Dear Blog

Dear Blog~How are you? It’s been a while since I’ve come to visit. I can understand if you’ve been feeling a little neglected. It has been a few months after all. But know that I’ve been thinking of you every day. And often, in my car or in my kitchen, I think of a rockin’ topic to write about. I even think through how the blog entry will begin and how it may end.

So why haven’t I sat down to write it all out, you ask? I think I’ve gotten into some traps that a lot people can get into. Sometimes writing and sharing my thoughts openly and freely can be scary. It can be easy to avoid things we are afraid of. Sometime I think the idea or post needs to be really really good in order to be posted. It can be easy to have that “all or nothing” attitude. And lastly, it’s hard to admit that I’ve been prioritizing less important but more urgent things ahead of you. It can be easy to let others demands of our time take priority over things that really make our heart sing.

As you can see, I have some great excuses why I haven’t written. But I am writing here today. And surprisingly, just taking this step today was pretty easy. I’m grateful for that. I hope you are too.

My Best- Tara

You Don’t Necessarily Have to Buy a Zoo

How often do we notice that we are afraid to do something and back down? We may be afraid of a conversation with a spouse, parent, or friend because of how we think the conversation will go. We may be afraid to let go of a habit because we think it’s too difficult and we will just end up in failure. We may be afraid to make a major life change, like a career change or a move, because we think being comfortable in the known is better than the uncomfortable in the unknown. My family and I saw “We Bought a Zoo” over the holiday break. In the movie, Matt Damon’s character, Benjamin Mee decides to move his family out of the city into a home with a former zoo attached to it. When Benjamin tries to reconnect with his teenage son, he tells him “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”

I love what Benjamin is offering here. My interpretation of this piece of advice is this “Look- there are things in your life that are going to scare the $hit out of you. But it’s just your ego trying to keep you in a comfortable and safe place. Comfortable and safe will not get you the amazing life you are meant to live. Please ignore your ego for just 20 seconds and welcome in the possibility of something awesome”.

Setting fear aside in our lives is a practice. Start small. Start with a big breath and just go for it- whatever that thing is that scares you the most. When you find out that taking some risks in your life doesn’t turn out with the world crashing down around you (like your ego may lead you to believe), then you will be ready to take on more. You can buy your zoo. Just take a deep breath.

I’d love to hear from you. Let me know how it goes!

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Hide and Seek is one of my own childhood games that my kids still play. I would love to find the best possible hiding spot and stay there as quietly as I could. I’ve been noticing that I still play Hide and Seek. But for me, it’s less like a childhood game and more like a safe routine that I’ve chosen for myself. I didn’t realize I was even playing. This blog site showed me where I’ve been hiding. I’ve been hiding behind my busy schedule, telling myself that I don’t have time to write and post on this blog. Sneaky, isn’t it? Hiding is just an outlet of fear. It makes sense. We protect ourselves when we are scared. Hiding is a way to protect our selves. But whom are we hiding from? What are we protecting ourselves from? Who is the monster that we created in our mind?

I created a monster in my mind and that monster is my fear of what people may think of me. I can see this monster as something that is not truly a part of me. It’s just something my ego created to protect itself. With this awareness, I can choose to stop hiding. I can stand up and get out of my hiding spot.

Boy, I still love a game of Hide and Seek. But now, I see that the real fun is playing the role of the seeker. The seeker of my truth.