I’ve been really happy with my new system of focusing on one topic, like a mini-series, for each month. So far, we’ve explored beauty in May, and parenting in June (in the past, there was also November’s gratitude series and February’s cancer series). You might think that for July, the quintessential summer month, I’d choose to write about something light and simple, like “vacations” or “relaxing” or “family fun.” Well, I considered all of those, but instead, I’m going to go with something much more complex.

FEAR. Fear will be my mini-series focus for July.

Why? Because I’m facing a pretty major life transition at the end of the summer, and while parts of me are excited, some of me is scared. I need to work through some of those fears, and others I’ve held onto for far too long. What better way to do that than to write and share them?

There’s another reason. I think I tend to present myself as a pretty self-assured, together person, both via my writing and in real life (except to certain close confidants). I like being seen as confident, but there’s also some artifice to that persona, and maybe some annoying aspects to it as well. If I see someone who seems to have it all figured out, I like to know a little about what still gets under her skin. It won’t change my overall perception of her, but it’ll make her more human, more understandable. Writing about fear will help me to tear down some of those walls for myself. It will make me vulnerable. And that’s something I need a dose of, now and then.

Some post topics you might see this month include…

…how my son’s fears cut to the core of my own fears

…identifying fears that are holding me back

…putting fear in its place

…weird and funny fears

…why it’s good to be (a little) afraid

Any suggestions for fear-based post topics? Leave a comment or email me at leannesowul@gmail.com.