Friday Five -- Inspiration
I was going to do a post of inspirational images, no words. But as I searched Google, I was surprised to find that none of the 'inspirational images' inspired me. Most of them were pretty pictures of nature (sunsets and starscapes) or cute photos of babies (their tiny hands, their bums up in the air during sleep), and then there was some weird stuff - like toilets and cars and photos of sparkly vampires. But I was looking for something more and I didn't find it. So I looked up the word 'inspire' on dictionary.com. Here's what it said: "to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence" -- so something that wakes you up, lights you on fire, makes you feel a desire to move forward in some way, something that ignites your passion. What ignites passion?
1. While a photo of a setting sun doesn't seem to be doing it for me, actually standing at the lip of the ocean, hearing the roar of the tide and feeling the splash of sea spray, while the sun's rays dip down into the water, that works for me. And though a photo won't necessarily make me feel it, closing my eyes, remembering what it actually feels like, that strikes the match.
2. Seeing a picture of some random cute baby or two siblings hugging -- eh, not so much. But if I dig down into my own memories, and remember my own adorable babies, and recall times when they played and hugged and giggled together -- there's the spark.
3. Okay, the toilets and cars and sparkly vampires I'm not really getting. But I think the idea is about excitement (not sure how the toilets fit in here, but whatever works for you) -- getting the car you always dreamed of works, or immersing yourself in a story about a supernatural boyfriend who loves you so much he can't bear it -- yes, sparks.
4. I guess my point is that we're so often looking for inspiration outside of ourselves when usually what those external sources send us back to are our own inner experiences -- our memories, our dreams, our hopes -- they're all right there inside of us all the time.
5. So I guess my advice -- to myself and anyone else seeking inspiration-- is this: Take a moment to get quiet, go inside, draw out the universe of stars that resides inside you, and allow those sparks to be the ones that set you aflame.
Wishing you a weekend of happy inspirations 
Posted by Cheryl at 9/17/2010 12:22 PM 
Categories: friday five; life; writing; dreaming
Tags: friday five; life; writing; dreaming
Categories: friday five; life; writing; dreaming
Tags: friday five; life; writing; dreaming
After I read this and saw what inspire meant.....all I could think about is how I thought I wouldn't ever fill this way again after all I have been through the last year...but thank God I do feel that quickening, that fire, I feel that desire to move forward in some way, my passion has been ignited again and I feel so loved and happy again something I thought was a lost but when one door closes another ones does open and when one don't appreciate you for who you are you find where there is someone else who can and will....So thank God I smell the roses again....I feel that spark again....thanks for your blog loved reading it and it blessed me.
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I'm so sorry you've had such a difficult year, QPAT, but I'm so very happy to hear that you have found your way back to passion and inspiration. Keep smelling those roses and finding those open doors. And thank you so much for sharing your thoughts <3
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