Friday, June 1, 2012

One + 100 (Or Starting at the Beginning)

Yesterday marked my #100th post to this blog. 

Truth be told, I didn't notice the number until I was Stat stalking my own blog.  I must admit I didn't feel like celebrating.  I had to choose to, because for someone who has shelves of full journals and files of pages written, 100 seems like such a paltry number.  Four years of blogging and I hit 100. 
 Yesterday I decided I had one year to hit another 100.
Today I went and got a dye job.
 *for the record, I'm not sure how many more years I can hold out to coloring my hair.  Everyone tells me I am too young to go completely gray (which I am - completely gray, that is) and I need to wait until my skin catches up to my age.  But sitting for hours under the hover lamps, what I am contemplating is that I'm too young to do this every five weeks for who-knows-how-long until my skin catches up.  Thanks, One-of-a-Kind Friend, for asking me to go gray with you years ago, then doing it last year without me!  I'm finding myself staring wistfully at your cute gray pixie cut in your pictures.

One benefit to a monthly visit to the salon besides amazing color and free coffee is I typically knock out all or most of the next book on my reading list.  In light of my decision to post 100 more times this year, and thanks to the great new community of Better Writers, I picked up Jeff GoinsYou Are A Writer.
I was doing just fine, racing along through chapters on platform building, establishing a brand, and making connections.  I was feeling pretty comfortable with knowing my voice and even having clarity on why I am passionate about writing in the first place.  Then Jeff Goins reached out and slapped me!
Okay, so I know he's got to be a great guy and would never, ever hit a lady.  
And it wasn't a sucker punch.
It was more like a reality check.
One of those "loving" little slaps you might give to the back of your thirteen-year-old's noggin'.

"You may be writing for the love of it, which is perfectly fine, but if you want to touch someone's life (as most writers do), this is not enough."

And there it is.
I want to touch peoples lives.

I have put writing on my "after the work's done" list.  It's still before working out, but not high enough in rank to have developed a daily discipline for.  And I'm realizing that's just poor stewardship on my part.  I really am more than just a wife, mom, teacher, and commander's spouse.

I didn't just get my hair dyed today.
My excuses for not being everything I was created to be died as well.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

I can't ever go too far away from this personal life verse.  He keeps bringing me face to face with the things that must die in order for me to truly live.  Thanks Jeff, for the slap!

I don't know what changes are coming.  I guess that's one thing I've been protecting myself from by waiting for the perfect time to write, the perfect post to publish, and everything notated and credited properly.  
"If you're struggling with feeling "good enough," stop it.  That's not the issue.  Not really.  The issue is fear.  Namely, fear of starting.  What it takes to start is not talent but the willingness to finish, to follow through."
I'm pretty sure I'm going to mess up.  Especially with proper blogging etiquette, twitter posting, and photo crediting.  These are things I need to learn how to do.  But I'm willing to follow through.  And everyone starts with One.
So here I am at the beginning again.
Thanks for turning to the next page with me, Favored One!

12 comments:

  1. LOVE LOVE LOVE!! I loved that book too, and it helped me take myself a little more seriously as well. Looking forward to watching you grow!

    Oh, and I stopped coloring about two years ago. I got tired of coloring every three weeks, just to cover the roots. Now everyone thinks my hair is frosted. ROFL It's all good. :)

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    1. Thanks, Stacey! Glad you're here to watch! And thanks so much for the help on captcha. We'll see how long I hold out on the color. My daughter already said I needed to keep it up until I'm a grandma. Not sure I can make that though! : )

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  2. I'm totally with you on the hair thing. I'm on the countdown too. Luckily I met Stacey - she's my gorgeous, beautiful, wonderful inspiration. Keep up the good work!

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    1. Thanks, Debi! You have been a special blessing to all of us being stretched in our writing! Maybe we can figure out a date to go gray together! : )

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  3. Kudos on the courage to take a hard look at things and make changes. Inspiring! Jeff Goins is great, no? Challenging, but great. Your candidness will touch people. ~I, too, am nervous about social media etiquette. I'm glad there are other brave bloggers out there who are taking the plunge and risking the mistakes with me:)

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    1. Mandy, I've really enjoyed reading your posts. Candidness is usually not a problem for me (smile) - I've been trying to be the same person wherever I go for several years now. We'll figure out our etiquette together!

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  4. Ha! The title of that book was my slap. :) You know my background on writing. It's been a struggle, even with people encouraging me. But fear can do wonders to a person's psyche. I think I need to get this book--it was too much of an "in my face" moment to ignore. Thanks for the swift kick. :)

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    1. Girl, you know I'd having given you a swift kick (or at least a gentle nudge) if I were there in person! Get the book! Read the book! Start a blog and invite me to read it! You are a writer! : ) Love you!

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  5. I love how God has made this memorable for you!!! Excited to see how he blesses your faithfulness in being all that He has created you to be!

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    1. Thanks, dayebydaye! I'm hoping that faithfulness is what I'm able to say about myself at the end of this year in regards to this! No matter my successes or failures though - He's faithful!

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  6. you nail it every time I read your posts! I decided to not color any more almost two years ago, it finally all grew out salt and pepper by last December. now I find myself torn between vanity and the grey... will make a decision by the end of summer. just really don't want to deal with the re-touch every other week or so, have very fast growing (the automatic fill put in:groaning- probably right) I too have pages and pages that I've written over the years. Now it's time to "cowboy-up" as they say around here and put my money where my mouth (pen) is. I know that this is what I'm supposed to do in this season of life, and I want to do it well to bring Glory to the Father. If only one person comes to Jesus because of what I've written, then it's worth it!

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    1. Nancy, you and I are going to be calling each other friend sooner than later. I love that we have connected. And I'm praying for an inner circle of girls to do this blog thing with. Just a few that I can bounce ideas off of, who can hold me accountable (warning, I'm great at holding you accountable as well), and pray His joy/peace/comfort/and courage into each others lives. And maybe figure out this "gray" hair timing thing, as well!

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