This writing thing is hard. I come back to a blank page over and over, filling it up for what seems like too long and still find myself scrapping and reworking things. Ideas that I think are going to flow naturally when I think of them can often be the toughest pages to write, taking me days until I hit publish.

It can feel so frustrating when things don’t come easy. Our brains all too quickly fall into the trap of “if it’s taking this much work out, it must not be worth it. If it’s not easily falling into place, it must not be good.”

Is that the truth though? Are the hard things in life really supposed to be walked away from?

I don’t think so. I think creativity in all of its forms is hard work. Including creating your life. Creating something takes sweat. It takes perseverance. It takes patience and moving through frustration. It takes trying again and again and again until order arises out of the void of a blank white page. This feeling is something we all feel before anything is finished being created. It’s a universal trepidation.

Don’t let the fear of pressing on keep you from going forward.

To walk away because you are afraid or frustrated, would mean walking away from joining in creation to make the things, the life, and the story only you can create in this world. Ceasing to press on would be a loss for history and, more closely, our own hearts.

I think all of us are creators at heart, even if you’ve never thought of yourself as a “creative person”. It’s the way we are made. We are created like a Creator. In the beginning…God created the world out of nothing. And then? He made us in His image.

Created like a Creator.

There was nothing… then there was something. It’s the pattern of this life designed by God.

Each and every day we wake up to a blank canvas and have the opportunity to create a new 24 hour chapter. Your day is completely unwritten until you live it.

You get to create your life. Think on that.

Your future is not defined by your past, your experiences so far, or your thoughts.

This is your story. You get to write from here.

Your future is wide open.  You and only you can create what’s next. 

It’s an awesome thing in the truest sense of the word.

Yet, we all know too well how the day-to-day can feel. It feels like that in-between when our pen has hit the paper, we’ve been there awhile, erased and deleted and scratched out and rewritten and it can feel like it’s not really going anywhere and is never going to emerge into anything and we might as well through it out. But don’t. Don’t stop writing a dream because it’s getting hard. Don’t stop seeking, praying for, working hard at your life because you do not see how this is getting you anywhere. It’s tempting, but don’t give in.

The fear that says it’s useless and time to give up is not speaking from truth. That fear does not know the future, it does not know what’s next. It only knows the hard work you’ve faced so far.

So keep going. Do not let fear keep you from going forward. Keep going no matter how long it takes.

Keep creating because you and I were made to. Create because God is on your team and there is no stopping your dreams when God’s behind them.

A beautiful life isn’t easy work. It takes commitment and setting intentions before you even need to put them to action.

So today, right now, let’s choose. Let’s commit to pursue the works God made us to create, to never give up, even when it’s hard, to always keep praying, and to run after our dreams like the Creator God who put them on our hearts.

Extra Musings and Random Thoughts

Couldn’t help myself from using this pic on the blog. Birthday in NYC. I was creating a beautiful pic if nothing else 😉 (Yes social media apps totally wanted to “tag” Stephen Colbert as my other friend in the photo.)

A lot of this “in between” wrestle is what  Brené Brown calls “Act II” in her latest Rising Strong. Act II can be challenging and it can be long. But if you press on you emerge in Act III – the revolution. Don’t give up!

Life takes a team. After a crazy challenging day at home I was so thankful for all the friends and family who chipped in to help fix and support! You cannot do life alone. Follow resilience – reach out, live in community, and ask for help. It’s also how we are made!

On that note, I’m excited to dive into Dr. Henry Cloud’s forthcoming book: The Power of The Other. I know it’s true in my life – we can go farther in life just by having the right people living alongside us.

Can’t wait for my next Book Club Brunch where we discuss Ed Catmull’s Creativity Inc. This is my second time through as I prepare to facilite and it’s filled with tools and ideas for living a great life full of leadership, creativity, humility, and character.

How is April already coming to a close? As I drove around over lunch today, I was soaking in the sun, the colors of the flowers, and remembering to take time to slow down and see the life and beauty around. Pause. See. Hear. Smell. Breathe. Feel your life this week.