Letting Go and Moving Forward
This blog started in preparation for my upcoming book, Spontaneous Revolutions: Seeing America One Pedal at a Time. I’m thrilled to be rounding the corner on the project, yet, I have to say, one of the hardest things I did was submit my manuscript. The finished book sat there for years before I had the courage to send it in.
There are all kinds of reasons for this. I’ve talked about writing the book for so long that friends and family probably assumed I’d never get it done. Now that I finally did it, I'm nervous. Although, I’m guessing the most demanding expectation to live up to is my own. I am without a doubt the harshest critic.
I watch from the sidelines as other friends and colleagues complete their creative projects and get their books published without the outward angst I feel. It may be there for them too, but it did not stop them. They are all an inspiration to me.
It also takes courage and vulnerability to put your work out there. Writing your thoughts, dreams, mistakes, and passions down is one thing … allowing others to read them is quite another.
But maybe the biggest part of my hesitancy was that I would be letting go of the last bits of my late husband Clark who shared the cycling journey with me. Of course, he’ll always be in my heart, but somehow bringing closure to the book feels as though I’m leaving him behind and am moving on without him. But that’s not really true.
My fabulous editor, Ann Sprague and several wise friends encouraged me to face the fear and submit it anyway. First, it’s a perfect opportunity to share Clark with others. Let readers get a chance to know and love him, like I do. Second, if my goal really is to inspire others to follow their dreams, it’s certainly not going to happen, unless I actually put my work out there.
No matter what happens … I’m finally ready. I’m going to appreciate all that I learned and start having fun with the process. If I can inspire even one person to follow their dreams, I’ll consider that a success. After all, we rode our bicycles across the country being overweight, out of shape, over 50 and inexperienced. If we can do it, you can do it … whatever your dream may be!
So … here we go.