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

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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.