Stepping Out...
- mountainmoveconsul
- May 27, 2024
- 3 min read
I am aware, this is not the most attractive selfie I could have taken and my project isn't truly "finished". – And THAT is the point of this post!
Have you ever wanted to do something in life and there's a nagging holding you back? Maybe it's the fear of... "What if I can't really do this?" Or ..."How do I get started?" ..."Am I sure I'm ready?" ... "What if ____?"
THAT is where I am right now launching into the next phase of a personal goal. All those thoughts have been holding me back from moving forward. Then, oddly, a big weekend project inspired me to just GET STARTED.
I had leftover landscape stones, yard branches that needed burning, and I missed having a fire pit. Ahh, perfect combination! Except I had absolutely no idea how to build a firepit.
So I did research, gathered the items I needed, and went out to the yard to start with Step One. The dreaming part was the most fun. Picturing a future patio, planning the layout, smelling future barbeques, and deciding where the firepit would fit best. Per my YouTube tutorial, I laid out the stones in the spot exactly where the firepit would go. ...Alas, there came the procrastination, time conflicts, etc. Then the day arrived when I simply had to take the first step.
I didn't quite know how it all would work out, but I grabbed the shovel anyway (and my old fashioned headset, because how can anyone work without radio headphones?). I went to the first stone of my layout and popped that shovel right through the dirt like I learned. And thus, Step One. It was tedious, hard, time consuming, and Florida hot! – And all the while I was hoping to goodness I didn't mess it up.
After the first day, though, I was super proud to see my bottom layer of stones register "level"! By the end of Day 2, I had the base packed down and was able to stack the stones. This allowed me to see where I needed to shift things and it gave a definite glimpse of what I could accomplish!
This project was such a picture of the new step I'm taking in life, I decided to use it as my first post.
I've had a dream to write a book for years. After a long marriage, I became a single-again adult. That experience comes with challenges most people don't realize and certainly don't talk about. I want to write a book to encourage others in this situation, as well as make myself available for life coaching. I want to help people know they are not alone, and they most certainly are not crazy, although it can feel like it at times.
As you know may or may not know, I learned all about book publishing with my dad's poetry book. (Mission accomplished.) However, I also learned there is a marketing aspect to book writing and coaching I hadn't realized. Ugh! I am happy to market for you all day long, but for myself? That is so not me. This means I have to keep up a website and social media. If I meet you in person, we can chat privately together all day long. Social media with the public, though? That is definitely my personal stretch zone!
What did I say about that firepit project? It took a bit of hard work with a dose of uncertainty. But oh wow, how exciting to see I actually did it! So here I am, challenges and all, not quite perfected, yet taking that Step One to following my dream of writing and coaching. I'm putting myself out there. After all, how did I think I was going to encourage the world, if I didn't open the door to step into the world?! – And it wasn't as scary as I thought. It just took getting started.
What dream or desire do you have where fear might be holding you back? Step out with me. If I can do this, you can, too!
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