Be the change you want to see in the world

This bit of wisdom is courtesy of Mahatma Gandhi himself and has become the mantra for many social groups as well as individuals. I think it’s safe to say we have all wished for things to be different at times. Wished for more kindness, a better job, a more active social life, a different life. Wished we had the courage to jump with both feet into our dreams instead of just waiting for sleep to take us there.

But why keep dreaming and not acting on those dreams? Fear of ridicule? Fear of feeling silly? Fear of failure? Fear of feeling like a failure?

All of the above? Well, there are a few sayings for that, too.

“There is nothing to fear but fear itself”. – Franklin D. Roosevelt I think we have all heard this one, yes? But have you ever really thought about what it means?

“Failure is success in progress.” – Albert Einstein Personally, I really like this one. I read this as saying failure is really a mini-success in that it cements one more paver in that road to ultimate success. Moral of this? Celebrate your failures!

And one more cliche on failure, although this one isn’t quite as cliched…

“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali

Wow. Kind of rude at first read, right? But take a minute for that to sink in. To me, Dali is not saying you will never reach perfection. Instead, he is saying there is no such thing as perfection. There is not a single living soul that can be considered perfect. The state of perfection, much like beauty, is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Right about now, I’m wondering how many of you have read to this point? My fear of failure, sounding silly and redundant, being laughed at with that kind of snorting noise that says “wow, this one is kinda dumb” – all of these fears and more make me want to cancel this blog. Immediately, if not sooner.

But this is something I have wanted to do for a long time. To cancel now would only mean going to bed anxious, questioning myself over and over, until sleep finally offers a welcome respite. Still, there is the morning waiting with those same questions and I have way too much to do tomorrow to be distracted by silly questions.

So, I’m choosing to jump into my dreams with both feet and no life preserver in sight! My dream for this site is to be a culmination of all I hold close to my heart. No matter the subject – family life, writing, baking, traveling, new cuisine, fitness and self-care, or current social issues – I want to talk about it all. And I would love to share this journey with you, to hear your own stories, recommendations, and thoughts.

But for now, I’m going to bed because tomorrow is a day full of chaos with the potential of being brilliant. I plan to take the road of brilliance – yes, I am a glass half full, silver lining kind of woman. Trust me, it’s a much happier path that the alternative.

And by the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Kim and this is my blog. I am a wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. I am also a writer, baker, student, intermittent fitness freak, amateur (very!) wine aficionado, and so much more. Not even close to perfection in any of my passions, but very passionate about the pursuit of happiness in each one. Not perfection, simply happiness.

Check back soon for my next blog or sign up below to receive notification of new publications! As always, I love to hear enriching comments, suggestions, and feedback so please let me know what you’re thinking!

Until next time, don’t forget to celebrate those failures!

Kim