I am sitting here with my notebook propped against the keyboard, my ink scribbles in front of me as I start to tap the keys. I haven't written in a little while, and was thinking of stopping, but at the encouragement of a very good friend and fellow writer, I will not stop, but continue on and see what comes out onto the page in the coming days. So, with my notebook in front of me and the keys ready to translate my ink thoughts to this screen and to yours, here I go.

There is a lot of bad in the world. But I want to write about something good today. I want to write about people who inspire, who make a difference, and who bring light into the lives of others, even when they don't realize it. It may be a teacher, a family member, significant other, a friend, or someone we don't even know who is a speaker at an event or just standing in a check-out line. These are the ones who, often when least expected, drop an idea into our mind, persuade us to change our perspective, or inspire us to change the course of our life.

I have been given this gift in my life. During a difficult time, I was reminded that I am not alone, that I am not broken; I do not need to be fixed. That I am enough, just as I am. It was during this time that a friend said to me, "I just want to be the best version of myself." Those words are burned into my mind and my heart and have changed the way I see myself. That is all any of us can do if we want to be truly happy: be the best version of ourselves. We don't have to try and be someone else, compare ourselves to an imagined idea of some kind of grandeur others may expect us to attain, or strive to fulfill false expectations that we push ourselves into, forcing ourselves into a warped existence. If a horse was convinced it should be a crocodile or a whale believed it was supposed to be a chihuahua, we would find it absurd. It is no different with us. Joy is found when we embrace our own gifts and dreams, and see our individual value, flaws and all.

Success will come and go. External beauty fades. Money and possessions are fleeting and cannot hug you when you are lonely or speak truth when you don't know what to do; what lasts are the relationships that are formed during the journey; helping us grow, inspiring us to keep trying, to keep evolving, and to see ourselves in a way we never could have on our own. This is what really matters and the only thing in life that really lasts.

I recall a quote from the play "The Curious Savage." It reads:

"Who are the fools of good heart?"

"I'd say - those who gamble on people and invest in kindness - those who doubt that position means privilege, or that manners mean morals. And, of course, the rebels with no fear of of failure."


I want to say thank you, to those who have spoken into my life and inspired me to be the best version of myself. And, to those reading this, I hope you are inspired to be thankful for those in your life that do the same for you. I hope that I am this kind of person to others in my world as well. If I can be this to someone else by my actions and my words, and bring the same joy to others as I have been given, than my life will be one that is well lived.