Time to get serious...

I have some exciting news to report. I was approached by the wonderful people over at Planet Buddha a couple of days ago about joining their blog as a regular contributor. I agreed and will be posting over there very soon, so be sure to check them out, and follow along.

I will be honest, after the initial feeling of excitement, I was hit with a mind numbing fear. Would I be good enough? Will people want to hear what I have to say there? Would I fit in? Lucky for me, I have a wonderful support group, and the people at Planet Buddha are totally awesome, so I am feeling less afraid and the excitement is coming back.

I have had this sense that something was coming for a while now, but of course I figured it was something bad, since that is how it usually works. It seems that I was wrong, and it turned out to be something wonderful. It got me to thinking though...I love writing, and I want to be a "real" author more than anything. However, it occurred to me that the current path I was on, the mind set I had, would never allow that to come in to fruition. I love my blog, and writing, but I was not taking myself very seriously as a writer. My writing was important to me, but it was not IMPORTANT to me...if that makes sense. It was a hobby. Sure, we probably all start out that way, but until we buckle down and get serious about ourselves, and our writing, chances are we will never get very far. I have to stop treating it as a hobby, and start treating it as a stepping stone to achieve my dream.

I am the "Neutral One" in my circle of friends and acquaintances. I have strong opinions, but for the sake of diversity and not wanting to rock the boat, I keep them to myself, let everyone have their say and believe how they want to believe, and go on with my day. I am having to teach myself that I can still be that person, only it is okay for me to voice my thoughts about things. I am going to have to "find my voice", as so many have told me recently.

My wonderful friend Luna posted something on my personal Facebook page a few days ago that really changed the way I looked at myself as far as my writing was concerned. It was called The Six Steps to World-Changing Writing, and I encourage you all to click the link and check out the free PDF file available there.

I am a great writer, but to be an "excellent" writer, I have to learn that my voice matters. My opinion is valid, even if others may not agree with it. I have to learn how to break out of the safe zone I have in the writing world, which is sticking to writing about my life. My day to day life is very important, but the truth is, I have so much more inside of me, begging to come out, that has nothing to do with what goes on here at home, or with my parents or children or husband. I have to realize it is okay to be afraid, but it is not okay to keep silencing myself, or restricting myself to just writing about my every day life. I am important, and my writing is important, and I am never going to get any closer to my dream until I start acting like it.

This new writing opportunity may seem like not much of a big deal to some, but to me it is HUGE, and instead of squashing down my excitement and downplaying its importance and significance in my journey, I am going to let myself relish and enjoy it. This is the next step in my journey, and I can not wait to see where it will lead me next.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the people at Planet Buddha for giving me this wonderful opportunity, and I look forward to working with them.

Buckle in folks, shit's about to get real!