Five Minute Fridays: Risk

Lisa Jo Baker  hosts Five Minute Fridays, one of my favorite events in the blogging world, not only because it challenges my writing ability but I love to see what people pour out on their blogs. Today the topic is RISK.
I remember little snippets of my 3rd grade year at a tiny elementary school in rural Alaska. Mrs. Swisher taught us to make candles, pulled us all into the other classroom to watch the horrific Challenger explosion and repeated her mantra daily: TAKE A RISK. I'm sure I rolled my eyes repeatedly as I felt I was risk-averse. But 28 years later, I am finally taking her advice. I am writing a book, slowly but surely. I am sharing my work with total strangers, sometimes cringing and squeezing my eyes shut when I receive their feedback. It is scary to put yourself out there. It is hard to hear someone say you need to try again. It is painful to fumble, uncertain of how to achieve mastery. I don't like risks. But putting pen to paper or sending the words scurrying across my monitor makes my heart sing. And that makes the risk worth it.