A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future.
You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown. ~Denis Waitley I remember in third grade my teacher took my mother aside and asked her if it would be possible to keep a couple of the stories I had written. She wanted to keep them so when I grew up to be a famous writer she could say she taught me. See once I learned that letters could form words and words could form thoughts I had in my head-- I was off. I wrote short stories daily and wrote in my journals every night. Words were my thing. But until I created Random Thoughts-- I never shared my writings. They were a part of me that I kept to myself. I stepped way out of my comfort zone with this blog and honestly haven't looked back. A month ago I came across a writing competition. It is called Blogger Idol and I was intrigued immediately. Here I was standing on the edge of my new comfort zone and thinking about entering. I talked myself out of it about 10 times. Then talked myself back into it 11 more. I know I am my own worst critic, did I really want to open the door to others? Allow them into my world and let them judge my writing? Turns out I did. So when auditions opened a couple weeks ago I sat down wrote mine out and submitted it before I talked myself out of it again. On Thursday they released the Top 13 finalists. I was among them! So, for the next 10 weeks there will be weekly assignments. We write about the topic assigned and not only will it be judged by a panel of bloggers-- it will also be judged by the fans and readers too. Here is my plug: Voting Opens every Wednesday at Noon CST. If you like what I wrote I would love for you to vote for me. However, there are 12 other amazing writers and I want you to vote with your heart. If something one of them has written touches you or you feel drawn to-by all means vote for them! I would just love for all of you to support what each and every one of us is putting into this. OK- End of plug. For those that have asked me here is what I submitted for "my audition". Here it is: All the roads I have travelled, all the life lessons I have learned, have led me to this moment. I stand ready in the wing awaiting my cue. My moment to shine is now. I take deep breaths to calm my nerves. Butterflies dance in my stomach. I gather my wits and walk onto the stage. I clutch my instruments to my chest and look out to judge’s panel, then sweep my gaze across the audience. A sea of faces looks up at me expectantly. As I sit down and place my instruments in front of me, calm descends. I am in my element. I open the lid, place my hands on the keys and perform. The magic that I weave is not heard. It is read. It is felt. It incites emotions. It causes a stir. I am a Maestro of Words. My keys are not made of ivory; they do not make music when played. But the magic that they weave, the lives that they touch is thrilling. A hush has fallen over the crowd, the judges look on expectantly, however I do not notice. I am lost in my words and the world that I am creating. My fingers fly across the keyboard. All of a sudden out of nowhere a seagull lands next to my laptop and steals what is left of my bagel. I blink a few times and return to reality. There is no stage, no crowd and certainly no judges. I am sitting at a picnic table, next to the ocean. Remnants of my breakfast sit next to me. Steam is billowing up from my coffee and the sun is shining. I feel myself grinning and glance out to the ocean. Damn seagull, shattered my moment. My big debut as the next Blogger Idol. With my thoughts scattered for the moment, I reach for my coffee. I never really write about me as a person. My experiences, my life and my thoughts, yes. But me? What to write. I look for inspiration in my coffee cup. I am a jaded, coffee drinking writer with a penchant for bluntness. A blogger that understands that life is not always sunshine and rainbows. That sometimes- it is anything but sunny. A writer that has her own form of gritty inspirational writing that touches people who are struggling. I write from my gut. It isn’t always pretty but it often makes people think. It reaches out to people in a way they can relate to. I see the world differently than most. I have been to hell and back and am not afraid to write about it. Why? Because it touches people. It helps people. And in the process, helps me to. I love to inspire people to find their strength, their confidence and their ability to overcome everything they are facing. That I can do this through my writing… well that just makes me a Rock Star.
5 Comments
Random Jenn
10/8/2012 09:02:07 am
Ha! You are too my friend.
Reply
rosella
9/29/2012 12:35:21 pm
found you on facebook through shared posts and photos. i'm reading through your blog and now, i'm totally hooked :) you definitely are a blogger idol!
Reply
Random Jenn
10/8/2012 09:03:16 am
Thank you Rosella!! Let's hope everyone else agrees too!! Don't forget to vote on Wednesdays at Noon!!
Reply
Jenn Manning
9/29/2012 01:10:02 pm
Rosella thank you so much!! I am glad you found me and my little world here. Welcome!! ~Jenn
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Please Support
JV Manning's work and keep her in coffee ♥ Venmo: @JVManning ©JVManning 2020 All Rights ReservedArchives
November 2020
|