Inspire Me

8 Aug

One time I went to a job interview for a job I really thought I wanted. When I got there, the CEO of the company met with me and talked to me about his organization. When he finished, he looked me in the eye, and said, “Inspire me.” I was dumbfounded. Inspire him? I didn’t even know him. I had no idea what he was expecting so I began talking about what I thought I could bring to the company, and tried to be as confident as possible. When I was done, he smiled, and said, “Thank you for coming in,” and that was it. I left feeling completely confused and lost. I had not been prepared for the interview as it was, and knew I hadn’t gotten the job. And I was right.

Inspiration is an intangible, undefinable entity. It means different things to different people. What inspires me may leave you yawning and looking at the clock. What inspires you may confound me. It’s very personal and individual. There are all kinds of inspiration. Sometimes it comes to us as a prompting – an idea that rolls around in our heads suggesting something we should do. When we pay attention to it, it may lead us where we want to go. We may feel inspired to do small things, like call a friend, or look for something we’ve lost in a specific place. And sometimes when we listen and follow through we find that the friend we called needed someone to talk to just then, or the missing item was exactly where we were inspired to look. We’ve all experienced moments where inspiration has guided us. It’s a special feeling we get, perhaps a feeling of confident understanding when there is nothing to support it.

There may have been times in your life when, for no reason you can identify, you felt you had to do something. Upon doing the task, you discovered it gave you something you were seeking, or took you somewhere you needed to go. Personal inspiration comes from deep inside us. Some people think it comes from a higher power. Some people think it comes from repressed memory or thought. It doesn’t matter where it comes from. The important thing is to listen when we feel it. There is a reason the suggestion has come to us. If we listen to it, and act on it, there may be something positive waiting for us.

Today if you feel inspired to do something you hadn’t planned, do it. Take a chance. There’s a reason you’re feeling directed this way. Find out what the reason is. You are intelligent, and you may be wise. If you follow the quiet promptings you get, you may find satisfaction and surprise. This life is a wonderful experiment. Do everything you feel inspired to do. Live to the fullest. When you look back you won’t have any regrets.

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Full Value

7 Aug

Most of us try to do our best most of the time.  When we’re asked a question, we try to give the best answer we can.  When we need to present something, we try to prepare.  But no matter how well we do, sometimes there are those who will question us, some who may doubt us, and even some who won’t believe anything we say.  When we are being truthful and forthright, we deserve every consideration.  But sometimes we aren’t given that.  Sometimes our comments are discounted, and not given full value.  There are a lot of reasons for this, and each situation is different.  When it happens to us it’s disappointing at best, and infuriating at worst.  Either way, it hurts.

When we are doing our best and someone discounts us, it hurts. There are all kinds of people in the world, and everyone has their own ideas about how things work.  Differences come from a lot of influences.  Perhaps we grew up with certain ideas, maybe there are cultural pressures, or impressions may be altered by previous life experiences.  None of us has a completely blank slate.  There is all kinds of information on which we draw when we come to conclusions in every situation.  We can be pulled in one direction or another for myriad reasons.  Sometimes those reasons help us see things more clearly, and sometimes they mask the truth.  It’s up to us to figure out which is which.

When we are being discounted, when our comments are ignored, when our ideas are unheard, or our suggestions are pushed aside, we may feel unappreciated.  It’s important to remember that even if our input is not being valued, it’s not because it’s not valuable input.  It doesn’t mean we don’t have something to offer.  Our place is to make the offer, to give our best, and do our part.  If nothing we do garners the attention we are seeking, we may need to turn our course, and go another way.  There are a thousand ways to be part of any scenario.  We may have to find another approach to join in.  Our ideas are just as valuable as anyone else’s.  Each one of us is worthwhile, and has something to offer.  If that’s not being recognized, we may need to find another way to express ourselves.  We may need to knock on a different door.

Today if you feel invisible, if you are not being heard and feel discounted, remember you are valuable, and so is your input.  Your contribution is important.  If you aren’t getting through, try another way in.  If you look for it, you will find a way to be recognized.  You have a lot to offer, and people need to hear you.  Keep trying.  You are worth more than you realize.  The world is a better place because you’re here.

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The Shore

6 Aug

If you’ve ever been out at sea, away from the shoreline on all sides, it’s nearly impossible to imagine where land is. Everywhere you look, all you can see is ocean. The enormity of the watery expanse is impressive, and although you can’t see it, you know there is land out there somewhere. If you are the one piloting the ship, you will undoubtedly rely on instruments to keep you on course, and get you to the destination. If you’re a passenger, you must rely on the captain to know what he’s doing. You must have faith that you will reach the shore.

Our lives can sometimes feel like we’re at sea and unable to find land. We can drift around searching, and feel lost. We may get confused trying to figure out which way is north, and which way will lead us home. Since there are no landmarks to guide us at sea, we may wait for night to fall, and try to navigate by the stars. The same is true in our lives. If we’re lost, we sometimes have to wait until things are at their darkest before we figure out which way to go. Like the stars in the sky, we have everything we need inside us to find our direction. And when we’re ready, the answer will be there to guide the way.

We can feel lost for a million different reasons. Perhaps there have been unexpected changes that have upset us, maybe we’re facing a serious personal issue that we haven’t quite figured out, or we’ve just decided we’re going the wrong way and have to change direction. Whatever is making us feel lost can be unsettling, and at times even frightening. It’s hard when we feel untethered, floating around with no anchor, drifting here and there without direction. But if we hold on, and keep paddling, if we remain calm despite the confusion and give ourselves time to think, we will find our way. And then inch by inch we can turn and correct our course. We will feel the tide beneath us taking us where we want to go, and we’ll catch the wind that will carry us there.

Today if you’re feeling lost, if you’re unsure about which way is right, give yourself time. Don’t panic or push. Let your mind rest, and the answers will come. You know what’s best for you. You know where you want to go. You will find your way. Nobody knows you better than you. You are the captain of the ship. Be still and you will feel the tide ready to guide you through. Let it lift you, and soon you’ll be exactly where you want to be.

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In the Zone

5 Aug

The other day I lent my car to a friend to run an errand.  He called me asking how to open the gas cover door so he could fill my tank.  I explained that there was a little latch on the floor next to the driver’s seat that he could pull up to open it.  But he said he was looking at that area and there was no latch.  I was sure it was there and asked him to look again, to which he replied, “I’m looking at the floor next to the seat and there is nothing like that.”  Unable to figure it out, he returned my car and asked me to show him the latch.  To my utter surprise when I looked in the car, there was no latch.  What?  I have owned this car for several years, and have filled the tank hundreds of times.  And then it came to me – you just had to push on the door to open it.  The phantom latch I was remembering was on a rental car I had driven recently.

I was dismayed by this experience.  How could I have forgotten something so basic that I do so often?  Well, it turns out, it’s not that hard.  We do things automatically, without thinking, and when they are part of our regular routine, we can get so used to the action, we are hardly aware of what we’re doing.  We go on auto pilot.  If I had needed to fill my gas tank, I would have automatically opened the little door.  But trying to access that information to share with someone else outside of the situation didn’t happen.  I never paid much attention.  And so, it never really became part of my conscious awareness.

We can do a lot of things on auto pilot.  We can go through our lives, go through the motions, and basically zone out.  We have our routines, some things are pretty predictable, and we fail to pay attention.  It’s something we all do.  We can go about completing our mundane tasks like drones on a mission.  But if we pay attention, if we decide to be involved and aware, we will get more out of our experiences.  There are so many people who come in and out of our lives we may ignore.  The cashier at the grocery store, the guy who makes our coffee every day, the crossing guard at the school we pass each morning, and others.  They are part of our lives, and taking just a moment to give a friendly wave, say hello, learn their names and build a relationship with them, will enrich us.  We have become an isolated society paying more attention to our smart phones than those around us.  But we can change that.  Every person we meet has something to offer, and each one is unique and special in some way.  If we extend our hands, say hello, zone in, and participate, our lives will be richer, and we’ll feel more connected to our world.

Today try to zone in.  Try to pay attention to those around you.  Say hello, introduce yourself, get to know the people you interact with regularly.  Be aware, and open up.  We are all connected to each other.  Don’t ignore those you come in contact with.  Today, engage them.  You’ll make new friends, and your life with be richer.

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Finding Peace

4 Aug

There are a lot of ups and downs in life. Sometimes it goes easily, and sometimes not. When we’re disappointed about the way things are going, we can find ourselves unsettled, and upset. If we’re unhappy with where we are, or what’s happening, and we desperately want something to change, it’s hard to find peace. Although we may want a change, there are times when we have no control over the issue. Nothing we can do will move it along or transform it. At times like those, it’s hard to be comfortable. We may feel impatient, and frustrated. But sometimes we have to endure things as they are, even if they aren’t the way we want, or need them to be. Eventually things may improve but until then we’re stuck. And we aren’t happy.

There is a lot we can change about our lives if we want to. We have control over what we do, and how we react. But we don’t have any control over the decisions of others. Unfortunately when someone in our circle makes a bad decision, or a decision we don’t like, and it affects us negatively, it’s hard to accept. We may fight against it. We may argue and disagree. But in the end, the only decisions we can control are our own. And sometimes that means we have to take what comes, even if it’s not what we want.

It’s helpful to remember that acceptance can bring peace. We don’t have to like a decision that’s hurting us or making us uncomfortable, but we can understand that it’s been made and we can’t change it. If we can’t change things, we have to accept them as they are. It may take time to get to acceptance, and we may have to overcome anger and disappointment, but once we decide to let it happen, we can relax, and let the stress go. We can find a way around the problem, and we can move forward. Acceptance will bring us peace – not always happiness, but peace. And peace is important in our lives.

Today if you’re struggling with something that is making you uncomfortable and you don’t have the power to change it, work on accepting the situation as it is.  Let it go, let yourself relax, and find peace. You deserve a happy and peaceful life. Acceptance will help you find it. Take a breath. Let go. And then move forward.

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