So, I just spent the past 20 minutes writing a whiny post about having a bad day, and guess what? Just writing it out kind of turned my day around. Thank you, schedule, for making me sit down and write.

The title of this post is from the chorus of a Tom Petty song. Someone once asked what the theme song for my life would be, and I answered, with no hesitation, “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty. Every time I sit down to write a blog post, this is my ritual. That is the first song I play. It reminds me of how far I have come and how far I still have to go. It makes me feel 100% positive that I will get there some day. And it also reminds me, as if I really need it, that the only way out is through.

I love Tom Petty for a multitude of reasons. He has principles and beliefs about his industry, his craft, and himself that he does not violate. He knows his boundaries and he flourishes within them.

I once did an exercise in a creative writing class where we, the students, were given pictures of doorways. The exercise, doled out to us piece by piece as we wrote, was to walk up to the door and notice all the details. Then it was to receive a note from our muse saying that “the muse” needed to talk. Then, it was to open the door and see our muse there. I saw Tom Petty. Then, it was to imagine and write out the conversation that we had with our muse. In my writing exercise, he just asked me what was up – why wasn’t I writing? I gave him some excuses about life being hard and work being sad and awful, and it being winter. And me feeling depleted. And do you know what he said to me? “Bullshit, man.”

And do you know what I said back? “I know.”

But here is what Tom Petty as my muse left me with: You have everything you need for the dream in your heart. You just need to take one step. And your muse is there for inspiration, whenever you need it.