You Just Gotta Start

When Darryl first approached me about restarting up the Sqvadron blog, every excuse in the book popped up in my head as to why right now isn’t a good time for it. I had my own personal reasons (excuses): I’ve been dealing with writer’s block, I’m back at work again, I don’t think I have the energy to put into it, I want to focus on other things, etc. 

Then I had other excuses, like convincing myself that no one really reads blogs anymore anyways. 

The actual truth is simple: discomfort and my tendency to avoid it at all costs. Writing was and always will be my first love, but I haven’t been putting time into practicing so words don’t come as easily to me as they normally do. The thought of having to commit to regularly sharing written works into the void immediately left me feeling uncomfortable and anxious. 

When I think back to that moment now, it seems silly to have had such a visceral response to something that actually gives me the opportunity to, in a way, practice something that I love, something that helps keep me balanced, while also helping to grow and share the ins and outs of all that we do as a collective. 

It’s incredibly easy to use excuses to put things off. The reality is that you can literally just start anything at anytime. It might be uncomfortable at first, it might feel overwhelming or like it’s not the right time, but it’s never truly going to be the “right” time, for anything. 

You just gotta start. 

So here I am, committing to sending words out into the void again with the hope that you - whoever you are reading this - might feel like it’s time for you to start that thing you’ve been putting off too. 

Whatever it is, I’m rooting for you.

- Mel Rivera