Taking risks…

I have never been one for taking risks. I was always the good little girl who did not take risks. I was the one who behaved.

But the one I married has always (and I mean ALWAYS) encouraged me to take risks. I don’t mean skydiving, white water rafting or rock climbing. Well, I take that back he did try to get me to go climbing at Seneca Rocks but I politely declined.

My definition and his definition of taking a risk are often as different as night and day. However, over 23 years ago we both took and risk. We took a risk on each other.

Sorry, got a little sentimental and sappy there for a minute, but it does apply to taking risks. Now back to your regular scheduled blog post. Taking risks…

At times it has been hard to listen to all his risk taking encouragement for all the clutter that has been stuck in my head. However, the clutter seems to have been taken out with the trash or donated and only we (my husband & I) remain in this crazy head of mine.

I am now listening and beginning to take risks in life without injuring any body parts.

I was often so insecure about writing that I would never let my voice shine through. When I worked for a newspaper I wrote the facts. The facts are easy and my voice wasn’t important. Who, what, where, when, why and how come were the important things to read about.

With this blog I hope I am able to find my own voice and for me it is taking a risk not knowing what readers will have to say. But at some point as a writer you have to take a risk so your voice can be heard.

Will the reception of others be welcoming? Will people hate what I have to say? These questions swirl in my head. Just calling myself a writer is me taking a risk, but I guess I can’t take it back now.

Ok, I think I have taken enough risks for one day.

My husband on the other hand is still considering skydiving.

“When in doubt, just be!”

~Heather Kinder

Show and tell...

Show and tell. This is something we did as small children when we were in elementary school. You would take a toy or some prized possession to class and show it and tell about it. I know I did this a few times in kindergarten, but it was many years ago (too many to count without giving away my age).

I believe (and this is just my opinion) that we did this as children to help us properly communicate with others. And as adults I believe (again just my opinion) we get lost in our hectic lives and just end up telling those around us things without showing them what we mean.

When telling good stories authors have to show their readers the story not just tell the story. Telling a story is just not enough. An author wants readers to see and feel the story they are reading.

A story should resonate in the heart of the reader. It should make you have emotions and make you think.

And no, this has not turned into a post about reading and writing.

However, this is a post about life.

Show and tell does not just apply to reading and writing but it applies to life. It applies to each of us in how we see ourselves and how others see us. It also applies in how we treat those around us.

It is easy for us to get caught up in the daily grind of life and end up taking people around us for granted. I know at times I have been guilty of that.

We tell people we love them. We tell people we care about them. We tell people we appreciate them. And the list goes on and on.

But is telling them enough? In my opinion, absolutely not!

I believe we need to back up what we are saying by showing what we truly mean. Showing them gives a bigger impact that will last much longer than just words. The showing and telling of how we feel should also resonate in hearts as every good story does.

“When in doubt, just be!”

~Heather Kinder

Staying on track...

Did you miss me? I sure hope so!

Have you ever felt like you have so much to do that you may never get back on track?

That’s where I am at. I think I have been there for a while. Piles upon piles of stuff. I find myself standing around scratching my head wondering where to begin.

Our house is in such a mess one would think we just moved in. That’s not the case. We have been here for quite some time.

I have been trying to clean out, clean up and get rid of things that are no longer in use or have just completely been forgotten over the years, You know the stuff I am talking about. The stuff you look at and wonder where that came from. I have been looking at a lot of things that way and maybe that’s why I am not staying on track.

Not staying on track is the reason I completely missed my weekly Sunday blog post last week. But my husband gave me the idea of “staying on track” as a blog entry and I thought it would be a good Sunday come back.

Image by analogicus from Pixabay 

 I used to be OCD, but I am not sure about that anymore.

In college I had everything just so-so. List of what homework was due when. There were certain days I did laundry (thank goodness for coming home to ma-maw’s house). There were certain days I went to the grocery store. Every second of every day was planned out. And maybe, just maybe that is why staying on track is so hard now because I was so on track then.

It’s nice to have those days and moments where you can just drink a cup of coffee and read a book for no reason other than you just feel like it. Raise your hand if you are guilty of that. Pick me, pick me! Yeap, guilty for reading and drinking coffee!

However, life goes on and as I said a few paragraphs ago things pile up. And I don’t mean just the laundry. I have tried to-do list and somehow they just pile up too collecting dust. Epic fail on my part!

So, I have decided to triage my life. Very important, important, not so important and then who really cares.

Hopefully this works. Wish me luck!

“When in doubt, just be!”

~Heather Kinder