Are you inspir-ed yet?

Let's start where it begins: inspiration.

Nothing was ever created without that first spark of ingenuity.  For creation to take place, not only do we have to have the idea of what to create in mind, but we have to have the inspiration and energy to make it happen.

For me, inspiration hides in many things:

• An afternoon in the kitchen
• A bright day in the great outdoors
• Conversation over that second glass of wine
• Others passionate response to a cause
• Personal reflection; re-reading that half-filled journal from 3 years ago
• Positive reinforcement; the pep talk from a best friend
• Broadening horizons; visiting somewhere new; travel
• Breaking routine; pushing through boredom; finding something new in a familiar place

Help me create an even better list.  What inspires you?

Controll-ed Freak

So a lot has happened since we last spoke.  For one, I'm actually enjoying my job, which perhaps in part explains my blogging absence.  It is amazing what a little recognition and an extra responsibility or two does for the morale. 

I also have been working on a new mantra: Don't fight it.

In the past, I spoke about energy.  I explored the idea that we only have a finite amount of force that we can dedicate to the world.  Sometimes we unnecessarily spend energy on things we cannot control.  I found that I was spending a lot of time and energy on trying to change a world that was built with me in mind.  And believe it or not, life is pretty self-sufficient.  You don't have to plan out every minute of every day because life will figure it out without any help from you.

But life can also be pretty cooperative.  When you come up with a reasonable plan, it will allow you to take the reigns and make it happen.  So, in essence, we just have to figure out where we want to use our energy, because life will take care of the rest.

This may be a bit of a weird stretch, but think of it like your respiratory system.  Your lungs will continue to take in and exhale air regardless of whether you tell it to.  But, you can also make a conscious effort to take a big calming breath.

Do not fight what you cannot control.  But take control of what you can and use it to your advantage.

I'm sure this is the slogan of some 'take back your world' seminar that I am too cheap and too cynical to pay for, but I'm owning it and living it anyways.

There are so many times when I fight things that have not even happened yet or that will happen regardless of what I do.

Once you understand that sometimes there are things that you simply cannot change--and that this is okay, in fact, it is normal--you can go about changing those things that you can.  Just accept that, for some reason or another, this world was made for you.

Strung out and start-ed anew

A few realizations I came to this past week:

1. I need one weeknight to take a 'me' break: organize paperwork, spend time reading on the couch, try out a new recipe, have a special dinner with the lovely roommate, etc.  As much as I love a great weeknight workout to unwind, a day off does me a lot of good.
2. I need to stop asking too many 'big' questions at once: thoughts about the future tend to snowball.  Though it's important to ask these questions sometimes, I need to avoid overwhelming myself so often and spend more time enjoying the present. 
3. Dance parties are good for the soul: this weekend a few girlfriends and I turned on some '80s music after a dinner of margaritas.  We jumped around, waving our arms and tapping our feet like pre-teens at a Jonas Brothers concert.  What sweet release it was!

And now, looking back at my realizations, I realize that perhaps the string is wound just a little too tight.  I know I've been trying to slowly unwind, but maybe it's time to cut the string and start anew.

Snip, snip.

Hop-ed, Dream-ed, Realiz-ed.

Today, like any other day, is a day of unlimited potential.  Anything can happen if you believe it can.  Make today a day of hopes and dreams and realities.

1. Help yourself to an extra large slice of pumpkin pie...with whipped cream.
2. Find time to tell the people in your life how much they mean to you.
3. Start a tradition that your children will carry on when you're gone.
4. Relish the simple pleasures.
5. Kiss someone until passion leaks through your lips.
6. Trust in the possibility of the impossible.
7. Dust off your wings and make a promise to use them when the right breeze blows through.
8. Identify the things in your life to which you will remain loyal no matter what.
9. Ask the universe for something you think you deserve.  Then work harder to deserve it.
10.  Discover something magical about the world today.

pic: weheartit

Energiz-ed.

Energy, defined as available power, exists in two forms: physical and spiritual.  The physical energy is processed when we fuel our body with food and burn the calories as we perform tasks.  Whereas, spiritual or emotional energy is processed when we fuel our body with experiences and use up our emotional and mental capacity.  Essentially, physical energy is cellular; spiritual energy is "soul-ular". 

At different points in our lives we dispense this soul energy in various ways--at the beginning of a new relationship, we invest a large chunk in our lover: discovering who we are together, exploring the feelings they inspire in us, and building a foundation of soulful connection so that eventually it is not as exhausting to co-exist.  Other times we spend our energy on a passion; training for a marathon requires not only physical endurance, but a dedication of soul.  We cannot commit to a goal without pooling our emotional energy and focusing on the end result. 

However, I believe we have a finite amount of both types of energy; there is a limit, a point where we simply become exhausted, so it is important to learn how to spend your energy.  Life is at it's best when we have found a way to invest our energy in different pursuits: family, passion, love, learning, friends, etc.   In order to feel completely centered in life, we need to become efficient managers of our spiritual energy, to know when we can spend a little more in one area, and when we need to pull back and spend a little on ourselves.  In essence, this is my attempt at a somewhat scientific explanation of the need for balance in one's life.

Ironically, it can be exhausting just trying to figure out where to spend our energy.  But when we do get it right, the result is a blissful hum that resonates beyond our physical existence. 

The result is peace.

pic: weheartit