Get ready.

I'm sticking to it this time. The blogging, I mean.

I have tried two or three times to blog regularly, and have failed miserably. It's not a big deal, because nobody cares - nobody is hanging on to my every word or is likely even interested in what I have to say.

But I care.

I love to think and write and express myself. I write often for my job. I have the privilege of writing about successful business people, stellar students, and activities at West Virginia University. But I never get to write for myself.

And in 2014, that is going to change.

Up until now, the name of this blog as been "Reaching for the Random or Whatever Will Bewilder." These are lyrics to one of my favorite songs - "Lateralus" by Tool. The section of the song it is taken from goes like this:

"With my feet upon the ground I lose myself between the sounds and open wide to suck it in.
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out.
I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been."


In the past, this has been most appropriate for me. Young, still in school, unclear of my goals - reaching for the random or whatever will bewilder me seemed like a good idea at the time. I don't know that it took me anywhere no one else has been, but I sure did learn a lot. I found myself in several places I never thought I would be. Unfortunately, many of them were not good places. But sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, because the only place to go from there is up. 

Today I wouldn't say I'm reaching for the random. What I'm reaching for isn't specifically defined. There is certainly still some ambiguity that accompanies your post-graduate mid-twenties, after all. But I know a few things I'm reaching for:

To be a light in the world by being a friend.
To being the best version of myself - mentally, spiritually and physically.
Peace and confidence within myself.
Love.

I also wouldn't say I'm looking for whatever will bewilder me, although I welcome new experiences that may provide bewilderment. Before, I sought out things that confused or bewildered me in an effort to understand them. When I was looking for "whatever," I sure found a lot of diverse people and experiences. And I am thankful for each and every one of them because they have led me down the path that got me to today, and have shaped me into the person I have become and will continue to become.

While I don't mean to insinuate that I'm done learning about different types of people, or about the world, I have become pickier about what I reach for. These days, I reach for positivity. I reach for kindness. I reach for compassion. I reach for authenticity. I reach for open communication.


So, cheers to 2014 and a renewed dedication to writing for myself. After all, I deserve to spend a little of this talent on myself, don't you think?