Blogging Isn't In My Comfort Zone (Yet)

“The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that fits all cases.” (Carl Jung)

In my experience I have found this to be so true and as a new blog writer I feel like I would like to tattoo this across the top of my page as a disclaimer. I don’t want anyone to think I am suggesting that I have all the answers or that my way of being and thinking is the absolute right way. I know that my shoes don’t fit everyone.

Blogging isn’t really safe; it’s not exactly in my comfort zone. It feels like I am broadcasting to the world who I really am. I know a handful of people who don’t even care for facebook because to them it is too self-disclosing. They feel there’s too much personal information being put out there. Blog writing, even more than social networking, really is a bit of a risk. It’s inevitable that eventually someone will disagree with something that I say and get offended or maybe judge me for it.

I was talking about this with one of my closest friends recently. I told her of my concerns regarding the potential for offending people with what I write. She reminded me of the fact that just about anything you can say will offend somebody somewhere. She exaggerated her point by saying that I could write something as innocuous as “the sky is blue” and somebody somewhere will be offended by that. The next day, my husband expressed the same thing in different words. Even so, it is not my intention to ruffle anyone’s feathers. So, why am I opening myself up like this and making myself vulnerable to rejection?

After twenty years of giving my focus to my children and their needs, I am now transitioning into a new phase of life where I have lots of free personal time. This new blogging endeavor comes from wanting a creative outlet that combines my love for spiritual psychology with my love for writing. Having a blog inspires and motivates me to write more often. I have certain interests that I am passionate about and those are the things I like to write about. Because of the nature of my interests and because it makes it more interesting to read, some self-disclosure is involved which can be disconcerting to me. But I have greatly appreciated other people’s willingness to be open and transparent with me and I have been so empowered by it. I hope that in some way I might be able to do the same for others. Besides, I like thinking out loud and having others join me in the conversation. Writing things that people find helpful and/or like to discuss is the ultimate of fun and fulfillment for me. Therefore, I have decided that the risk is worth it.

When I was in kindergarten my teacher told my mother that I was a perfectionist and that if I didn’t think I could do something perfectly, I wouldn’t attempt it at all. “There are those who are so scrupulously afraid of doing wrong that they seldom venture to do anything.” (Vauvenargues) I’ve worked hard (and am still working) to get past those tendencies and attitudes. As Wayne Gretsky said, you’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

I hope I’m done playing it safe. I want to at least attempt those shots. I would venture to guess that those who pursue their dreams and fail, still live more fulfilling lives than those who because of fear of failure or fear of judgment or fear of offending never attempt to pursue them at all.

If taking a risk like this isn’t your thing, I understand. You have different shoes than me. But if there is something that you long to try but are afraid to, I encourage you to go for it. Why not go out on that limb? I think that’s where the fruit is.