Monday, November 21, 2011

Inspiration

When you think about it, inspiration is what keeps us going. It’s what fuels a teachers best lesson plans and keeps a caregiver going when she feels she has nothing left to give. It’s what allows artists to create and engineers to innovate. Inspiration is what keeps us dreaming even when we’ve been kicked down for the millionth time and it’s what keeps us believing that we can when the world tells us that we can’t.

Sometimes, though, we get so caught up in our tedious daily routines that we lose our inspiration. Sometimes it seems that the more desperately we seek to find it, inspiration runs farther and farther into the darkest corners of our minds. And there it remains until it chooses to come out.

Inspiration can’t be forced. Like love (and anything magical in the universe), you just have to believe that it exists and have faith that it will come your way when the time is right. Inspiration is a gift that no one should feel entitled to, but rather blessed to receive.

Inspiration is something that I typically find myself lacking near the end of each semester. Somewhere between midterms and finals I seem to lose what sparks my mind and ignites my spirit. While I cannot force inspiration to present itself, I have learned how to coax it out. I’ve learned that being spontaneous and indulging in beauty reminds me to appreciate the magic and joy in the world. So, I urge you to shake up your routine try something new or go somewhere you love but you rarely get to visit. Surround yourself in beauty… Beautiful sights… Beautiful people… Beautiful food… And beautiful sounds.

You’re probably thinking, “I don’t have time for this.” I still say that to myself every now and then, too. But inspiration is something that you have to make time for. You’ll thank yourself… Trust me! I just had to make some time for my own quest for inspiration a couple of weekends ago. Here’s a few scenes from what I found…

Some sidewalk masterpieces at Downtown Disney's Festival of the Masters...






Taylor Swift live...


And a little Lionel Richie for the road... I know he's old school, but I still love it.


So tell me… What inspires you?

xoxo, Amy

3 comments:

  1. - A good lyric. I've gotten into the habit of writing an inspiring lyric on my mirrors. Sometimes I use them as reminders to hang in there when its the end of the semester.

    -Natural light. Artificial light kills my eyes and usually ends up giving me a headache. I love pulling my white linen curtains to let the sun in. It fills up my room and makes it so inviting and inspiring. I just want to sit on my bed and read and write and dream.

    -My record player. There is nothing like laying on the floor listening to the pops and crackles between Johnny Cash's croon.

    -A pretty journal. Need I say more?

    -A long talk with someone who isn't close with you. Family and friends typically already know what is going on in your life and how you feel about certain subjects. Sharing a piece of your life or wisdom with a stranger and taking in theirs makes me feel so satisfied. My customer service at the bookstore rocks because of this. The people I run into are begging to share their story and I help them find what they need to continue on and THAT feels good.

    I could keep going, but I'll stop! lol

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  2. First of all, I am totally jealous of your AMAZING photos from the Taylor Swift concert. The first one looks like it could be her next album cover or something. You were so close!

    Now that that is out of my system I wanted to let you know that this is a beautiful post! I find that inspiration can often come from the most unlikely of places. It seems like you had an amazing weekend and I hope that the inspiration you gained from it gives me more posts to read! :)

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  3. fearless - A good lyric really gets to me, too. I've framed different lyrics and quotes that inspire me and hung them on the wall just inside my bedroom door. I love that they are there to greet me each and every day.

    Marissa - Inspiration does tend to come out of the blue... Some of my best ideas hit me while I'm blow drying or curling my hair! Lol

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