No Bang. No Bullet. No Fun.

In life, it’s so easy to put off living our dreams. We say, “it’s not the right time,” “I don’t have enough money,” “I’ll start living my

The Lovely Miss Hope

dreams after x, or before y.” The problem with this is that in reality, it’s NEVER going to feel like the right time to live our dreams.
Why? Because once we start living our dreams, everything changes. Our comfort zone is nowhere to be found. We have to face all of our fears. We have to somehow figure out where to find the courage to follow through. And no human easily jumps into these
situations on purpose. Except, of course, if you’re the type of human that values amazing life experiences more than you value staying in your comfort zone.

All of you, reading this blog, and on this site, I assume are these type of people. The kind that would rather do the exciting (albeit scary) thing, than stay in the safety zone.

And this got me thinking about shooting. And how this all relates.

Any first time shooter knows that it can be scary. We don’t know how to hold the gun. Where to aim. When to pull the trigger. How to avoid embarrassment or injury. We don’t know what we’re doing and we feel uncomfortable.

And there are only two ways to handle this….jump right in and learn as we go. Or turn around and go home. Back to safety zone.

Same thing with dreams. We may know that we want something more in life, but we might not know what we’re aiming for, really. We know something needs to change, but we might not know when to pull the trigger because it never feels like the right time. We
know we want to do something great, but we are afraid to put ourselves out there because we might fail or be embarrassed or be judged.

And the reason these things are all so scary is because we don’t know how to do them yet. We expect ourselves to be perfect at it. We want to hit the “bullseye” of our life the first time out, and when we don’t, we get discouraged. And because of this, it’s so easy
to quit. To feel bad about ourselves and move on to something else.

But that’s not the solution. The solution is to keep going. Keep learning. Keep trying. And keep making the decision that you want it. Bad. And that nothing or no one is going to stop you.

No shooter gets good at shooting by thinking about shooting. I mean, if you never pull the trigger…nothing happens. No bang. No bullet. No fun.

Same with dreams. In order to have the life we want, we have to practice LIVING the life we want. We have to go for it.

Nothing exciting ever happens in our lives from doing the same thing we’ve always done. So switch it up. The time is now.

So my dears, if you’re wondering how to have the life you want, here is my answer: Aim for the farthest and most exciting dream you can think of. Shoot for the absolute best and most fulfilling life. And when in doubt, just pull the trigger. There is no other way for you to hit your target.

Does any of this sound familiar? What in your life do you need to “pull the trigger” on? What was it like the first time you pulled the trigger at the range or towards your dreams? Leave a comment below and share your story.

Sally Hope, The Unconventional Traditionalist, is a Blogger/Love and Life Coach who loves hot-pink lipstick, guns, puns, crosswords and cowboys. A former Rockstar (https://youtu.be/jpgCAkSHxNQ) she has taken her show from the stage to the road by traveling around the US in an RV while coaching her clients and inspiring people to live their own Rockstar
Lifestyles. Her latest obsessions include traveling, country swing dancing, motorcycles, LOVE, chips and salsa, and adventuring. Whatever it is you are wanting in your life, she will help you get there fasterYou can find her at her website (hyperlink: https://sallyhope.com) or her Facebook page (https://facebook.com/xosallyhope) Twitter (https://twitter.com/sallyhopesays) or getting ridiculous on her YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/sallyhopesays)

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I’ve never quite done things like the other girls. And honestly…I don’t want to. I’d rather have a day at the gun rangethan sit around drinking martinis and gossiping. And I know there are more girls out there like me.

I used to think I was all alone. All by myself here in the in-between world of being a girl and liking things that people consider masculine. Guns. Trucks. Beer. Feeling both not feminine enough around the girls, and not masculine enough
around the guys. Always walking some kind of invisible line, where I didn’t know who I was supposed to be in any given moment.

The more time that passes, the more I realize that who I am, makes me unique. It might not make sense to everyone, but that’s ok. It makes sense to me and the people that truly love me, and that’s all that matters.

This is a battle cry for all the girls out there who love things that most people don’t think should go together. You want your nails done AND you carry a handgun. You’re sensitive AND you’re tough. You love your cowgirl boots AND
your high heels. You pay to get your hair done AND you wear it in a pony tail. You are it all. And you don’t have to choose.

I think the best thing any of us can do in our lives is love and accept ourselves for who we are. We were born this way. All unique. All perfect. I don’t know why I like firearms just as much as I don’t know why I like strawberries. I just do.
And the more I feel bad about myself for liking guns (or strawberries), the more unhappy I am.

Self-love is one of those funny things. We all know we’re supposed to do it, but we forget so easily and so quickly how. It’s a practice, just like any other.

So I hereby give you permission to be exactly who you are. Stand tall and firm in your beliefs and wants and desires. It is truly a beautiful thing to see a woman who knows who she is and doesn’t apologize for it.

So the next time you want to go to the gun range instead of drink martinis with the girls DO IT. Invite them along. Maybe ya’ll will find a brand new way to bond. Getting over your fears together. Feeling empowered for doing something that girls don’t normally do. It’s important for women to support each other. But even more importantly is that you support yourself.

Do any of you feel this way? What have been your experiences being a girl who loves firearms? What types of things do you face? Leave a comment below to share your story.

Sally Hope, The Unconventional Traditionalist, is a Blogger/Love and Life Coach who loves hot-pink lipstick, guns, crosswords and cowboys. A former Rockstar (https://youtu.be/jpgCAkSHxNQ), she has taken her show from the stage to the road by traveling around the US in an RV while coaching her clients and inspiring people to live their own Rockstar Lifestyles. Her latest obsessions include traveling, country swing dancing, motorcycles, LOVE, chips and salsa, and adventuring. Whatever it is you are wanting in your life, she will help you get there fasterYou can find her at her website (hyperlink: https://sallyhope.com) or her Facebook page (https://facebook.com/xosally) Twitter (https://twitter.com/sallyhopesays) or getting ridiculous on her YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/sallyhopesays)

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