A Resolution

As I said in my very first post, I am a bit of a wimp. I am so scared of saying (or typing) the wrong thing that I sit on the sidelines, not taking a chance and waiting for the 'right' moment to step in. For example, with this blog I have 4 posts I am working on that I am not ready to post because every time I get into writing, I find some fact that I have to research to make sure I am being fair and accurate. Then, of course, I have to revise what I am claiming and by then I am out of time.
I am also afraid to let family and friends know this blog exists. I haven't even been posting any real thoughts that someone may take offense to, but still I say and type pretty much nothing. I am equally as timid in social situations as I am with this blog, so at least I am consistent. I can go into all kinds of reasons why I am this way, and a big part of it is my public school education (being ridiculed for saying or doing the wrong thing shuts you up pretty quickly especially when you are younger than almost everyone else) as well as my preference for observing and gauging situations before jumping into them. The short period in my life where I was spontaneous and took risks did not work out very well, so I have good life experience that tells me to sit back and watch life without sticking my nose in.
Lately I have been listening to KBVM (the local Catholic radio station) a lot as well as reading some interesting books related to the Faith. The message I am getting is to get off the sidelines! I have to take a chance and stretch the part of me that doesn't want to risk hurting feelings or offending anyone. One of the books I am reading is a collection of Orestes Brownson's writings, well summaries of his writings anyway. He was a well educated American who became Catholic later in life after being a Universalist Preacher, and for years published the Brownson Quarterly Review. His Review spanned the years leading up to his conversion and right through it and went on close to his death. Throughout the years he was writing, he explored many topics and in many ways discovered or confirmed his opinions through his writing. He was not afraid to take a chance and while many critics claim that if he had only done x,y,z he would have converted more souls instead of turning people away, I have to admire that he said anything. He really took a chance and that is what counts.
I've observed that many people have great ideas, fantastic ideas even, but they lack the time, energy, guts, incentive, etc to take a chance and make their idea work (myself included!). Since several of my children are planning to be entrepreneurs, I have been trying to teach them that the only differences between the people who are successful and those who are not is taking a chance and persevering. So, while this is only the first tiny baby step, I am making a resolution to start posting my thoughts whether they are researched or not. I will not be too scared to step out into the unknown and take a chance. I don't know what I will find, but I trust God that he will guide me where I should go.