One of the reasons I decided to start this blog was because I have been reading some really great stuff on other people’s blogs, from all around the world. Sometimes you can find exactly what you need to hear at the time, and sometimes you might read stuff and completely disagree, or think I would have said that differently.  Having an outlet to write is also a good way of rearranging your own thoughts and challenging what you think within yourself.

As I mentioned in my ‘About Me’ blurb, I didn’t just want to write about my own specific situation. I’ve read lots of blogs about being over 40, but still find some of them aimed more for the over 50s rather than someone who still feels like a teenager!!  I’ve also read a lot about being single, but again, I found that quite a few were just moans about past partners and being pretty down on men, and that’s not my style either.     I don’t think we can categorise ourselves purely on age, or whether we have children or have got a ring on our finger.  What’s true for me may be very different to someone else who, on the face of it, I should have a lot in common with.

What I am interested in, is people with similar passions to me. Or who have a similar outlook as me.  People that I feel “get me”.  And that has nothing to do with age, gender or marital status.   It’s just about making connections with people.

I’ve found a lot of great people through Instagram and Pinterest – if you haven’t checked these out yet, it’s a great way of finding like-minded people. Searching for random hashtag labels on the stuff that interests you is a good way of finding interesting accounts to follow.   It’s not all photos of people eating their dinner, I promise.  But if anyone spots a good recipe for cheesecake….

We all need something in our lives to spark a bit of passion.  Some days it can be easy to know what that thing is – we might have a really specific career or fitness or life goal that we can keep in mind and which gives us a purpose to work towards.  But some days it’s not that straightforward.   So, how do you find your spark?

We can get so caught up in the now, that we do just what we need to, to get through the day.  And that’s ok…for a while.  But without some sort of purpose or sense of direction, we can get a bit lost.

There is a lot of advice and information out there these days.  You can Google pretty much any topic and you will find that someone’s already asked the same question, or thought the same thing. And there’s probably a few answers being put forward too.  When you’re going through a tough time, or if there’s something you want to find out about but don’t know who to ask, or maybe you feel a bit silly for asking, it can be comforting to know that there are people out there feeling exactly the same.  Or people have gone through what you’re going through, and are sharing their story about how they got through it, or achieved something you would like to achieve.

Despite the obvious dangers and pitfalls, social media can be really helpful in finding like-minded people to learn from, bounce ideas around and have your own ideas challenged. Finding your own tribe or “girl squad” who share your passion can be just the support you need to get an idea or project off the ground, especially if you don’t have that support in your own circle.

Some people prefer to go it alone, and that’s fine too. Trying things out for yourself before telling anyone what you’re attempting is totally understandable, because the fear of failure and feeling pressured to achieve can be huge.  Maybe you’ve announced to the world that you’re going to be running the next London Marathon, when the reality is that you are struggling to hit 5K.  It can be very daunting to tell your nearest and dearest that you’re attempting this big thing, when you’re not even sure within yourself if you can make it.

So, how do you find your spark?  Well,  if there’s an idea or a goal that is in your head and it just won’t go away, you should follow it.   If there’s something that makes you smile, or brings on a sense of calm and peace, or even if it gets you totally wound up in frenzy, you should listen to it. Because these are the things that spark something in you.

It might not be the same for the people around you, and they might not get it, but if it sparks something in you, then it’s important.    Don’t be afraid to follow your own path, because you will probably find there are other like-minded people heading the same way.

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Hi there, and welcome to the blog!

What is it that sparks passion in you?

It could be something really simple, but makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Or it could be those really big kick-ass goals, that make you push yourself beyond what you thought you were capable of.

Whatever it means for you, finding your passion – and celebrating it – is what makes it all worthwhile.  It’s what makes us keep going through the tough times, and keeps us keeping on.

Through this blog, I’m looking forward to sharing what this means for me, and for others, and if it helps someone to start a little fire in their own life, then that sounds good to me!