Girl with Gumption

There are those times in life when one realizes that there are certain things about them that need to be improved. Certain strengths or skills that need a little refining. Bad habits that need to be broken. Teeth need whitening, tummy needs tightening, muscles need toning. Let's face it...we all could use a little work.

Lately, by way of sudden change and conversations with friends, I have come to realize that an area I need some improvement on is my level of gumption (which is currently nonexistent...or so I am told).What is gumption you say? If you consulted Webster you would learn that the word means: enterprise; initiative - plus a smattering of other terms that have no significance to this blog-post so I will withhold them for the time being. Some may also call it courage. In my everyday language, what it means is that I need to develop a spine. Plain and simple. 

I think if you had asked me prior to these enlightening conversations, I would have claimed to be a woman of great gumption! Someone who could speak her mind. Stand up for myself! And never would I allow myself to get pushed around, walked on, or be treated in any other way than what I deserve... But for those of you who know me, you're rolling your eyes and saying "nice try, Jacki." Truth is I can be that person in my car or in my apartment by myself, and definitely within my thought process, but never out loud. I would like to place most of the blame on the whole "Minnesota Nice" theory that I was raised in and clearly live out now even though I have been away from MN for nearly a year. Whatever the case may be, this is the current area of my life that needs some tweaking. Now just to figure out how to go about doing that. As for now, I take my inspiration from a scene from one of my favorite flicks The Holiday!

Sigh...

Someday, that day could be quite a long ways off if we are being serious, but someday I will be able to be that bold, be able to stand up for myself and be that courageous. Someday...you will know me as the girl with gumption! Better get to work!