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?

What Should I Write About?

What should I write about? Some days that is a really big question. I like to try to keep my posts as motivational, uplifting, and inspiring as possible. But, like you, I am human. There are times I have A LOT on my mind and would love to tell everyone exactly what I was thinking, but those posts would ultimately be considered a rant. Rants are never healthy; for the writer or the reader. I always talk about the power of words. Even the simplest of words have enormous power; to build people up or tear them down. You can give people hope with kind and generous words, just as you can break someone's heart or belittle them with harsh ones.

Every time we open our mouths we should consider the responsibility that we have. We should choose to use our words for good; to better ourselves and those around us. Whenever we spew ugliness for the sake of trying to get our viewpoint across or to make ourselves feel better at the risk of making someone else feel worse, we are making a bad choice ... a sad choice.

Words, whether spoken or written, carry consequences. In today's world we see and hear it every day. For every good word spoken there are bound to be five that are not. I've said it before and I will say it again ... words, once they are out, cannot be taken back. You can say you're sorry to someone. You can tell them you didn't mean to say the ugly things you did, but the truth of the matter is all you can do is continue to try to win someone back over and hope for forgiveness. You'll never be Harry Potter or a magician. You will never be able to fully take back the ugly things you've said. It just doesn't work that way.

There is the saying that 'actions speak louder than words'. That is often true, but whether we are speaking aloud or sharing our words on social media or acting out what is in our hearts we ALL need to take a step back and ask ourselves, 'Is this worth it?' 'Is this going to help or make things worse?'

I listen to the news, I read the online headlines, I observe people, and I feel sickened; by the things I hear, by the things I read, and by the things I witness. I am not one to judge what is right and what is wrong. I have to hold on to my faith that a higher power will make that judgement. I read some online comments and am disheartned by some of the things that I read. People will respond to a story or a Facebook post in the ugliest of ways. They will quickly get off topic and try to throw in their own agenda. They will suggest they are smarter and wiser and better than everyone else and therefore entitled to their disruptive opinion. That's the beauty of America. Everyone IS entitled to their own opinion, but too many people hide behind Amendments and use them as a shield to do or say irresponsible and disruptive things. That is the really sad part. People fought for the rights that others choose to take for granted.

Do I have all the answers of how to make the world a better place? Absolutely not, but I sure wish I did. I'll bet we all wish we did. So what can you and I do? We can start with us. We can't make decisions and choices for other people, but we can choose what our reaction will be and how we will deal with the unpleasantness. We have the ability to choose not to make things worse by adding fuel to the fire. We can think twice before we speak.