What is it about a birthday or an anniversary that prompts us to pause, reflect and remember?  Tomorrow is my 1-year anniversary of blogging, and I find myself wondering if I’ve been doing what I set out to do.  Why have I been doing this?

There is so much to be said about taking chances.  Crossing thresholds.  Plunging in.  Alec Couros shared this video at a recent #etMOOC session:

I’m so happy that this little girl fought past her fear and achieved something so wonderful.  I’m also pretty sure that TONS of people have learned from her.  Tackling fear sometimes leads to some pretty cool results.  The thing is, why do new things seem so big, so huge, and sometimes so impossible?

There is a choice to be made when we are presented with any new thing:  is our fear of something unfamiliar going to hold us back from trying, or will we try anyway?

My recent introductory post for #etMOOC was a huge step for me.  I have a fear of speaking that really holds me back.  Comfortably introverted, I shy away from larger group activities, letting the social butterflies take centre stage.  Their thoughts seem to flow so easily as they chat and joke with others, and I find myself wishing I could speak that well too.

Now, I have no plans to ‘go for the gold’ and begin speaking in front of large groups, but I’m sure there has to be a way that I can get better at sharing my thoughts without relying on my writing skills.  Recently, I’ve really enjoyed listening to podcasts from Wes Fryer and David Truss.  Their thoughts are shared in such a natural way, and they sometimes describe their informal settings which creates a sense of comfort for their audience.  I think I enjoy these sessions because they haven’t been made to appear perfect.  They don’t have that guarded, polished feel to them — they make their listeners feel like friends as they sort out thoughts about new ideas.  I sure hope they realize what a refreshing treat this is!

Maybe by following the lead of people who are willing to explore these new ways of communicating without appearing to be perfect, I can try a bit too.  I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to do this, but it’s something I’d like to improve.  Wish me luck!