Looking Back on Three Months

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." 

I had this quotation in mind when I started this blog back on December 31, 2010. I've seen the quotation several times, but have never been able to find who is responsible for it. It struck a chord with me though, and I decided I wanted to make a point of doing something different than what I've "always done."

I started this blog with trepidation, as I am very reserved by nature, and sharing publicly like this was not something that came easy to me at all. But in the spirit of trying something different, I set aside my reservations and jumped on board with it. 

Now that I am one day away from my three month anniversary, I can say with all sincerity that I'm so glad I took a chance and started the blog. In the past three months, I've had the pleasure of meeting people I never would have encountered otherwise - writers, animal lovers, book lovers, walkers, and so many others, all with interesting stories to share.

I've also sent out numerous queries and received almost as many rejections, but the rejections were overshadowed by the thrill of finding one editor who expressed an interest in my ideas. I don't know for sure yet if my article will be published, but it's a start. It's also been a good experience to learn that rejections really aren't the end of the world, and are an inevitable part of the process.

I've found wonderful sites like She Writes and Women on Writing, and entered two short story contests. Getting word that I made it through the first round of judging in the Women on Writing contest felt like winning the lottery, and even if I don't make it to the final round, it's been a lot of fun to try and I'm really glad I entered. Thanks to Adrian at The Mother Centurion, I'm also planning to enter the Writer's Digest annual competition, and look forward to sharing with others on her site as we go through the story writing process.

I've walked 119 miles, 100 of those since signing up for the 400 Mile Challenge in February. This has been a great motivator for me, and although I wouldn't think there would be a connection, I seem to have more energy for writing when I am exercising regularly.

To sum up, I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has followed my blog, left comments, or just stopped by to read. These three months have been a pleasure, and I look forward to many more.

Many thanks to all!

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"

Vincent van Gogh