Write. Right or Wrong.

What if I pour my heart on a page, only for it to go unseen? What if I've been reading things all wrong? What if my time and talents waste away with every stroke of a key? This writing thing isn't for the weak, but what if I'm not strong?

Doubting myself is nothing new... but what about those I trust? Surely, they wouldn't lie to me.

My mom, who has always said, "You have a way with words!"

My dad, who made a comment about my fantasy football recaps, saying, 'You do a good job with these... like really good."

As my parents, perhaps they are just biased... after all, supporting me is part of the job, right?

What about my college writing professor who was hard on all my papers? Just when I thought maybe I didn't have what it took, she gave me the highest grade in the class and asked me to be her aid the following year.

What about my employer who constantly asked "Can you edit this and make it sound better before sending it out?"

Are they all in cahoots playing some cruel joke or is writing something I can do after all?

What is stopping me? What is holding me back? I don't know why I bother to ask. The answer I already know. It stares me square in the face every time I sit down to write. It's the same thing that drives the majority of our decisions in life: fear. Fear of being uninteresting or irrelevant. Fear that there is nothing new to say. Fear of simply not being good enough. Fear of being judged or misunderstood. The list goes on and on. Endless excuses fill my mind. Why can't I have as much confidence as others hold in me?

Without a doubt, I know what holds me back, but what will push me forward? What drives me to say, "I will write anyway"? It's not the promise of fame, fortune, or prestige. It's the encouraging words from those I love. It's the way I feel alive every time my thoughts hit the page just right. It's the upswing in my mood when I've used a creative outlet to express my inner self. It's the fact that written communication gives me the opportunity to carefully consider each word in order to portray my ideas more accurately than verbal communication allows. It's the intense desire inside of me to inspire and encourage others with my words. These are the factors that motivate me to write, in spite of my fears.

Dear family member who has 20 different story ideas saved on their computer,

Dear colleague who writes out their inner thoughts when they are feeling overwhelmed and instantly feels better,

Dear friend who keeps a private journal full of poetry hidden away from the rest of the world,

What is holding you back from sharing, and what will you use to drive you past the road block in your mind?

Maybe you're a little comma happy (Hi, I'm Tori. Have we met?) or maybe your sentences run on, and on, and on.

Maybe there is someone better or more qualified... of course there is. There always is.

Maybe your fears are valid. Perhaps, you're not very good. On the plus side, that means you only have room to improve!

Maybe someone judges you. Let them. It is a reflection on them, not you.

Don't let the "maybes" hold you back. because I promise you this: no one can offer your unique perspective except for you!

Maybe the content of what you are writing matters more than the grammar.

Maybe you are more talented than you realize.

Maybe writing will unleash something inside you that you had no idea existed.

Maybe, just maybe, you will write a piece that someone else can relate to and feel inspired by.

So, write! Fact or fiction. Motivational or educational. Funny or heartfelt. Polished or unfiltered. Brief or extensive. Right or wrong... write.