1 negative vs. 9 positive: which would you believe?

Imagine you are walking down the street and 10 people are walking toward you. 9 of them say such sweet and positive things to you and 1 says something nasty. Which are you going to remember? Chances are the 1 negative will become a booming voice that shouts over the voices of the 9 others. So this is why we must choose if we will build someone up or break them down. And also, surround ourselves with people that will build us up instead of breaking up down.

I like this quote on the back of a Starbucks cup:

How many times have you been told you couldn't do something, and then said "I'll show you" and done it anyway? Not many of us have the courage to continue in a course of action when we have felt defeated so many times before.
One thing that I find most difficult to do is to sing in front of people. I love to sing! Especially singing to praise Jesus, but I have a hard time actually being on stage.
A former worship leader kind of ruined my confidence in that department. He probably didn't do it on purpose, but his actions spoke louder than his words and told me that I was not good enough. So I believed it, even though so many people have told me different. I've had multiple people compliment me, from sweet ladies in front of my in church that lean back and whisper "Honey your voice is so beautiful" to friends that tell me "You should be up there" every time a new female vocalist is brought on stage to sing.
I just smile and thank them for their kindness, but it doesn't go much farther. It's like there is something blocking their compliments from truly sinking in. Like that worship leader's actions are standing guard at the pass between my brain and my heart, not allowing anything positive to pass.
I'm not mad at anyone, just making an observation.
So badly I would like to get up on stage and sing like I know that I can. But when presented with the opportunity, it never seems to go according to plan. My nerves and that guy's actions get the better of me and I forget how to sing!

What would you like to do, but have allowed someone's negativity to get the better of you? Tell me that I am not alone in this!

All I've seen of nature

All I've seen of nature

Lends to the belief

That whether plant or creature

All will suffer grief.

Mankind no better creation

Than any God did make

But we all have the option

To succeed or break.

It is not our lot in life

That determines who we'll be

Whether it is joy or strife

The choice is up to me.

I wrote this a few months back, but I am hoping it helps to spark something in my creative process!

I have to write like my life depends on it

I've heard it said {thank you Jen} that writers write, everyday. Looking back over my days, I write a lot, but how often do I write things for me? How often do I let my imagination take the wheel and drive me wherever it wants to take me? When was the last time that I wrote something and thought, "Wow that was really good!"? It has been way too long. The most I write is for work, and that is usually just copying someone else's words into a different format. That is not writing. That is copying. Or cheating. Depending on how you look at it. 
I like to tell myself that I don't write a lot because I am busy and that I'll make time for writing when I'm not as busy. But in reality, I am only going to get busier from here. In the next few years I will likely {and hopefully!} get married and maybe have a couple kids. Will that make me any less busy? I highly doubt it!
I love being busy. I live from one distraction to another. Maybe it has something to do with me being {basically} an only child after my sister, 10 when I was born, got married and moved out when I was 12 and her 22. Or maybe it has something to do with this technology-driven world we live in.
I realized that I have such a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. I constantly find myself watching TV and on facebook on my phone, and trying to write something. No wonder nothing happens! 

Maybe the characters of my imagination have gone on strike until I give them the undivided attention they deserve. They have written picket signs that say "No attention, No inspiration" and are marching around the creative section of my brain not allowing me to cross the picket lines to access it.

So to appease the little muses in my brain, I am going to do my best to write for me, and them, as much as possible. Maybe not always on this blog, but somewhere. Even if it ends up being words scribbled onto napkins and in the margins of books, I vow to write as much as my brain can spew out through my fingers in the days to come.

What am I passionate about?

I read an article recently that gave 7 questions to help figure out what we are passionate about. They are:
1. What puts a smile on your face?
2. What do you find easy?
3. What sparks your creativity?
4. What would you do for free?
5. What do you like to talk about?
6. What makes you unafraid of failure?
7. What would you regret not having tried?

Do these questions help you with finding your true passion?

If I'm being honest, these questions didn't help me at all because my honest answers led me to hanging out in coffee shops, writing, talking to people, and sleeping in! That isn't exactly a career listed in the classifieds!

1. Writing puts a smile on my face
2. Sleeping in is something I find easy!
3. Sitting in a coffee shop with a good book or a great story idea sparks my creativity
4. I am always writing for free
5. I like to talk about Jesus, and books, and life
6. I'm usually afraid of failure in everything, so I don't think this is a valid question for me
7. I would regret not having tried to live for Christ {but what does that mean for my career goals really?}

So where do I go from here?

It's something that has been plaguing my mind a lot lately. What am I passionate about? I will be 25 in 2 months and I have no idea what the answer to that question is. To those of you reading this who know me, I would gladly welcome your input! As well as some real life careers that you think I would be best suited for!