Why am I starting a blog? Well…it's a long story, but ultimately, it's because the only line I can control is the starting line (wise words from author Jon Acuff).
It all started a few weeks ago when I was having dinner with a friend. Being 30 and the only other single girlfriend I have, we were talking about similar life situations, wondering about our careers and future relationships. I made a statement, and as the words came out of my mouth, they fully hit me. You know how sometimes when you say something out loud to someone else, it solidifies it in your own mind? Well, what I said was basically that if I am still in the same place doing the same thing 10 years from now, I would be horrified. It helped show me that I need to be more pro-active about pursuing some of my dreams and accomplishing some of my visions. It's the old adage that you keep waiting for your real life to start, until you suddenly realize this IS your life. And I don't want that to happen. So, I'm pursuing new opportunities. Exploring new paths. Reconnecting with some of the things I used to love doing, and seeing where they take me. One of those paths is writing.
It all started a few weeks ago when I was having dinner with a friend. Being 30 and the only other single girlfriend I have, we were talking about similar life situations, wondering about our careers and future relationships. I made a statement, and as the words came out of my mouth, they fully hit me. You know how sometimes when you say something out loud to someone else, it solidifies it in your own mind? Well, what I said was basically that if I am still in the same place doing the same thing 10 years from now, I would be horrified. It helped show me that I need to be more pro-active about pursuing some of my dreams and accomplishing some of my visions. It's the old adage that you keep waiting for your real life to start, until you suddenly realize this IS your life. And I don't want that to happen. So, I'm pursuing new opportunities. Exploring new paths. Reconnecting with some of the things I used to love doing, and seeing where they take me. One of those paths is writing.
Ever since that night, when I had dinner with my friend, I have been bombarded with signs, opportunities, coincidences, that tell me now is truly the time to start. That God is definitely stirring up the pot of my life and making all these things fall into place. Though I've been saying these things for years, I know it's finally happening. And I'm very excited about it. One of the main inspirations has been a book I read, called Quitter by author Jon Acuff. The tagline of the book reads "Bridging the gap between your day job and your dream job".
Don't worry - I'm not quitting my job. Atleast not yet. I bought this book last year at Catalyst West - the Christian leadership conference I attend every year. I bought the book because the title caught my attention, but when I got home and tried to read it, I couldn't seem to get into it. After that dinner I had with my friend, I went home and that book floated into my conscious. Suddenly it hit me, and I knew why I couldn't read the book then - its because I was supposed to read it NOW. God's timing is always perfect. I wasn't ready last year, and if I had read that book then, it's inspiration would have been lost on me. I picked that book back up when I got home, and I devoured it in a day. It has inspired me in more ways than I could explain. By no coincidence I'm sure, Acuff's next book is due to come out next month, and it is called Start. The cover of the book reads "Punch Fear in the Face. Escape Average. Do Work That Matters. START."
It's basically a continuation of Quitter, and I couldn't be more excited about reading it. A couple days ago, Acuff was hosting a live web event, streaming the footage from the Nashville "Start Night" - where he basically speaks about his book and what it's about. It was playing 4-6pm West Coast time, so I thought I wouldn't be able to watch, but of course life intervened once again and I happened to be home sick that day. So I was able to tune in, and it has only added to my motivation and inspiration.
I'm not expecting any miracles to happen - I know if I want to pursue my dreams, it's going to take a lot of discipline, dedication, and hard work. But I'm finally ready for that. Like I said before, one of the things I want to start doing more of is writing. I don't know how often or what about - but I know that I love telling stories. And as Acuff says, "Ready is a myth. Don't wait until you're 'ready' to chase a dream. No one is ready. Just start." So I'll start with stories about my life - my childhood, my friends, my family, experiences I've had, things I've learned. I'm mainly looking for practice, and for feedback. So if you're reading, thank you for supporting me on my journey…
By the way, if you aren't familiar with Jon Acuff's writing, you should check him out. His journey as a writer started out with just a blog, too - a little one called "Stuff Christians Like". Thank you Jon, for all of your inspiration.
Follow Jon's blog here
Follow Jon on Twitter @JonAcuff
You can follow me on Twitter as well! @SongBirdSteph22
