What inspires you?

There are days we think we have it all together; that we can accomplish anything we set our mind to. Oh, if that were just the case every day. Some days we need a nudge, a vigorous shove, or some help from outside sources. Often that help can come in the form of inspiration.

If you are an artist you may need to take a walk in wooded nature or on the beach to visually take in all the colors and textures before you put your brush to the canvas.

If you are a songwriter you might want to observe the people and circumstances around you before you feel you can adequately retell the situation with song lyrics.

If you are a writer you may get your best inspirations from quotes that you come across. Sometimes you find the quotes and sometimes they find you; for me those unexpected ones are the best. Here is one that was part of an email sent to me recently by a friend.

'When you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings you joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.'   ~ Jean Shinoda Bolen

This quote, for me, is literally the vigorous shove or the proverbial 2x4 between the eyes. Some people simply have the ability to point out clearly exactly what I need to be reminded of. Like many other people, I wear a lot of hats. I'm a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, an employee, a friend, someone who likes to putz in her flower beds, a Christian, a cancer survivor, and when I can make time for myself ... a blogger. Writing, for me, is that thing that nourishes my soul and brings me joy. Sometimes, though, the hours and the days get away from me, because 'life' shows up at my doorstep. When I remember to care about myself, I make time to write. It helps me sort through all the 'life' stuff and hopefully regain a little order in my day.

Sometimes I remember and then I blog twice in a week. Other times, like the last 2 weeks, I forget and then days slip by in between blog posts. 

Sometimes you just get tired; the kind of tired that a good night's sleep can't cure. That is another quote I heard somewhere recently, but can't remember where or who said it, sorry. I am feeling inspired by the quotes that have found me. I wrote them out and put them where I can read them whenever I need reminding; which sadly is too often.

Are you feeling frustrated? Overwhelmed? In a rut? 

Ready for a life transition? Encouraged? 
Ready to make things happen in your life?

Where you do find your inspiration?

Not Sweating The Small Stuff

I read a book once (actually I've read many) called 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and It's All Small Stuff' by Richard Carlson, PH.D. It was about learning simple ways to keep the little things from taking over your life. There's a lot of wisdom in that little nugget itself. Simplifying things down to their basic core can help you gain (or regain) perspective. The trouble though is that not everything is small stuff and a lot of it isn't even 'your' stuff. That's when things get tricky.

I'll bet if someone did a scientific study on my DNA they would find that besides me being Irish and having more freckles than I can count, I am also a habitual worrier, a planner, a master organizer, one who stresses easily, a born mediator, someone who LOVES a good pizza, etc. The human mind is a very unique thing. Everyone's is different. People behave and react to things differently. What sets one person off and makes them feel anxious sometimes wouldn't bother the person standing next to them in the least. Some of us are detail oriented (to a fault), so much so that we don't miss much. We see how we think things should be and know how we think people should behave, but when things don't fall into our plans in a neat and orderly fashion ... we stress, we worry, and ultimately we try to fix things. Truth is that some things aren't meant to be changed and many aren't even our problems to fix. 

In a perfect world, we could be more objective, be patient, stand back and wait for people to tell us if they needed our help. But I haven't found that perfect balance yet, have you? I see someone else stressing or worrying and I am compelled to be empathetic and feel their stress. Unhealthy for me, I'm sure. Yes, I am one of those people who can watch a Hallmark movie or a Mother's Day commercial and cry before it's even over. 

What am I saying here? That I can admit my strengths, as well as my faults. I care a lot for those in my circle (my family, my friends, my acquaintances, my co-workers, and sometimes even people I've never met). I want to help people. I want to understand what makes them do what they do. I want to fix things. I don't want to stand by and see people hurt (mentally or physically). Those I suppose would be strengths. My weaknesses? Yes, I can be honest - I have those too. I will get hung up on things I shouldn't be stressing over, sometimes little things (like people's behaviors and lack of respect) and sometimes big things (life changing situations). I will admit that when I get hung up on something and can't seem to get past it I've been known to rant about it ... for a while ... probably for way too long. I am not naive enough to think that some of my closest friends don't have moments where they think to themselves, 'Wow, is she still going off about that? Get over it already!' To those friends, I say, 'Thank you for being patient with me. You're the best!' I appreciate them not giving up on me.

What small stuff are you able to put aside and easily get over?

What things do you have a harder time with?

Focus on the Ordinary

Ever notice how there are always those people who seem to be able to accomplish amazing things? We read about them on the Internet and follow their statuses on Instagram. Maybe they are a performer, a well-known chef, an Olympic athlete, an artist, an established author, or a gardener. Maybe they do amazing things or say profound words; regardless you sit and wait with bated breath to see what they will do next. Guess what? They really aren't any different than you or I. Sure, maybe they can sing better or paint better or write better or make us laugh or cry more, but they are still just other human beings. We all have our own insecurities and our own strengths. 

Sometimes it's nice to have the things we do get noticed, but that isn't always why we do what we do. We write or garden or sculpt or run because it makes us happy. We may not be the best at it, but we put our best into what we are doing. If someone else likes it or feels encouraged by it, that is great ... that is a bonus.

Simplicity is about being authentic. Do what you like to do; what makes you feel good about yourself, and just do your best. Often times the ordinary is just one small step away from becoming extraordinary. Everything you do matters; to you and to those around you. We don't always realize it when we're singing that special song or planting the colorful garden for others to admire or creating that one-of-a-kind art piece that will make someone look at it with awe ... that we've turned our gift or talent into something someone else thinks is amazing. Any God-given talent we have should never be wasted. We need to honor the gift and share it.

So, focus on the things you do that you think are ordinary ...believe in them and in yourself and you may be surprised by the end result. You may start to notice all of the amazing things you've already been doing.

Who do you admire and why?

What do they do or say that affects you?