A challenge for the year ahead

During January I've decided to take part in the annual "bloganuary" escapade at Wordpress - where you're encouraged to write something inspired by the writing prompt each day, tag it with #bloganuary, and post it off in your own little paper boat to sail the internet ocean.

Maybe I'm being a bit romantic about it all.

What if somebody else is also writing - who's path you might cross along the way? Perhaps neither of you know why you're writing right now - just that it seems like a good idea. In my experience the universe is pretty good at that.

The movie "Field of Dreams" comes to mind - where Terrance Mann said the following:

"People will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say."

Is "Bloganuary" Iowa?

Anyway.

Today's prompt is "What are your biggest challenges?". Perhaps the start of this post speaks volumes. Getting over myself would seem to be the greatest challenge - having the confidence to make decisions, step forwards, and not worry (too much) about the results in advance.

Most people's life stories are probably littered with regret - about things they might have done or said - people they might have spent more time with, places they might have visited, adventures they might have embarked on, or advice they should (or should not) have listened to.

So yes. Perhaps my challenge for the year ahead will be to take chances. To weigh what I would like a little more heavily than what I think others want.

A friend asked about my "star sign" a few days ago, and smiled when I replied "Pisces". As much as the pragmatic side of me sees astrology as fantasy, I have to admit that the stereotypical piscean character traits describe me incredibly accurately. Maybe that just hints that I'm a cold-reader's perfect subject.

I'm a water-sign. I become what others need me to be. I don't do it consciously - it's just the way I'm put together. And yes, some people will say "aha, so you DO believe in a creator?" - and I will retort with "well no, because I am the product of everybody I have known and everything I have learned". I'm nothing if not paradoxical.

Perhaps taking chances means no more than telling those close to me how much they matter. Maybe a few more hugs might not do the universe too much damage either.