10/07/2026: The Next Level
I’m tapping into my potential that has been lying dormant, waiting for me to realize that I’m ready to move forward into new territory. After what seems like a lifetime of being in a stagnant but reliable and steady state, I’m emerging into my next chapter of improvement.
I’ve touched on the topic many times lately, trying to pinpoint why I felt something was lacking in my daily routine even though things are going reasonably well overall, but I’m not sure if I’ve expanded much on the subject. Something inside me has been holding me back from making it to the next level, an unspoken apprehension and an unseen restraint keeping me in the same place.
Like clockwork, I write, edit, and post my blogs, I write and edit my monthly newsletters, I rewrite and edit old stories, I write and edit book reviews . . . and I edit, edit, edit some more. It’s clear that I’ve found a safe haven in the editing and blogging realm, but that I’m slowly growing tired of the monotony of this without more creative outlets sprinkled in—and by creative outlets, I specifically mean writing new stories.
Now that I’m working again, I find myself on the road a lot, alone with my music and my thoughts, and I realized that I’ve been coming up with so many more original ideas, fresh subjects to explore and to write about. I’m thrilled by this new wave of inspiration, but there’s still a glaring problem: I haven’t tried to explore or write anything new with these ideas.
I’m stuck in the past, editing short stories from two years ago when I’m champing at the bit to put my name on something I created this year. I think I can count on one hand how many original works I’ve bothered to write in 2026; even though I know this year has been full of so many other great things, and that I’ve just been busy settling into my new normal, I’m tired of leaning on that excuse. It’s been over half a year since the big life change, and I know that the only thing holding me back now is me.
Not too long ago, I was inspired by a movie for the first time in a long time, which awoke the hopeless creative in me, and caused me to produce a new and precious story that gave me that old feeling of joy and love that used to keep me up writing multiple stories well into the night. I had no idea how sorely I missed that feeling, and I’ve been trying to chase it ever since—albeit not very fast. I’m at that pivotal phase of the process where sometimes it’s still easier to come up with excuses than it is to just start, despite my desire to do so. It’s complicated, but I know it’s my kind of complicated, and all that’s left to do is dive in.
As I create more new things, I’ll also keep striving for balance across all aspects of life, and I’ll make the most of every day. But I also won’t forget to stop and find peace in those slow morning moments, when the house is silent—save for the gentle ticking of clocks urging me to get started—and the sun has just kissed the world outside with its bright and encouraging light, beckoning me to savor as well as seize the day I’ve been given.