1. A determination to conquer this thing called life with grace and poise, and when you can't do that, you just commit to doing it with the fervor and tenacity of a warrior. Grace and poise be damned. You must dig deep and you draw on something that lives within every one of us. Something that begs to be called upon and shown to the world or even just ourselves. And that thing is called grit. Each of you have grit and I want to help you find it. If I can find it in me, you can find it in you. Life will knock you down but grit will pick you up again. Trust me on this one.

2. A sense of humor. Do you know how many times throughout the day I laugh at myself or get laughed at? I'm crazy and I'm chaotic and I'm silly and I'm emotional. I take things too personally and I overthink the hell out of even the simplest of situations. But I can laugh at those qualities and help you see them (and laugh at them) in yourself, too. Or at the very least give you something to laugh about while you work towards laughing at yourself, too. I'd call that a win, as well.

3. A willingness to learn. Not just from others, but from and about yourself. It's taken me a lot of years to learn how to really examine myself and begin to be okay with what I see. I'm my own worst critic. I will throw myself under the bus faster than anyone else could ever begin to dream of and I'm resolved to stop that behavior. But to get there, we’ve got to do the work. We’ve got to go through the messiness of figuring out why we’re the way we are before we can move past it. You and I are no different. Writing and sharing and hearing your thoughts and struggles propels me forward. I am better because of YOU. And hopefully, you'll get there with a teeny bit of help from me, too. I'm no hero. This little corner of Facebook won't change the world or have a far-reaching impact, but I know that I can reach people. I know that my stories can resonate. I can hold your hand and through reflective honesty about myself, I can encourage the same in others. So let's learn and grow and be real together.

I am so ready to see where this ride takes us. Are you?