Before I had the epiphany that I needed to put the I back in MY LIFE, I was living small, going through the motions of the day-to-day on auto-pilot. What I called my daily routine was really more of a rut. And it was far from inspired.
I’ve come to realize that a little Inspiration goes a long way. The word inspiration means “to breathe in”. That’s one of the things that I was forgetting to do with all the running around. I wasn’t breathing deeply, and I wasn’t noticing inspiration. There are always inspirational things to be found – in nature, in people’s words or deeds, in creative endeavors. You can find it anywhere – even within yourself – but you have to be open to it; you have to stop and breathe in.
Inspiration opens us up. Like the breath that expands our ribcage, inspiration expands our perspective and lets the world touch our hearts. It brings big picture awareness, and it opens us up to new possibilities. When inspiration is activated in me, I feel creative and alive, and I feel capable of so much more.
For me, inspiration shows up in the rhythmic crashing of waves when I walk on the beach, in the moving words of poets like Mary Oliver, in the tireless and selfless work of people like Khalil al-Dakhi, and in the uncontrolled giggles of an almost eight year old who loves nothing more than to laugh and laugh.
What inspires you?