Inspiration
I don’t know about for you, but for me inspiration takes different forms at different times, or more accurately, what inspires me takes different forms.
This whole global pandemic has changed so much for so many. For me, it’s meant working from home full-time, which I love. It’s also meant that board meetings, committee meetings, work/team meetings and workshops, along with worship services, take place online. Makes it super easy, right? I definitely don’t miss the long commute. It makes a huge difference. But it also comes with it’s own set of challenges, including staying close with people you don’t see in person anymore, and having fun with friends.
However, even in this time of physical distancing, I’ve had a couple of strong influences who’ve pushed me to start writing again. One did it unintentionally, while the other is a good friend who always pushes me but who finally managed to break through my thick skull. This good friend has been pushing me to write for a couple years now. A couple other friends do the same, but not as ferociously as she does.
The other is someone who came into my life in a more meaningful way than his previous role as a peripheral business acquaintance. He and I haven’t talked in depth about writing, or my writing, and until very recently he hasn’t encouraged me to write, per se. However, we have amazing conversations and he is always so articulate, and so ardent, it’s affected me. After we spent an evening together in person, talking, I felt a strong message from the universe that I needed to start writing gain. Four months later and here we are. I’m finally starting again. I know. I should have listened to the message months ago, but although I was open to receiving it and finally actually hearing it, I wasn’t ready, or my head wasn’t in the right place, to start.
I’ve loved to write since I learned how to put words together to tell a story. Specifically, since my 4th grade teacher so inspired me. I’ve always written, even majoring in journalism in college. Somehow, though, my words seemed to dry up a few years ago. I stopped even writing to get tough feelings out, which probably would have helped me a lot after Hurricane Harvey, but I went into survival mode and didn’t use my words to help me heal, as I always have.
The other friend, the one who is so vigorous in her encouragement, is a creative who I truly admire for her passions, and has become a good friend over the past few years. She recently hosted an online workshop about manifesting your dreams. Talk about inspiring. Going in, the first goal I wrote was to start writing daily. Yea, didn’t happen then. This was a little over a month ago. I did, however, realize in that workshop that I had somehow lost the ability to truly relax. I don’t think I can fully explain how big an epiphany that was to me, really shaking me and making me re-evaluate several things. Re-learning how to really relax has been something I’m working on. I know I need to be able to relax fully for so many reasons. That has been coming back, as I’ve made myself do something else I’ve loved to do for years, which is knitting. It’s taken a little while, but I’m now knitting daily for the first time in years, even if it’s only a couple rows at a time. When I started, my shoulders would ache after too long. Now, its just relaxing. And a beautiful action as it makes me feel my mother with me.
Hopefully, re-learning to relax has opened my mind up to where I’ll be able to write more regularly. It has taken me far longer to write these few words than I can believe, but I also feel more open to the words than I have in a very long time, which is definitely a special gift. Maybe I’ll get to where I’m going. Or where I’m supposed to be going. No, scratch that maybe. I know I’ll get to where I should be. And I know I’m back on the right path.
All it took was a little inspiration.
Marjorie Writes... 