Recently (as in the past two months), I stopped writing for the Odyssey. Why, you ask? To be honest, I don't have an answer. School ended. Summer started. Vacation. Work. Less time. Any one of these could be the answer or it could be a combination of all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed the results writing brought to me. People reaching out, family members sharing my work, self-pride. Those were some of the best feelings in the world because I was capable of showing what I could do. I wasn't just another college student who posted pictures of the adventures they had and every once in awhile shared how well (or maybe not so well) school was going. Each week I had a piece to present to not only my Facebook friends, but also the Internet, that showcased a little part of me. But after awhile, I didn't feel like I had a reason to write anymore. The truth is, I lost my drive.

Now, I don't know where that drive went. Maybe it got caught up in finals, a social life or running out of ideas. Maybe I just needed a break. Or maybe, I needed to put it down for a bit to realize how much I missed it. My point is, I'm back! (And better than ever? Not quite. I'll try my best, though!)

Since I stopped writing, I've been looking and looking for some sort of inspiration to start again. I thought that maybe something would pop into my life and voila! I'd be back to writing. Sometimes you just need to see something (unexpected, even) and you're inspired all over again.

My "inspiration" was my best friend. In the process of packing for an 18-month long mission trip, she found all of her journals from throughout the years. (The header picture is all of them!) Now, to some people it may seem silly to write down each day's happenings. But to others, it tells a story. It's something you can look back to to read good memories, bad ones and even just silly little things that you found important. Granted, no one, but you (most likely) reads these journals, it is still an incredibly amazing thing to do. How cool would it be to look back on a journal from high school and reminisce someday? The point is, they are your stories.

Throughout my break I've had a lot of time to think, and not just about my writing. I thought about the people around me, my future and how everything I do can have an impact on someone else. The words I say, the things I post, the way I react. Each and everything I do can affect someone either positively or negatively. Of course, I'd love for my actions to continually make a positive impact on someone, but that isn't necessarily realistic either.

The idea of my best friend's journals brought me back to the place I was in when I wrote weekly. I was sharing a story; a story I wrote. So, as I start writing again, I'm keeping that in mind. My articles are a story written by me for the world to read. Whether they change someone's perspective on something, give someone hope or just get passed by, my articles are my chance to create my story.

My point is, every day we have a brand new chance to create our story. A brand new chance to find inspiration in some of the smallest or biggest things, and run with them. We have the choice to fall and stay down, or take a little break, get back up and continue on.

Here's to starting again with a new inspiration.