This quote couldn’t have crossed my path at a more perfect time. I have been a bit unsure of myself lately – of my vision, of my goals, of my ability to make them all happen. Life has really changed for me over the past few months, and while it is all exciting and new and liberating, I was a bit lost at first. From being in a city filled with friends to a city of strangers, from working in the middle of a bustling area to working all alone in our apartment, from having very little time to pursue my passions to having a whole lot of it…it was a lot of change all at once. And of course, the pursuing passions part was a very, very good change – finally, I could revive my favorite project, this little blog, that had been sidelined for too many years.

I was on somewhat of a working high a few weeks ago – the process of moving the blog over to a new host, implementing a new design and starting things off fresh really had my mind and heart buzzing. But when I came down from the “cloud” (did anyone get that web pun?) I started over-analyzing everything. Did I really have what it takes to get this blog off the ground? Is my writing interesting enough to grab people’s attention? Will I ever gain enough readers to make me feel validated, that all the work I am putting into it actually matters? Well, does it even matter?! And in the big picture…will I ever figure this whole “turn your passion into a career” thing out? I want to do and be so many things: write, cook, create, travel, inspire, live, love…ahhhhh, how do I do this? CAN I do this?

Needless to say…I overwhelmed myself in doubt. I stepped away from the computer, curled up into a ball (metaphorically and physically) and let my heart sink into bowls of Honey Nut Chex and handfuls of dark chocolate trail mix (to those people out there who claim they “don’t eat” when they are stressed, you are frigging aliens).

Thankfully, my heart interrupted my head’s pity party. Well, my heart and my husband. (Guess ‘sad puppy dog face’ is only cute for short periods of time.) After letting it all out….all of my fears, insecurities, worries, I realized that I was the one holding the door closed. I have so many things I want to write about, so many experiences I want to have, so much art I want to create, and here I am wasting too much time concerned with the how’s or the why’s and the if’s.

While I can’t seem to decide which direction I should take first – I will go in all of them, eventually – right now the only thing I need to do is take that big leap into the unknown. So far, I had just peered over the edge and freaked…which reminds me, here is another, um, “less poetic” quote that fits my bill a bit too well. (It also helps me immensely because whenever I read it, I can’t help but laugh.)

Anyways, I think we all do this to ourselves. Whether it is little things like trying a new hobby or big things like starting a business, moving across the country, chasing after a wild dream…it is much easier to succumb to the fear that awaits us outside of our comfort zone than on the journey it will take us on once we karate-kick the comfort zone door open.

So, (deep breath and another handful of dark chocolate trail mix) I’m taking a running start. Here’s to flying!