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Why has it taken me three months to respond to Kristan’s lovely invitation, overcome my fear, and become a blogger here?

  • Fear of technology.
  • Fear of glitches.
  • Fear of the unknown.

I love technology, but it scares me. Change scares me. The unknown scares me. Glitches with no solution scare me. And beneath all that, the fear of looking like a fool scares me. I’m working on overcoming all of this.

Machines always seem to have a mind of their own. I don’t control them. I can’t even ask them what’s wrong, what they need, or why they won’t cooperate.

So I put the blog for Inspire Me Today on a back burner, even though people have been urging me to blog for years. I procrastinated. The lure of more readers was tiny compared to my fears. What if the “submit” button was missing or the directions included technical jargon that I could not decode?

I was afraid of failing. I was afraid of making a mistake and looking stupid, a fear that should have dissolved at least forty years ago.

I crossed one item after another off of my “to-do” list while I ignored “Blog for Inspire Me Today.” I let my conscience nag at me. Finally on Friday, January 13, 2012, I told myself to give blogging an hour. Find out what the problems are, I said as I finished my morning journaling. Once you know what you’re up against, you can ask for help.

I keep getting better and better at asking for help because I’m surrounded by friends who do that. My boyfriend trouble-shoots. He’s always on the phone answering questions and assigning jobs. A neighbor, who is a research librarian, helps college students find information efficiently. Sales clerks answer questions, bag boys carry groceries to the car, and the clerks at Starbuck’s know me as the woman who wants half-caf—half decaf. We are here to help each other, but no one can help until I dig into a task and identify problems.

Kristan, thanks for keeping the opportunity open while I found the time and the courage to take up blogging.  If this goes through, I’m living proof that blogging is fun, entertaining, and sometimes even inspiring.

Conquering one challenge always give me the courage to try another. Are you the same way? What challenges have you faced recently and what have you done about them? Write back and let me know, okay? I’d love to know how the readers here are meeting and conquering challenges, so please share. Thanks!

Photo Credit: Max Elman

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B. Lynn Goodwin is the author of You Want Me to Do WHAT? Journaling for Caregivers, available on Amazon. Her stories and articles have been published in Voices of Caregivers; Hip Mama; the Oakland Tribune; the Contra Costa Times; the Danville Weekly; Staying Sane When You’re Dieting; Small Press Review; Dramatics Magazine; Career; We Care; Thickjam.com, Friction Literary Journal, and The Sun.

A former teacher, she conducts workshops and writes reviews for Story Circle Network and InspireMeToday. She’s working on a YA novel and brainstorming a memoir.

She’s the owner and editor of Writer Advice. Writer Advice recently celebrated its 16th year and runs contests for aspiring and published writers as well as sharing useful tips from experienced writers.

For more information, please visit writeradvice.com

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This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. I want to become something at the moment I am nothing, this is the challenges I am facing now. How are you going to help me. Thanks and my blessings.

    1. Nobody is nothing. Rather than my helping you, you’re going to help yourself.

      What do you want to become?

      SUGGESTION: Pick an attainable goal. Write about how you are going to achieve it. Then take action.

      Let me know how it goes, okay?

      Thanks for writing,

      Lynn

    2. Hi Arulampalam,

      You are a lot more than what you can see right now. Think about who you really are: what are your life values? What are you passionate about? What makes you happy, unhappy? It is maybe time for you to start taking control of your life and start focussing on what you really want. Here are some ideas for you: http://tinyurl.com/6pxzksr. Let me know how you get on with your life.

      I wish you all the best,
      Sylvia

  2. Hi Lynn, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
    That’s fantastic that you were able to challenge yourself and overcome your fears. Taking action is the best way to remove our doubts and grow our inner confidence. I have just written an article on change called “Is change a problem or an opportunity?” in which I talk about the different ways of dealing with change. You can find it at http://tinyurl.com/7skmyht. I hope you find it interesting.

    All the best,
    Sylvia

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