Why
To be honest, I struggled to find inspiration for this week’s piece. Between coming back from the White Mountains early on Wednesday, being in tension over hurricane Irma’s path across the Caribbean and Florida, fall master’s class starting on Thursday, driving myself up to one last obstacle course race on Saturday and starting another night shift rotation at work to support one of our nuclear unit’s refueling outages, I’ve been trying to keep myself sane by using whatever moments I’ve been left with to recover and refuel for the days ahead. I entertained the idea of skipping this week's posting entirely, almost convincing myself that by doing so I would "come back with a stronger post next week" and "get back on track". Giving up always sounds so inviting.
I stopped and asked myself why. Why? Why do you feel you can't produce this week? Why is this feeling like a burden all of a sudden? Why are you calling it a day without even getting out of bed?
And then the deeper questions, the ones that hit home:
Why do you do this?
What do you want this to become?
What are you willing to sacrifice?
Who do you want to be?
Many images flashed through my mind in seconds. A smile drew across my face. I started writing. There's so much to write about.
I'm not the most experienced traveler or writer. I have many other hobbies and interests I'd love to be better at... there are some that I gave up on because I didn't have a clear answer to "why" I did them, and there are others I set aside because I judged myself not good enough for them (self-confidence is always a work in progress). But there's one thing I'm sure of, and that is that no matter my experience level, or my pictures' quality, or the time I spent crafting my posts, through this space I've created I'll be able to help or motivate someone seek to become the absolute best version of him or herself in the same way that I always do when I have a chance to be alone. I'll get other women to share their stories of adventure and self-discovery through solo travel to inspire others to chase after what they've been longing for. There will be someone, even if just one person, that the SOLA community will speak to "heart to heart" in one of these posts, and that will be enough. There's so much to write about.
For anything you do with passion and purpose, there will ALWAYS be a "why". Find it and pursue it relentlessly. Incorporate it in every step you take. Return to it when you find yourself doubting the reasons you do what you do. Challenge yourself with it when you're feeling like taking the easy way out.
Your "why" will take you places your talent, by itself, will never be able to.