Well that's three posts under my belt and the world hasn't stopped turning! See? What have I lost? What is the worst that could have happened? Sounds easy doesn't it? But wait …. was it really easy? Whilst the end result of the three posts seems pleasing enough, what about the journey? What about the moment you press 'publish'?
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about Creating Yourself.”
For a tech muppet, it was a huge step to attempt to build a website. I just about knew what a domain name was but 'clickthrough url'? What I discovered was that although this is still a work in progress, I have really REALLY enjoyed it so far. The satisfaction gained from creating something is unsurmountable. Although overwhelming at times, there is so much out there in terms of help and advice from youtubers, online workshops and other bloggers that you cannot fail to put something out there.
Eating Frogs at Fifty
Reassessing Life after Fifty and Beyond
Having navigated through the technicalities, I had not predicted the impact of the raw realisation that I was about to expose myself online. Never before have I had to be so brave and so vulnerable at the same time, and at fifty, I have had plenty of time to experience all sorts of emotions. Finally, I was not making excuses about why I cannot or should not do something. With the support, encouragement and even requests from friends and family, I treated any misgivings with the contempt they deserved, and put metaphorical pen to paper. I attempted to research where they were selling bags of confidence 'two for the price of one' but finding none, I dug deep into my own reserves and wrote as me; just a little person who wishes to connect and share my experiences with others. Furthermore, I was aware that although there are areas of my life that I was introspectively confident and happy to discuss with myself, translating these private musings into speaking out loud was another matter. Will people judge me? Eventually, I decided that my blog would not be for all people and that I simply needed to grow a thick skin. After all, if I couldn't write with confidence, then why bother at all?
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Gratitude and purpose at Fifty
So here I am ready to share with you everything that makes me feel, look and be better. If anything resonates with you, then I am happy we have found each other. Everyone has their way and my way is not a Roman road. It is very much the twisty, hilly unpredictable Yorkshire road; it is the road that is working for me at the moment yet I feel there are further surprises still to emerge. I hope that you can all find your inner strength and confidence to follow your road of choice, rather than letting others drag you up theirs. There is so much I am grateful for and especially to everyone who has acknowledged, liked and given positive feedback so far. I feel I am really putting myself out there and the scaffolding of everyone's encouragement gives me strength and happiness. I thank you all.