I am inspired by so many things. When I think back to almost six years ago and why I created this blog, I was inspired by faith and hope. I wondered back then if I could get through the pain of separation and then eventual divorce. Here we are just about six years later and I am in a different place; a much better place. The outlook on life is clearer and brighter and definitely more positive. I am all for positive surroundings in this life.
When starting A Life With A View, it looked much different than it does today. The more I read books and magazines, and eventually connecting with other writers, bloggers, and storytellers the more comfortable I felt about what I wanted out of life; to be happy and to fulfill my purpose. I had a story to tell and not only the good stuff; the not so good stuff too.
I began with a theme. Ten words to get me started and I centered my blog posts around the ten words which mean the most to me: Faith, Love, Happiness, Friendship, Honesty, Integrity, Trust, Respect, Openness, Acceptance. Next, I began to write and could not stop writing. For months, my blog posts centered around these topics and then I began to expand in my writing. In 2014, I had an idea of turning these posts into my first book, A Life With A View. I kept feeling something move internally within me and this fire kept me going even when I didn't feel like writing.
Now what was it that moved me to keep writing? It took me a few years since starting this blog to figure it out. I knew I wanted more and to express more and tell my story. Sharing my feelings out loud through my writing has never been a strong area for me. I have had to grow over the years and come out of my shell. Was I afraid to step out of my comfort zone? Oh yes! It is a scary thing sharing your deepest thoughts and opening up to the world about the things that trouble you in life.
To expand the blog a bit more, I published A Life With A View in 2015 and I began to think of ways to inspire other people to follow their journey and go after what they dream about the most. Doing this for other people also helped to inspire me and I realized in 2016 that I outgrew my blog and moved to a website which gave me the flexibility to expand A Life With A View and also grow with my readers. This is when the excitement kicked in! I am able to have a blog and also share my book, and events, and people can get to know me a lot more.
Then in early 2017, it came to me: I have been holding back my story. I promised my readers I would have a second book out in the near future. What did the near future actually mean? Well, it certainly didn't mean take forever to get it done so I had to take my own advice and get busy, step out on faith, and get it done. I needed a push to feel comfortable and what came to me when needing the push was inspiration. I needed something I could feel and see which expresses my deep roots and also how I am feeling. So I had t-shirts and mugs designed to inspire my journey and also the journey of others. The tree of life lives on within me and the t-shirts and mugs were designed in honor of my father and grandmother. I know they would have loved to see their gift of inspiration which also lives within my children and I know our lives have a view.
What is your gift of inspiration? For me, it is the journey to where I am today and I am still going and sharing my story and journey. A good friend reached out to me recently and asked if I would participate in a book collaboration with six other women and share my story of when I was a little girl and what I dreamed of at that time. The story never stops I thought and as long as we are still here, we will journey through life and have a story to tell. Click here for more details on my latest writing journey and the book collaboration. Stay tuned for more as I journey with six wonderful women sharing their stories of how they used their gifts to follow their dreams.
