Who says inspiration comes one idea at a time?!
Early on in my adventure to move away from bedside nursing I thought I had to land on one idea, or way, to supplement my income. And I felt like I just wasn’t getting it right.
Three years later…I finally feel like inspiration and I are working hand in hand! Or at least ‘discussing’ things on most days.
I’ve learned that, for me at least, when inspiration hits I NEED to listen. There is a lifespan for the ideas inspiration sends my way. When the light turns on I need to act or make the conscious decision to let the idea move on to another whose ready to take action.
Too often I had put an idea aside, for convenience sake, yet when returning to it I found it gone. Not able to truly grasp the vibe that had injected it with that initial energy.
And so, I now dictate blogs at 2am. I start art creations at 11pm when I’ve worked all day. I carry that tiny notebook everywhere I go.
I’ve learned the same when it comes to what I’ve been inspired to do in my work life. When I was preparing to leave nursing I felt like I had to find the perfect side hustle that would allow me to be my own boss. And I worked it, night and day! Wore myself out, beat myself down. Wondering why I was such a failure at something I was so passionate about?
When in reality, my reality of being personally satisfied does not live within one idea, one job. And there was my true problem. I was trying to replace one job with ONE other. No amount of tweaking, flexing or trying was going to make me feel full-filled with that choice.
Over the last three years I’ve tried many new things. Each wonderful and exciting in their own right. But none feeling like it was quite right.
Recently, however, I’ve shifted my way of thinking. I’ve gone back to nursing (VERY part time) because I missed using the skills I built over the last 25 years. I’m a good nurse, and I needed to admit there were parts I truly missed about the job. My burnout had simply called me to take a step back and heal for a moment.
But that is not all I do. I also write these blogs. These are the ideas that pour out of me in the middle of the night. The things that I feel someone somewhere will read and it might help them, comfort them. And if not, well maybe I have at least distracted or entertained you with my wanderings for a brief time.
A nurse. A blogger… Oh! An author! Yep, I did that. While finding my way through the grieving process I felt called to script a short book about grief and the chaotic feelings you encounter as you try to heal. It was a cathartic experience that challenged me to grow in ways that had been beyond my perception until then.
My daughter and I have also opened a family crafting business. As family was one of the primary reasons I walked away from healthcare those three years ago, it is an avenue to work and create side by side with her. To see her grow and to grow together. Creating experiences that will not only bring beauty into this world but also to our relationship.
Then there are the ‘Pages’. I manage an empowerment group for nurses and another page that inspires personal reflection and growth for women. For me, the time spent within these groups is for myself as well as for my audience. The struggles I faced/face throughout my life were/are hard. I recognize I am not the only one. I feel that if I can ease another’s pain, another’s struggle, through sharing my own, then that is what I must do.
And my most recent play with inspiration? A podcast! There is this idea buzzing around in my head. And it has been there for a bit. So, as a dutiful servant to inspiration, I am following it through. And I couldn’t be happier!
So you see, inspiration does not have a set schedule. It does not see your current ‘To Do’ list. It simply sends out the call, and hopes you will be the one to answer it. But does not hold a grudge if you don’t.
What will you do when that little voice of inspiration whispers to you?
