I have always been fascinated about life. I’ve followed the people that I think do it well and read the books of people that claim to have figured it out. There are certain people who seem to secrete adventure, inspiration, and passion, and I’ve tried to study how they do it.

All those books are full of inspirational quotes, stories, and adventure, and the creatives that I follow on Instagram are great at nailing a pretty picture then captioning something that makes you want to go train for a marathon. Both of those are great, and they always give me a new perspective, but usually just for a moment.

After the moment of inspiration has passed and my wandering mind floats back around to its proper location, I am greeted with the old friend of reality. The inspirational thing that I just read or heard makes sense, but to practically incorporate it into reality seems insurmountable. So instead, we just sit in our relatively comfortable bubbles and leave living up to the people that do it best.

The truth is, it isn’t easy. Those people that make living seem so simple are fighting off a more comfortable situation every day. I’ve found that life isn’t found in the fluffy quotes and attractive photos. Life is found in early morning coffee, in crowded cities, and in quiet woods. Life is found in conversations on the porch, good food, and meeting strangers. Life is made great when an intentional decision is made to do something different, to live a story worth telling.

That got kind of airy, I’ll admit. So, for the practical people like me, the advice that I am trying to communicate is to start your day off with a cup of coffee on the porch and find your own inspiration. Don’t rely on books, social media, or music to spark your passion. Find what gets you excited about life and chase it. For the sake of your future self, start making your story great now.