The inspiration behind this blog

So, I've had it in the back of my head for months now to start a blog, but I don't want to start one unless I have something to say. After all, what is a writer without a message? I can string words together all day long, but I'd sure like them to amount to something at the end of the day.

The past several months I've been feeling aimless. I'm keeping myself fairly busy with freelance editing work, but the second I have free time I don't have the first clue what to do with myself. And then I wonder if editing is really what I want to be doing with my time. When I'm home by myself, working or not, it is all too easy for me to sulk in a feeling of loneliness. (Two purchases should help to relieve that problem a bit--a second car, which we bought today, and a beagle, which we will be bringing home in the very near future.) At any rate, the same question has been lingering with me for months. God, how do you want me to serve you with my time? I can't shake the feeling that there has got to be something else.

Part of my aimlessness lately has involved wandering around other people's blogs--whether I know the people behind them or not. During today's wanderings I stumbled onto this post, and it motivated me. I took home two key points: 1) It takes as much energy to dream big as it does to dream small. 2) People who write down their dreams are much more likely to actually work toward them and accomplish them. I've always admired the ability of my friends to dream big. Leah's probably one of the biggest dreamers (and achievers) I know, and she writes down her goals.

I'm not a fan of lists, as Justin will certainly tell you, but I started to think this particular blogger was onto something. The aimlessness I've been feeling lately has nothing to do with a lack of options and everything to do with a lack of direction, for which I have no excuse. I've used marriage and change as my excuse to shut off and let someone else take the reigns whenever possible. And I feel a heck of a lot more boring when I let that happen. It's time for me to stop waiting for direction to fall from the sky (or from other people who indulge me in that respect) and start forming opinions and decisions for myself.

This is where everyone reading this blog comes in. Please, leave comments about your inspirations or about anything you would like to discuss that inspires you or others. You could very likely see a post about it in the near future.

So, how about it? What inspires you?