Well, I did it again. I let life get in the way of my passions. Seems to be a recurring theme with me. Can any of you relate?
Thankfully, this blog and other passions which I have put on the back burner for the last few months have been steadily on my mind (obviously, not at the forefront). I’ve been looking everywhere for inspiration and I finally found something that made me get out of my rut and start writing again.
They say that to be a good writer, you must also be well-read. I have been reading a lot the last few months. Mostly other blog posts about writing, making money working from home, etc. But, what inspired me to start writing again was Ann Voskamp‘s book, One Thousand Gifts. I’ve started reading this book several times since I purchased it a few years back. I usually only make it through the first chapter. Not because it isn’t a good book. I just don’t think the timing was right for me to get the most out of it. I’m still only in the first few chapters, but there was something in those beginning words that spoke to me this time.
Ann writes about discovering the word “eucharisteo” in her studies. She spends some time researching the meaning of this word and what it might mean to her on her journey to find a fuller life. She studies the word for quite a while and then suddenly realizes that she should be doing more than just studying, she should also be actively doing “something”. Such a simple thing, but it really struck me.
My blog and domain renewal are coming up next month. That means its been a year since I started putting this blog together. In that year’s time, I can’t tell you how many how-to articles I’ve read and how much research I’ve done. Add to that all the time I’ve spent doubting myself and its no wonder I haven’t written much down. If you read my last post Turning a Dream Into Reality – How We Did It, you are probably laughing at me right now. I really need to take my own advice and just put something, anything, down on paper!
There have also been other inspirations along the way. Before, during and after our trip many friends, family and even strangers have told us how amazing they thought it was that we were actually doing this. Many of them have wanted to know more about how we got started, where we traveled, what type of RV we used, and more. There has been so much interest in what we were and are doing, that I knew I needed to write it all down. My hope is that others can learn from our experiences and that I can inspire someone else out there to live their dream.
The Road to Hale is a blog about the road’s that take us on the journey of our life. Getting stuck in the same old patterns is a road I travel way too often. A lot of my posts reflect this theme. Maybe this is one of your life roads as well. Here’s my advice to myself:
- Read a lot, but make sure to include some inspirational and creative articles and books, not just how-to’s.
- Write something down, preferably on a daily basis, even if its just a few words.
- Don’t listen to the negative voice in your head that says you aren’t good enough or that you don’t have anything to say
- Diversify. Pick multiple projects or interests to work on. If your ideas dry up for one area, you’ll have another area to move on to instead of stagnating.
- Set goals with realistic due dates
- Ask for help (I don’t do this enough. Finding a mentor needs to be on my list of goals!)
- DON”T GIVE UP! Your dream is worth the hard work. YOU CAN DO IT!
Are you stuck? I’d love to hear what you do to get out of the rut. Please leave a comment or drop me an email.