Friday, May 14, 2010

Every Journey Begins With A Step

I sat at my kitchen table yesterday with a good friend of mine, trying to reassure her that the business she's thinking of starting is a great idea and will be a great success. Her vision is clear, her passion is deep, her skills unrivaled, her commitment is strong, and her husband is behind her 100%. I just know in my bones that she'll be great and her business will bring her financial and emotional rewards. But she's hesitant and nervous, voicing lots of "what if's" that could lead to something less than success.

I started wondering why it is that other people can see a clear path for us when all we see are hurdles. Perhaps we place these hurdles in our own way. Why is it that people in our "inner circle" can see and feel our expertise and success while we see only drawbacks and weaknesses? Do we not believe in ourselves? Do we fear success? Is it safer not to risk so that we don't fail "in public"? So what if we fail? And who defines failure, or success, anyway? Don't we tell our children to throw caution to the wind and give new things a try? Don't we say that it's ok if you're not great at something your first time out, that practice will improve skills? Don't we say that we learn more from failure than success?


With all these questions swirling through my brain (along with some good old fashioned Halleluias and Amens) , I sat myself down at my computer and created this blog. Yes, it has a funny name, which I'll explain another time, but it's one of my first steps on a writing journey. Over the last 10 or 12 years, I've taken other small steps, some with exuberance, others a bit more hesitantly, and I've gotten good feedback and learned a whole lot. But right now this feels like the right path to meander down for a while.

Thank you to Sujit for first suggesting a blog and for being so supportive in Children's Liturgy at Church. Thank you to Aunt Marie for an extra dose of inspiration (along with a loving nudge in the right direction). And if you're ever in the mood for an uplifting film, check out Julie & Julia, but make sure you have either a full stomach or a full bowl of popcorn in front of you. Better yet, make it a creme brulee!

I have lots of ideas for future posts, and I'm sure life will provide many new ideas as each day passes. Please check back every so often and, if you 're so inclined, share some of your thoughts with me. But please remember that constructive criticism is the best - first steps are often tentative and taken with several deep breaths and nagging fears of success.

I thank you for joining me.

Jane


1 comment:

Kam said...

Jane,
What an inspiring blog! I so agree - the only thing worse than "what if" is "if only.." Too often we let fear get in our way and then look back with regret. So hats off to you for starting this! I look forward to your posts.