Guest post: Kyla Cofer “Be Myself”

19 Comments 09 July 2011

What a cool thing to have Kyla Cofer here today! She writes honestly about having something to say and being ourselves. Enjoy!

…

After some time, I find that I keep reading about the same topics, over and over. Authors that once encouraged me, now leave me restless for something new. I’ve read enough blogs, books, articles in the last ten years to fill a small lake, yet there is an ocean of information out “there”. Each new wave of information comes to my mind shouting “look at me! I’ve got something that you’ve never seen before!” When in reality, it’s the same water, rushing in to the shore and sweeping back out almost as quickly as it comes, back to join the others.Still, I watch. I continue to read. I continue to keep up with my RSS feed, Facebook news, Twitter stream, and various ‘official’ news sources. I’m on a constant search for a new wave of information that will leap forward, and forever change the shape of the shore.

Today, I’m feeling discouraged. I sit down to write out my thoughts and ideas, and realize that they aren’t new. That I’ve unknowingly plagiarized the ideas of those before me. The thoughts and well-written words may be new to me, but tomorrow I’ll find someone who’s already said them, and likely said them better than I could.

Instead of writing, I’ll start surfing. Reading more and more until my mind can no longer function on its own. I see conversations repeating the same information in a broken-record pattern. I see theologians and philosophers and chefs all racing to do and be something fresh, new, and exciting that in the end, might have been done before.

I easily let another wave wash over me. The wave of discouragement knocks me over and leaves salt water stinging my eyes. To recover I splash my face with fresh water – truth.

The truth is that I need the old ideas repeated. I need them drenching my mind with truth and wisdom. Without the repetition of the old ideas, the new ones can’t stand their ground.

I may tire of hearing the same thoughts and conversation, of feeling like I am writing the same words rearranged. I may think that someone else has already done this work so I just need to get out of their way and let them be the ones to do it. I may want to listen to the lies and let the waves of discouragement try to drown me. The truth is strong enough to wash over those lies. The truth says that strength is built from repetition.

Today might be a discouraging day. I’m going to choose to not let discouragement take over and do what I’m afraid to do: be myself.

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Dawn

Amazing post! I, too, often feel like I’m writing the same things over and over in a hamster wheel, that my words are reguritated musings from someone else’s hamster wheel. Thank you for putting these thoughts so eloquently into words; I’m encouraged for having read this.
Jennifer

What an absolutely unexpected treat this morning! I live by the ocean, so the imagery in Kyla’s piece truly pours over me. Wow. Wow. Wow. The tides represent so much to me already, but now I have another wonderful reflection on them: Be myself! I’m really going to ponder Kyla’s words, and this piece has already sparked an idea for me for this coming school year and when I teach Staff Development to other teachers. Another way to present what I already know is the value of skill building and pertinent drills: “The truth says that strength is built from repetition.” I will give you proper credit too, Kyla! You as well, Mary!

http://twitter.com/kylajoyful Kyla Cofer

Jennifer, I’m so glad you were encouraged this morning and that the post helped with a new idea. I want to spend my lifetime in awe of the ways nature brings us closer to the character of truth. I hope you continue to enjoy the waves today!

Patricia W Hunter

So very encouraging. Honest and encouraging. Thank you, Mary and Kyla. One day a week or so ago I was inspired to visit the blogs of some of my favorite writers and photographers, like Mary, for the purpose of leaving words of encouragement. Funny thing happened along the way – I started to compare myself with each of them and of course, I came up short. Half-way through I started thinking, “I’m dirt.” “May as well quit right now.” Truth is, each of us have unique audiences and circles of influence…and just like you said, “strength is built from repetition.”

Again, thank you.
Denise Thompson

Kyla,

I love this post. Thank you for your honesty. I have experienced this after too much time online. I appreciate hearing someone else’s perspective.

Blessings!
Bjane1010

Great job Kyla. I think the same things, and have to be brought back to doing what I need to do…instead of always comparing or trying to do better than another person. How easily we forget.
http://www.marydemuth.com Mary DeMuth

Yes, yes, yes. Simply beautiful writing. Thanks for sharing your heart with us!
http://beckfarfromhome.blogspot.com/ Beck Gambill

How interesting, my mom and I were just talking about the same thing, or at least a version of it. I was telling her the amount of amazing Christian women writing and speaking truth, many more eloquently than I, was vast and daunting. How could my little chirp be noticed or necessary, I have nothing new to say. But we talked it through concluding that that was the beauty of the body. Each member speaking the same truth, about the same Jesus, propelled by the same Spirit yet with our own voices. I may speak a truth in my corner of the world that ears need to hear, while someone else shares the same truth in her corner to a different set of ears. The result, a roaring ocean of voices, music sung together reaching Holy ears.

http://twitter.com/ShaneClaiborne Shane Claiborne

Yes! Exactly. Each of us plays a unique role in the Kingdom on Earth. I like your description of the ocean of voices – what a beautiful picture. Grace and Peace to you.
http://twitter.com/kylajoyful Kyla Cofer

Yes! Exactly. Each of us plays a unique role in the Kingdom on Earth. I
like your description of the ocean of voices – what a beautiful
picture. Grace and Peace to you.
Ctupper1

This blog is really encouraging, and Beck Gambill I love the conclusion that you and your mom came to; it brings a new conviction to the timidity I have myself.

Laura

Thank you! I love this!
http://twitter.com/kalynbr00ke Kalyn Comings

I often struggle with these same thoughts. I think….why do I even have a blog? Someone could certainly communicate these thoughts better than I. But I know if I don’t write, I am not being true to myself – that is what propels me forward.

Thanks for this post!
Heidi Britz

Kyla,

As a reader, sometimes a message I have heard a million times bounces off of me until a writer crafts a way to say it that connects with me personally. Thanks for the beautiful post and keep writing!
Denese B.

Kyla, Thank you for this. So many times I have felt like you and even thought about that verse in Ecclesiastes that talks about there being no end to the number of books being written, but a couple of things come to mind. One, when I was homeschooling, I remember my son commenting on the fact that we did not need to study a certain topic because he’d already learned about it. I noticed that as we schooled it seemed that it was all about repetition, only the details increased as they got older. I have to wonder if that’s the same for us as we grow in Christ. The message is the same…but our understanding reaches new depths and widths and lengths. Like you, I’ve sometimes felt like I’ve been learning the same stuff, saying the same stuff…forever…but perhaps our horizons in these areas are widening sometimes imperceptibly (to us, at least). I also think of the apostle John (the beloved disciple) whose lifelong message was proclaiming love, love, love…the message of being loved and precious to God oozed out of him and everything he wrote. Sometimes I wonder if he was writing to himself as much as to those he was addressing. I know I feel that way when I am doing so.
God is with you, has blessed you and made you a blessing. Thanks so much for sharing! : )
Anonymous

Ms. Cofer, I really enjoyed your post and have also often felt overwhelmed by the amount of thoughts and writing out there and frustrated with us all saying the same thing. But I think you are right, there is truth in repetition. Even more so, some of us are reading and writing ideas that have been said for centuries, but discovered for the first time for ourselves. My great-grandfather’s life has taught me that I am learning the same things he had to learn 70 years ago. I can glean and learn from his life, but at the end of the day, I have to wrestle with these ‘new’ ideas and thoughts for myself knowing that my head can learn from the wisdom of old, but my heart has to see for itself.
Anonymous

Ms. Cofer, I really enjoyed your post and have also often felt overwhelmed by the amount of thoughts and writing out there and frustrated with us all saying the same thing. But I think you are right, there is truth in repetition. Even more so, some of us are reading and writing ideas that have been said for centuries, but discovered for the first time for ourselves. My great-grandfather’s life has taught me that I am learning the same things he had to learn 70 years ago. I can glean and learn from his life, but at the end of the day, I have to wrestle with these ‘new’ ideas and thoughts for myself knowing that my head can learn from the wisdom of old, but my heart has to see for itself.
http://twitter.com/matthewcase Matthew Case

Ms. Cofer, I really enjoyed your post and have also often felt overwhelmed by the amount of thoughts and writing out there and frustrated with us all saying the same thing. But I think you are right, there is truth in repetition. Even more so, some of us are reading and writing ideas that have been said for centuries, but discovered for the first time for ourselves. My great-grandfather’s life has taught me that I am learning the same things he had to learn 70 years ago. I can glean and learn from his life, but at the end of the day, I have to wrestle with these ‘new’ ideas and thoughts for myself knowing that my head can learn from the wisdom of old, but my heart has to see for itself.
http://twitter.com/matthewcase Matthew Case

Ms. Cofer, I really enjoyed your post and have also often felt overwhelmed by the amount of thoughts and writing out there and frustrated with us all saying the same thing. But I think you are right, there is truth in repetition. Even more so, some of us are reading and writing ideas that have been said for centuries, but discovered for the first time for ourselves. My great-grandfather’s life has taught me that I am learning the same things he had to learn 70 years ago. I can glean and learn from his life, but at the end of the day, I have to wrestle with these ‘new’ ideas and thoughts for myself knowing that my head can learn from the wisdom of old, but my heart has to see for itself.