Poemattic was recently nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  

It made feel my blog had a purpose. I started thinking about the concept of inspiration and asked myself a very simple question:

What is inspiration anyway? Where does it come from? Is it a process or a random spark of something that fires up the heart and brain simultaneously? I wonder. Many things inspire me. I am inspired by acts of unconditional love. It is not an easy thing to love unconditionally. Most of us believe that parents are probably the only people capable or specifically wired to give unconditional love. So when I see evidence of it, I am inspired. People who won’t give up no matter how difficult life’s challenges may be inspire me. We see this all the time on television morning shows. People who find strength and move forward even though horrific things have happened to them.

Children are always a source of inspiration. As Bill Cosby or Art Linkletter would say, “Kids say the darndest things.” They blow you away with their maturity and sometimes their wisdom. They inspire me to become curious about things. They inspire me not to be afraid to ask questions.

I want to learn more about how to develop strategies to keep me inspired. I want to be able to draw from a bank of inspiration every day. I hope to be able to inspire others to do the same. I believe that we can be inspired with a purpose in mind.

Dictionaries have varying definitions for inspiration, here are a few:

1. “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative: “flashes of inspiration”.”
2. “Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.”
3. ” Somebody or something that inspires somebody to creative thought or to the making of art.”

Whatever definition suits you the important thing to remember is that inspiration is also inside us somewhere. We will never know how many people we end up inspiring in our lifetime. But we will take notice when inspiration is present. It will speak to you. It will give you goose bumps. It will come by way of an act of kindness. It will manifest itself in sometimes very unusual ways. You may not get it at first. But when you are inspired there are no boundaries. You will dare to do the things you never thought possible. The mind will transcend the limitations you once anticipated. You will discover a new you. Every morning when I wake I think about the opportunities that will greet me during the day. I am grateful to be alive and that I will have the opportunity to live my life for at least one more day with purpose.

The following is one of my favorite  quotes about inspiration:

“When you are inspired dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be the greatest person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” – Patanjali 

What inspires you?  Share your ideas in the comments section. I will look forward to reading them. 

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