Estimated Reading Time 6 Minutes
Hey You! Welcome to The Vibrant Life Podcast. I’m Emily Romrell and I’m happy to be back as a part of your day for just a few minutes. Thanks for connecting with me in this special way.
You know, I’ve had quite a few people ask me about the process of doing a podcast, and like any writer, I’m sure everyone has a unique process, but there are a couple of things that are essential. I think it’s important to find a focus niche or theme. People like to know the general space you want to show up in. The possibilities are endless but you have to give your audience some expectations. That way they can actually be your audience.
Then, you gotta have something to say, haha. This can seem intimidating, but for me, I am never really short on ideas. I actually keep a running list that I add to whenever a new notion strikes. My current list is up to around two hundred topics I think. I don’t say that to come off as arrogant in any way, but just to showcase that inspiration is absolutely everywhere. This may be my biggest piece of advice for any creative person or artist. This way you are never starting from scratch, but once you have an idea it sort of percolates in your mind until you decide to take action and actually make something of it. It’s amazing what our brains do for us even when we don’t pay specific attention.
When I’m ready to sit down and put the podcast together, I look over my thoughts and choose something that gets me excited. And I may not be excited in the sense that the concepts I share are sometimes heavy or serious. But I feel motivated inside to share that particular thing with you at that specific time. For me, this is a good balance of having a backup of material and also it allows me to be a little spontaneous which is a must for my own happiness when I get creative.
So if you are thinking about doing a podcast, or starting another project I hope this offers some encouragement. If I can do it, you absolutely can. I’m not special in that way. I believe deep down in my soul that the potential of every human on the planet is extraordinary and miraculous. And within that belief is the fascinating truth that we are all simultaneously special. And that may seem like a contradiction but it’s really not. It’s just the way this crazy beautiful life is.
Anyway, I’ve had the topic for today’s episode on my list for ages. Then I found out that Queen Elizabeth II has just passed away and it feels like the timing for this idea is ideal. And I know that was a long build-up but the name of this podcast is People Are Just People…And That’s Amazing!
I don’t want to take anything away from Queen Elizabeth because she was an amazing person. Actually, let’s take a very brief look at her life. She wasn’t even originally in line to be queen and only came into that role after her uncle abdicated his throne making her father king. She is the world’s longest reigning monarch having been on her throne for seven decades. She loved dogs and is famous for having a big group of her favorite Corgis follow her around everywhere. She was a working mechanic in WWII. She really did live an exceptional life.
But sometimes I think when a very public figure dies, or when they do something extraordinary, the rest of us may feel like we don’t make as much of a difference. That is false my friend. I’m here today to tell you that we all make a huge difference. It’s just some people happen to be more visible than others. We are all just people and that’s amazing.
The next person I want to highlight today is a young girl who only lived to be sixteen years old. Yet the difference she made in the history of the world is just as impactful as that of a queen. I’m talking about a young Jewish girl named Anne Frank. She was actually born in Germany but her family moved to the Netherlands in an attempt to escape the Nazis. Unfortunately, this move couldn’t stop the hatred from forcing the family into hiding for two years in Amsterdam. Anne started keeping her diary when she was only thirteen years old and her words have echoed forward into time reaching us decades after she died. She talks about life in hiding. She talks about her hopes and dreams and how she still believes after everything that there is still good in the world. Her stay on the planet wasn’t very long, but dang she made a difference.
Right now, you may be thinking, “Okay, Emily. But I’m not living in a crazy situation like Anne Frank, and I’m definitely not a queen. How do I make a difference?”
First I want to point out that just in my lifetime, from 1986 to 2022 a lot of crazy history has happened. The spaceship Challenger blew up on the day after I was born. When I was very young I remember a lot of talk about the Aids crisis and the devastation that caused. The Berlin wall came down. There was a big deal made about Y2K and how all the computers were going to crash with the new start of the century. The internet rather has made the world a much more connected place and we have computers in the palms of our hands and we can facetime people across the world like they predicted in Star Trek. We had an incredible solar eclipse. We experienced 9/11 whose anniversary is just a couple of days away. (9/11 is also my Mom’s birthday, so Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.) Just in the last few years, we’ve dealt with a worldwide pandemic.
Honestly, I feel like the good is getting better and the bad is getting worse. But my point is that we are all living through history, and we individually impact history simply by living it. Just by reaching out to our neighbors, family, and friends, we leave an imprint on this world. Maybe you should start keeping a diary, who knows how people will react to your words in years to come?
But more than this, I want you to know that you make a difference just by being you. Mr. Rogers had the right idea, my friends. He knew how true that statement is. I can actually hear his voice singing in my head right now, “You are my friend. You’re special to me.” I think that friendship might be the most powerful force in existence. Because true friendship is a pure form of love and nothing makes a bigger difference than that.
At Christmastime, my family loves to watch It’s a Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart. You might know it too. It’s the story of a man who dreams of leaving his small town home and traveling the world. But he never gets his wish. Instead, he stays in his little town and takes over his family business, a savings and loan company that helps families afford to buy homes and build their lives. Anyway, right before Christmas, some money goes missing and the main character, George, thinks his business is about to go under. He won’t have any means to support his family and he wishes that he was never born. Because he thinks that his life hasn’t made a difference. Well, peeps, George gets a miracle in the form of an angel who shows him what the world would be like without him. His brother would have died young, His childhood employer would be in prison, the whole town would be taken over by an evil and greedy man, and the love of his life would end up an old maid. His kids would never be born. The world would be much, much worse without George Bailey.
I know that this is a movie, but it holds the truth I’m trying to offer today. And that is that every single human in this world makes a difference. The kind of difference you make is up to you. But a good place to start is just loving the people that you come into contact with. You never know how those ripples of love will change the world. You don’t have to be a queen, you don’t have to be a young girl who dreams of being a writer, you don’t have to be famous at all. Because people are just people…and that is amazing! We all make a difference and we are all special.
So the challenge this time is to love a little more in your life, follow those things that you are passionate about, and maybe start a list of ideas as they come to you. This is a big part of Living The Vibrant Life. I’m sending my love out to you with all my heart and I hope you have a fabulous week.
