Everyone Has a "My Gutsy Story." What's Yours?
My name is Sonia Marsh, and I'd like to welcome you to my blog: “Gutsy Living: Life is too short to play it safe.”
"Gutsy Living" is about inspiring one another to take risks in life and to follow our passion. I believe we all have a “My Gutsy Story” within us, and "Gutsy Living" is a safe community where we can share our stories, and motivate one another.
So what is a “My Gutsy Story?”
It's about something Gutsy you've done in your life that either:
- Changed you
- Changed the way you think about something
- Made your life take a different direction
Every Monday, I feature a "My Gutsy Story" and at the end of each month, we all get to vote on our favorite story of the month.
The first story I received was from Rhonda Hayes. She has an amazing story about how she overcame grief. I don't want to give it away, but you'll be surprised by what happened to her.
The first man to submit his "My Gutsy Story" was Richard Potter, and his story was about how he overcame his own fears by helping others.
These life-changing stories are inspiring, and cover a variety of topics:
- Quitting your job and sailing around the world
- Following your passion
- Volunteering in Africa
- Homeschooling your kids on "The Great American Field Trip"
- Reconnecting with a family member
- A life-changing trip after a divorce
And finally, my own "My Gutsy Story," Freeways to Flip-Flops: Our Year of Living Like the Swiss Family Robinson, which is about how we decided to chuck it all and move our family to Belize to reconnect. In 2004, we uprooted our three sons— ages 16, 13 and 10—and moved from a materialistic life in Orange County, California, to a hut on stilts in Belize, Central America.
If you'd like to submit your own "My Gutsy Story," please check out the details on the Join the “My Gutsy Story” contest page.
Each month, the winner gets to select a prize from our amazing list of sponsors, both local, and international. We have GM, Writer's Digest, Peet's Coffee and Tea, Regency Theaters, Spectrum Specialties and Awards, as well as prizes being offered by several writing coaches, editors, and other experts.
Everyone has a "My Gutsy Story." Mine is moving our family to Belize, what's yours?
Please leave a comment and I look forward to connecting with you.
Kristen Hansen
5:19 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
That's a great idea! My gutsy story is to get involved in making movies, which I always wanted to do. Its really fulfilling to do something you always wanted to do.
Kristen H: http://themakingofthedownhomealienblues.blogspot.com/
Sonia Marsh
6:14 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Hi Kristen,
What a "Gutsy" thing to do. I always admire people who take on their passion and make it happen. Good luck with your movie-making career.
Larry Jacobson
3:41 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
HI Sonia,
Glad to see you on this site, and thank you for publishing my gutsy story. Leaving everything to sail around the world was, I admit, a gutsy thing to do. I hope your readers will see through my book, articles, and speeches that they too can make their dreams come true. You don't have to sail all the way around the world have an adventurous, full life--just take that first step toward making your goals a reality and watch what happens! Your readers can find my award-winning book at http://larryjacobson.com
Here's to a gutsy life filled with laughter, love, and passion!
Larry
Sonia Marsh
3:50 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hi Larry,
I really enjoyed listening to your presentation, and reading "The Boy Behind the Gate," with some amazing photos of your journey sailing around the world. If anyone is truly Gutsy, it's you. What's your next Gutsy move? A space flight?
Jill
7:54 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
So great to see you on the Lake Forest Patch! This would be great on all the patches! Looking forward to seeing upcoming Gutsy stories. Hats off to you Sonia, for creating a community where risk takers can come together and support each other and for people who didn't consider themselves risk takers, open up the possibilities within themselves.
Sonia Marsh
9:09 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thanks Jill. This means a lot to me as I think we can all encourage one another by giving that little extra "push" we sometimes need. I know you did something incredible by taking your kids on the "Great American Field Trip." What a fabulous approach to giving your four children a glimpse of America from the West coast to the East coast and back. http://soniamarsh.com/2011/11/my-gutsy-story-by-jill-fales.html
Rhonda Hayes
8:15 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Everyone has a Gutsy Story to share. Sonia Marsh has given us all a wonderful opportunity to not ony share, but to encourage others to live more fully by steppring out of our comfort zones. Thank you Sonia!
Rhonda Hayes
Sonia Marsh
9:11 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Rhonda, yours was the very first story, and we all had tears of sorrow, followed by tears of joy, after reading your inspiring story of how you overcame grief with the help of your wonderful daughter. Thanks for sharing. Yours is a story that can help so many who are going through the loss of a loved one.
Anne Schroeder
9:00 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
My gutsy story wasn't so much a daring journey around the world, but a giant leap of faith in reconnecting with my grownchild. I've heard from others that the story gave them wings to heal their own broken relationships. That's what we're here for--to add our wisdom to the collective universe. Glad I could do my share. Glad that you made it available for others. This is a great site and a worthy effort. Best of luck.
Sonia Marsh
9:16 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Anne,
Your story of reconnecting with your daughter is story so many parents can relate to. Funny that a one-week trip to Mexico reconnected both of you,
http://soniamarsh.com/2012/02/my-gutsy-story-by-anne-schroeder.html
and for my family, it was a whole year in Belize.
Lois Joy Hofmann
4:34 pm on Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thank you, Sonia, for publishing my gutsy story. I wrote about the events in my life that led to my eventual sailing around the world on a 43-foot catamaran.
Lois Joy Hofmann
4:39 pm on Saturday, February 25, 2012
And by the way, having completed my circumnavigation, I am now writing about it in a nautical series called, "In Search of Adventure and Moments of Bliss." The first book in the series is MAIDEN VOYAGE. The second will be SAILING THE SOUTH PACIFIC. You can find out about them via my author website at www.loisjoyhofmann.com
Sonia Marsh
6:02 pm on Saturday, February 25, 2012
Lois,
You have a great story about "going for your passion" and not letting anything stop you. Thanks for sharing and good luck with your book series.