Why do you do what you do?

I swear to you, every evening I think ‘Wow. Where the heck did today go?’

Lately my days have been so full of stories that I can’t even keep track of the time. This morning I sat down to work around 8am. When I blinked it was 5pm and time to start thinking about dinner.

It might sound mundane, but I think that’s really exciting. My own voice is growing each day as I help other people put their words to paper. What’s more exciting than my bursting to-do list is that I’ve finally figured out what I like to write about.

That could sound silly because I’ve been at this writing thing for a few years now, so you would assume that I should know by now. But I haven’t always had the courage to find out why I do what I do. And that leads us to here. This moment. This blog post as a snapshot of clarity.

When I started out freelance writing, I took any job that I could find. Now? I get to be more selective. I choose what to dedicate my time to, and I only choose stories that I believe in. It’s freeing. It makes me eager to wake up each morning and tackle the next task on my list. It makes me want to share with all of you.

Have you ever taken a second to sit down and think about why you do what you do?

The real reason why?

One thing I’ve learned: It has to be more than money. Money makes people do things, but only for a while. Eventually, people realize that money isn’t enough.

Life is so much more than working for the weekends. So much more than a paycheck.

I write stories because I want to help people share their experiences. Their thoughts. I think through sharing we learn how to be better versions of ourselves. At the same time, we learn how to be better to each other.

I want to educate and inspire.

I want to raise you up when you feel low, and let you know that you aren’t alone.

I want to support small businesses in their dreams to meaningfully contribute to our community.

I want to leave behind words that are better than I ever can be while I live.

I want to help.

I want to connect.

I want to be part of something bigger than all of us.

These are my reasons why.