Risks

A lot of who I really am began simply with the spelling of my name-- Nic. For many years I've spelled it like many others, Nick, but I recently decided to change it. Two specific reasons drove me to do this:

1) It's how my mom has always spelled it.
2) I wanted to be different.

 You may now be asking, though, how in the world this has ANYTHING to do with my personality. It's only the spelling, but it altered the way I looked at myself. Believe it or not, changing the spelling to the rest of the world, other than my family, made me an absolute nervous wreck. I didn't want anyone to laugh at me or call me weird. Yes, I know that seems like a ridiculous fear, but it was a legit one. Once I finally took a step and did something despite what I thought the world would think, I realized it was okay to do something against what society thinks is "okay," and that ultimately society does not matter. Society in my life has simply made it horrible. You have to look, think, and live in the way the others around you say. It's ridiculous and sad.

In my opinion, we would not be where we are to day (with our growth of a nation) had it not been for people going against what those around them told them to. Now, I'm not saying we should all go against tradition or fight something just for the fun of fighting it and doing the opposite, but I am saying we shouldn't be afraid to be ourselves and step away from the "norm" to satisfy ourselves. It was a small risk, though it seemed huge at the time, but I wanted to step away from the "norm" around me and try something new. Since then I've actually been able to think to myself and say "Yes, Nic. There is a possibility that this won't turn out well, but it is NOT wrong to at least aim for it and try."

By taking risks we open opportunities to make a mistake, and with mistakes we allow ourselves the opportunities to learn.

Live your life, and don't be afraid to smile just because someone says you can't. Soon, you will realize you are only several steps away from living your dreams! =)