[image via Pinterest]

When you’re not inspired, getting work done can feel like an absolute bore.

The words are just lines holding no emotion or story. And each step can feel as though you’re pulling a freight train.

When you’re not inspired, you spend countless hours trying to find where inspiration is hiding.

You hope that if you click on one more page link, get out + about, read others words + more, that you’ll be a little closer to finding the hidden gem. But all you end up doing is procrastinating + finding interesting irrelevant pieces to store away hoping you can use them them in the future.

Inspiration isn’t what gets work done.  It isn’t even what marks something you do as spectacular.

Inspiration isn’t what makes your piece of work sparkle or pop;  it’s your skill, handiwork, + talent.

Inspiration can give you a surge of thought + a push to begin, but it’s what you’ve done leading up to the surge that defines it’s presentation + impact; it’s your disciple + what you’ve been doing to steward + develop your skill well.

Because in the end, inspiration without work is nothing.

And when you’ve mastered your talent you won’t need inspiration to make it great.

Work without inspiration + inspiration will find you.

Work because what you produce is captured by people’s hearts because of it’s delivery, not the beginning thought.

Harbor your talent.

Grow it + grow it.

And don’t let the lie that inspiration is what makes it ruin your opportunity to produce something great.

If it’s between work + inspiration, pick work every time. 

[pic via Pinterest]

I’m not very adventurous.

I try to be. I want to be.

But it’s just not me.

I’d love to say that I spend my weekends hiking through the mountains, enjoying the sunshine on beaches, discovering new cafes + towns… but I can’t. Not yet anyway.

See, I’m a creature of comfort; a natural homebody.

No need to leave the house? No worries *makes cup of tea + explores the online world instead*

Right now two of my favourite girls in the world are in New York City. I love it! They’ve been dreaming about going for ages, saved money, wrote a list of everywhere they wanted to go, took the plunge in booking things, + are currently exploring the city that never sleeps.

These next two weeks I’m house sitting in one of Melbourne’s gorgeous bay + beach areas – parts of it completely takes me back to Rhode Island in the States. It’s an area I’ve gone to a few times, but to live down there is an entirely different experience.

There are lot’s of cute cafes, scenic routes to walk, ships + boats to watch, houses to admire + add to your “I’m gonna buy it someday” list, + so much more.

Being in this environment gives you the drive to get out + explore. For someone who likes to live in comfort, this is the perfect opportunity to kickstart this adventurous streak.

And so, I’ve decided to give myself a challenge:

// Go explore somewhere new each + every day //

Explorations thus far:

Right now as I type this, I’m sitting in a café on the main road. The café I was originally going to go to was closed. Naturally, this made me a little frazzled because my plans were changed… But really, it was an opportunity to explore somewhere else. And I’m so glad I did – great view to ‘people watch’, delicious chai, nice music, hilarious conversations to overhear.

Earlier this morning I went for a walk down along the bay + beach. On my way back there was a park reserve. I started to walk past it + then decided to go in there – tall, luscious trees, a pond with ducks + beautiful plants. So worth the detour.

This cute + classy restaurant is right on the bay next to the boats + has a pretty view of the city. It’s also one of the main places that reminds me of the Rhode Island. Big fat love for it!

Why do it?

I don’t want to live adventure through books + motion pictures.

I don’t want to be hearing about places but not experiencing them for myself.

I don’t want to be someone who’s such a homebody that she forgets that she was created to explore + thrive in the world she was born to explore + thrive in.

I want to live life fully, have stories to tell, places to know about to show others, + kick comfort in the butt.

I’m sure over time it will develop into something more adventurous than walking routes around town + cute cafes. But for now, that’s fine with me.

Little by little. Step by step. Experience is what changes, grows, + moulds us. And adventure is an experience worth having.

So grab your mug of tea, raise it in the air, + say a big cheers to… being a little adventurous, darling.

// If you’re being a little adventurous too, share your experiences below. Would love to hear all about it + cheer you on, x

Much love xxx

PS: this is Nicholas, the cat I’m looking after while housesitting. I wanted to watch the The Voice Australia + journal. He didn’t like that plan + wanted a snuggle. So I took selfies with him. He wasn’t too unimpressed. What a munchkin.

[source: personal Instagram account, @bethjae]

“enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back + realise they were the big things.” – Robert Brault  

‘Enjoy the little things’ has naturally (+ surprisingly) become one of my motto’s for 2013.

Sometimes we focus on + try to enjoy the big things so much that we forget to focus on + enjoy the little things.

I don’t want to go through life remembering having only enjoyed the big things – how sad! I want to enjoy the details, each tiny step, + the seemingly ordinary things throughout the day as well. I think that’s what living a full life is all about – enjoying each + every part of it: the big, the little, the things stuck in the cracks, the dirt, the sunshine, the setbacks, the progresses, the tears, + the smiles.

Each morning my day begins by eating either yoghurt with oats + berries, or chia seed + oat porridge out of the bowl above in the picture. Not only is the bowl adorably cute, but it has that beautiful reminder on it.

If we only enjoy, admire + respect the big, we’ll miss out on enjoying a great big chunk of our lives.

Because after all, the big is made up of the littles. And if we don’t enjoy the little, how can we ever enjoy + appreciate the big in all its fullness?

And in the end, how can we ever enjoy + appreciate our life in all its fullness?

:: little things I’m currently enjoying ::

breakfast + brunch – love love love!! // hot cups of tea // that I can drive + own a car // the smell of rain // music // fresh fruit // reading // cooking // writing + editing // connecting with new people on Twitter // packing (begin house sitting!)

:: what little things are you enjoying? ::