Making Excuses

Do you ever say yes to plans and then immediately feel sick knowing you’re committed to going? Yes, this thing sounds so fun, just what I’ve been looking, waiting, and wishing for, but now I’m having a mild panic attack. I do this all the time. I overthink all the ways that I could be awkward, unqualified, or unpolished, and begin to form excuses for why I just shouldn’t go at all.

This past week was a week of excuses. I was invited to a blogger meet up with some incredibly beautiful and creative women from Champaign. I’ve never been to anything like this and was crazy excited to meet women just as passionate about blogging and life as me. But soon I could feel the excuses starting to build:

I have nothing to wear.

They have thousands of followers on Instagram.

I need a hair appointment.

I have homework.

Maybe I should vacuum the whole house.

And hey laundry, I see you.

All of the ridiculous excuses were flowing now and I was talking myself out of going.

But I went, and I’m so thankful I did! These women were just like me with chaotic schedules, kids at their ankles, stresses at work, and insecurities of their own. They understood. I understood. And we shared and laughed and connected.

Making excuses is really easy and it’s even easier to give into them and give up on the things that can change your heart, change your situation, or maybe even change your life. So let’s make less excuses and take more steps towards the things that move us and scare us. We should let our hearts get stirred up. Let’s let them race because we’re challenging our normal rhythm. Because it’s in those places that we find truth, we find strength, we find trust, and we find love. It’s in those places that I found a cup of tea, blog ideas, cupcakes, and a table of women that are just like me.