Alright friends. I know I haven’t posted in a while and I could make up a million excuses as to why, but it all boils down to one thing: I didn’t feel like I was ready. While I’ve talked about how this past year or so of life hasn’t been the easiest, the one thing it has given me is the chance to really reflect on what I truly want out of life. And I know the answer to that. It’s what I’ve always known. I want to be a writer, in every sense of the word. I want to blog, write novels and anything and everything between.

I thought that quitting Chick-Fil-A in July would open up my scheduling to whole-heartedly pursue that passion. And while it did, I just kept putting off the opportunity a free schedule was giving me. I filled up my schedule with other things than the main thing I was passionate about doing. Before quitting I always said that my dream job would be to stay at home and write all day. And I finally was giving myself my dream job (though no one was paying me, but that’s a moot point). So what the heck was my problem?!??!

It wasn’t that I didn’t have the time because I knew I did (and still do). It was that I wasn’t sure I was ready. Am I ready to start blogging? I don’t have a nice camera to shoot with, I don’t have an actual website with a minimalistic design, I don’t have the money, I don’t have enough content, etc., etc., etc. I went round and round in this circle for months. I needed more time to collect resources, save up money, and come up with ideas I told myself. But yet, I never used the time I had to do start gathering the things I told myself I needed to be a successful blogger.

Just last month, I finally took the step and I began following various blogs and social media strategists on Instagram and subscribed to their newsletters. I collected everything I felt I needed to begin a blog and make it perfect and clean and creative and relevant. And if I’m honest, I’m still in the process of collecting those things because I want to feel prepared. I want my blog to be perfect.

It wasn’t until I sat down and had a conversation today at Temple Coffee with the guys at Storyteller Media, Mike and Emilio, that I realized I’ve been waiting around for the perfect moment to start my blog, when such a thing doesn’t exist. Emilio shared with me how he held himself back for 2 years from starting a YouTube page because he didn’t feel ready. Once he took the plunge and started his channel and saw all the views he was getting, he realized that he should have taken the plunge earlier.

I’ve been holding myself back from really starting a blog because I was fearful that the result would be less than I hoped for. And isn’t that what most people are afraid of when they are thinking about starting something new? We’re scared people won’t care, no one will respond and no one will see it. And while those are all valid fears, I’m tired of holding myself back from something just because the result might not be what I hoped for. If that’s what happens then fine. I’ll make adjustments, but at least I’ll have tried.

Funnily enough I just recently bought a Giving Key bangel bracelet (if you don’t know about this awesome company, then you should really look them up) and today was the first day I wore it. I chose to have the word “Fearless” printed on mine after reading the article Five Ways to Debunk You Fear of Failure (http://yellowconference.com/2016/11/11/five-ways-to-debunk-fear-of-failure/). I was inspired by the way Nicole pursued fearlessness and the things she learned from doing so. I guess I had already internally realized that being fearful of every situation was holding me back and causing me to miss out on experiences that would grow me. So, I purchased mine and have every intention of wearing it every day as a simple reminder to not let fear – of failure, awkwardness, disappointment, etc. – hold me back form going after the things I want. And it just so happened that the first day I wore it, I was challenged with facing the fear of starting a blog without having it be perfect. Well played universe, well played.

Wearing my Giving Key today and having that conversation with Emilio and Mike has inspired me and given me the confidence to charge full speed ahead in the direction of my dreams and passions. Who cares if it’s bad at first or no one really sees it. You have to start somewhere. You can’t just wait around for the rest of your life for the perfect moment to start because it doesn’t exist.

So, this is me taking the plunge. I’m making a commitment to pursue blogging wholeheartedly this year. I know at times it won’t be easy or turn out the way I want it to, but there’s beauty in simply trying. Stay tuned for new posts and my very own website coming soon (thanks Matt Howe!).

xoxo,

Alyssa

P.S. Those super awesome guys at Storyteller Media, Mike and Emilio, not only inspired me to pursue my dreams on my own, but also with them as an intern Blogger as they continue to grow their business. I’m STOKED to say the least!!! So, stay tuned for updates on that and the things I’m learning from them!!! And check them out because they’re legit: http://www.storytellermco.com/meetourteam.html