Are you doing your best work? Are you creating, crafting, giving, unfolding as much of your unique gifts and talents as you can?
Are you involved in something that fills you up, spills you out and leaves your fingerprints?
I hear from people all the time who truly wish they could be brave enough to craft their ideal life, or pursue a passion. They have an idea for a blog, a book or a new career but they feel that it’s unattainable. It’s too new and difficult, or conversely, it’s too overdone….but why? Is there really nothing left to give?
When I first started blogging, I was inspired but overwhelmed. I wanted to write about things I loved talking about: personal finance, beauty, fashion, personal development and inspiration. I LOVED these topics but felt so lost and insignificant. How could I be heard when everyone else is already talking about these things? Why will the things I say even matter? What do I have to offer the world that’s unique and makes a contribution. These questions were nearly enough to stop me from pursuing my passion for writing and blogging.
I didn’t know whether I’d be heard, or what I had to say would really matter, but I went ahead anyway- simply because it mattered to me.
When you surround yourself with something you’re passionate about, you’re an active consumer of music, or a devout foodie- you see people doing what you’d like to do: writing books, recording albums, crafting successful blogs. You see the success of the creators you admire and feel that all the good ideas are taken.
But good news: there’s no cap on potential.
The world doesn’t simply run out of inspiration, good ideas, popular gurus. In fact, there is no quota, and it will never fill- the world is hungry for more.
Think of it this way: How many songs have been written about love? How many renditions of Romeo & Juliet have been performed? How many stories have been written about the triumph of the underdog or on the “political climate,” of the day? Nothing ever stays the same. Our truth never gets tired. The world doesn’t tire of inspiration or a good story. We keep searching for more content to inspire and entertain us.
My advice to you is to get out there and simply create. Create for the joy of creation. Not for fame, not for money, not from obligation. Create your best work simply because you want to, and if it’s not your best work, keep going until you craft your masterpiece. If you’re on the fence about pursuing a passion, getting free in love or money, traveling abroad or telling your story, now is the time to step forward and LIVE.
Feel free to leave whatever’s on your mind in the comments below 🙂
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I <3 this post! If we let ourselves believe that all the good ideas are already taken, progress and innovation wouldn't exist. Of course I relate this to blogging since that's what I do – I'm not going to tell anyone something about personal finance that they couldn't find somewhere else. However, what if my site is the place they happen to be looking at the time?
I love blogging and I'm going to do it even if no one reads. I think that's important. If I do things for someone else, it's easy to get discouraged. But if I do them for myself, it doesn't matter – I can be happy because I did it for me.
I think sometimes we bloggers get too hung up on originality. Granted, there is a huge difference between using ideas and developing on them, or putting our own spin on them and flat out copying others without any originality, many people never even GET STARTED because they're worried their ideas and thoughts aren't original *enough.*
Everyone can offer something to the world, at this point in time of human history there are no real truly *new* ideas, there are just developments of old ideas in new ways, and that's the beauty of it….we all have something to contribute simply because we live, we breath, we think, we experience and that in itself is our uniqueness.
I'm in love with this post. I've bookmarked it for those times when voices in my head are telling me that what I have to say isn't important or valuable. I really like what you said "there's no cap on potential". I might have to steal that phrase and start using it.
This is so inspiring! If I hadn't already started my blog and started down my path of living this would have kicked my butt in gear. I am really starting to enjoy writing not to make money or get people to read, but more for myself. It's a creative outlet and a way I can express my thoughts and feelings.
Thanks for sharing Shannyn. I really enjoy reading your blog.
Awww thank you SO much- coming from you that's a huge compliment! I love reading your stuff too! I know each of us has a huge supply of untapped potential, we just need something to trigger it..one small idea or experience that opens a new branch of thoughts, ideas and contributions. We are never really "done" creating, it constantly evolves and that's why it's so beautiful.
Thanks for stopping by, and keep writing and drawing upon inspiration and you'll find the love for it increases and without really trying, the money follows your love! 🙂
Inspiring! The Internet and social media revolution has given us all a powerful voice. The thing about social networks is that you become successful by engaging. There is a phenomenal demand for new content every day, and who better to provide it than those that want to participate, engage, and help to shape the future. Blog on!
This post was very inspiring. I let people discourage me for so many years, but I realized, I could no longer ignore my desire to be creative. The creative spark will drive you crazy until you pursue it.
The problem is society tends to be very discouraging of people pursuing their passions. You know growing up so many parents tell their kids they can be and do anything they want, and when they reach 18, the kids are told, "You need to be realistic." It's such a contradiction. A lot of people just never get started at all.
I've learned to keep things to myself until I achieve something.
Sara Blakely the inventor of SPANX, said that an idea is most vulnerable at its conception." I saw her interview here. No I don't work for SPANX, Hulu, or CNBC. I just like quoting my sources. 😉
https://www.hulu.com/watch/66214/cnbc-originals-th…
*The quality kind of sucks though.
I do agree with Sarah in keeping your idea to yourself for awhile. I do think that we all have different voices and we have different things to offer to the world.
Thanks for this post! This is exactly what I've needed to hear this week, because it's been raining on my parade (figuratively & literally).
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