Build a House

I am NOT a procrastinator. I will never understand how people can thrive from the thrill of doing a homework assignment at the last minute. I often hear of people writing papers at 11pm that are due at midnight (It makes me shake just thinking of the stress!). Instead, I could potentially have my work complete DAYS in advance to the deadline. Writing blogs is no exception to this proactive mentality.

Often times, I will write my blog a week before it is to be posted, looking for edits and having it ready at least 24 hours before releasing it. Writing is something I’ve always loved doing, but I’ve found that when it comes to blogs I HAVE to commit to a topic and roll with it no matter what. Once I have started on a message and story, I cannot give up on all the progress that came with the rough draft of writing the blog.

I was recently talking to my teammate, Kylee, about this phenomenon, that I can’t give up on something I started. She told me how often with her blogs, she will restart many times, and find ways to fit the pieces together along the way that she wanted to incorporate. Then, she challenged me to try the same exact thing. I was very hesitant, and denied the request at first, until a few nights ago.

I had written my blog earlier than usual, due to the fact that it was to be posted during one of the craziest, busiest, and best weeks of the year -- National FFA Convention. However, I was finding it flow the writing together and realized that it was a few messages put into one. I contemplated what my next move would be and was at a loss. For the first time in awhile, I procrastinated and stressed about going back to that blog and changing it, because there was so much work to be done. I feared not being able to write a good enough message or finish it in time.

A few days after creating my message and receiving edits, I was telling Kylee about my stress in editing the blog to perfection. She flashed a mischievous smile to me as if to say ‘remember what I said’, saying:

“Don’t be afraid to change it and move forward.”

Isn’t it crazy how sometimes, people know exactly what you need to hear, and you just need to open your heart to listen? In that moment, I knew that it was time to alter my way of thinking. I decided to completely restart and write this blog here and now. My stress melted away as I began to just write, an activity that has always helped give me perspective. I found myself again loving to write and create something I was proud of.

Can you think of a time in your life where you felt trapped to stay committed to something because you had so much work invested into it? That time might be right now. Fear of failure, judgement, and loss strike us until we decide to move on or work at the problem.

My choice to rewrite my blog immediately relieved the stress I was experiencing as National FFA Convention approached. I realized that becoming stuck on one single idea was not benefitting me, and that I could grow so much more from looking at different perspectives.

There’s an excellent quote from Mandy Hale that states:

“If God closes a door AND a window, consider the fact that it might be time to build a new house.”

Sometimes we just need to take the advice of my teammate and be willing to start anew. What will you do this week to build a new house where it seems like you are trapped in your position? How can you start a new story to share with others?

Stationed by the Door,

Maddie Weninger