To Dare or Not to Dare?

To dare or not to dare? That is my question. I have advised many in the past year that they should dare to be disappointed. What I mean is throw away the mental and emotional safety nets when reaching for the stars and allow yourself to get your hopes up, to dream big, to enjoy the longing for a more passion-filled life without needing to see any proof of its existence. Don’t be afraid of failure or rejection or that you will “jinx it” if you speak to others with excitement in your voice about your deepest desires. If you are disappointed that things did not go as planned then not only will you end up higher then where you started, you would have enjoyed the moments in between which is where the juice of life is hiding. No one can guarantee a lasting emotional state, but you can choose to enjoy every moment.

HOWEVER…

At this moment in time, 3 days before public voting ends and the fate of 271 authors in the competition is sealed, I am fighting the good fight with my own words. I want a mental safety net! What if I don’t advance? What then? Am I prepared to handle that level of rejection after so many of my friends and family are rooting for me to succeed? I am not ready to be taken out of the competition. Yet I also don’t know if I would be able to continue pursuing a career in writing after being dropped. Now I know that I am supposed to say that I will continue come what may, but I would be speaking from an uncertain place AKA lying to myself and to you if I said that.

The truth is I have no idea how I will feel in 3 days. I simply do not know. Since I don’t know, then I will continue to dream super-big. At least for now. That is all I know. That this moment I feel good about wanting to stay in the competition. The next moment is not here yet so why worry about whether it contains a mental safety net. This moment I choose to dare. That is my answer.