When I was doing youth ministry, a phrase that I came up with during one mission trip was, "Are you willing to try?" This was my verbal pry-bar which I used on students when they were reluctant to do the high-ropes course or try whitewater rafting. The power of this question is that it re-frames a situation, it takes the focus off the results of what we do, whether we succeed or fail, and instead focuses on our willingness to take a step forward.
There are several reasons that I have begun this blog and one reason I was hesitant to. First, I am suspending my activity on Facebook for Lent (and perhaps beyond) and concurrent with that I wanted to develop a more active digital persona. Facebook is not a creative space for me and I hope that this blog will be. Second, outside of people, I like five things: running, reading, writing, bread making, and what I am calling simply "life" but what might be called philosophy or more crudely "thinking about things." Third, I enjoy writing about these things but don't have as much opportunity to do it as I would like.
The reason I was hesitant is that I don't want this to eventually take it's place in alongside all the other blogs that start strong, but then fade into internet oblivion. But this is fear and fear will not get me anywhere. So in spite of the risk of this blog eventually becoming a shadow on your GoogleReader, I proceed. I am willing to try.
Tomorrow: Will I Ever Finish Anna Karenina? Should I Even Try?
I have it bookmarked. Hopefully knowing people are reading it will make it easy to stay with it.
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