go for it, i dare you

Grits & Gravy started in 2010 as this fun little project for me. In my heart, I just knew that I wanted to write. I wanted to write about the things that I invest in: women, reflection, education, relationships, celebrating the simple treasures in life, nesting in a home, adventure, and a hunger to experience life in all of its beautiful, imperfect forms. I didn't know if I would be any good at writing about these things or if it would be something anyone cared to read, but I decided to write anyway.

At times, I have struggled.  How much is too much? What if it seems ego driven? What if I misspelled a word or did not use proper punctuation? What if I write something hurtful to someone else? Whatever my fears were/are, I find that the more I have written authentically or the scarier a post is to publish, the greater the opportunity is to connect with you. 

This little blog has taught me a great deal, mostly, to just go for what it is in your heart to do. People may love it, hate it, or feel uncertain about it. Heck, you may even have all of those feelings. Do it anyway. You might totally fail, a lot of times. You might excel beyond even what you hoped for.

One of my recent posts tripled my average hits in less than 12 hours. At first, I was so excited I could pull a Tom Cruise (circa 2005) and jump on my couch. Then I thought, holy crap, that many people read that post. 3 years of writing, 142 posts, and then that 1 post that changed a lot of things. 

I went for it and you have supported me every post along the way. What I really should say is, thank you. It is so meaningful to me when I receive tweets, messages, likes, comments, or emails from you expressing the way that you connected with something I wrote. So many of you have graciously shared your own stories with me, which has, honestly, been the greatest gift of this experience.

You can't get the job you don't apply for, the adventure you don't take, the relationship you desire, or the life you seek without all the risk. So whatever that thing in your heart is, go for it! I dare you!

x.