“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
― Jack London
From the first moment I read this quote, I knew I wanted it to have a place here in this space. If you read my blog often, you may have noticed it on the sidebar. I like to think it serves as a reminder of what it means to live inspired. Not waiting for someone to find us and share nuggets of their wisdom, or waiting for some thing to motivate us to move forward, but seeking out those opportunities. Making space for the ideas of others and the stories of their success, and letting them encourage us or give us the swift kick in the pants we need to take that next step. Finding the things that challenge us and make us better. Making mistakes and celebrating our accomplishments, and learning to apply their lessons–one day at a time. And letting it happen again and again.
In the past, I’ve done my share of waiting around for things to change or for the creative juices to flow.
But it never did me any good.
So I’m working to become a better seeker–because I believe finding inspiration and living inspired are so important.
Inspiration feeds our souls and gives us fuel to do the things we feel called to do. It helps shape our lives and influence how we express our creativity. It also determines how we make decisions and how we respond to situations.
And it goes even deeper than that because the things that inspire us are rooted in the values and principles we hold dear to our hearts.
It’s serious.
So…how do we become intentional about tapping into the things that inspire us? And how do we let those things change us for the better?
This is Day 1 of the series, 31 Days of Inspired Living. Join me throughout the month of October as I write about what I think it takes to find inspiration and live an inspired life, share stories and offer some encouragement for your journey.
PART I: THE INTRODUCTION
DAY 1: Inspired Living (You are here. Thank you so much for reading)
DAY 2: More Than Pretty: how the things we hold dear shape the way we see inspiration
DAY 3: Human Nature and the Heart: how living only concerned with the self and what the heart wants can cause us to be inspired in negative ways, and how doing four things can help us avoid that
PART II: PREPARING FOR POSITIVE INSPIRATION
DAY 6: Asking for a Little Direction
DAY 7: Getting Rid of the Noise
DAY 9: Taking Time for Rest
DAY 10: Links For Your Journey
PART II: IDENTIFYING POSITIVE INSPIRATION
DAY 11: A Scripture
DAY 12: The Overwhelming Beauty in Nature
DAY 13: Life, Love, and a Mother’s Belly
DAY 14: Learning About Beauty in Suffering
DAY 15: On Art and Making Broken Things Beautiful
DAY 16: When Beauty and Inspiration Seem Far Away–Where to Find It
DAY 17: Links For Your Journey
PART III: APPLYING AND SHARING POSITIVE INSPIRATION
DAY 18: A Scripture
DAY 19: Letting Inspiration Make An Impact
DAY 20: How Positive Inspiration Challenges Us
DAY 21: On Sharing the Fruit of Positive Inspiration
DAY 22: It’s Not About a System
DAY 23: Moving Through Fear
DAY 24: Links For Your Journey
PART IV: LESSONS AND REFLECTIONS
DAY 25: A Scripture
DAY 26: On Finding The Original Inspiration
DAY 27: On Acknowledging Imperfection Along The Way
DAY 28: On The Days Of Waiting
DAY 29: An Inspiration Story: Q&A With Stacey Smith
DAY 30: Links For Your Journey
37 comments
Good job, honey. This could be powerful!
– Devin
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Thanks! I hope it will be!
Thank you Claresa for chasing down Lady Inspiration in your life! Looking forward to hearing more during this series!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read! It means so much!
I agree – good idea! I’ll be reading.
Hey! Feel free to let me know your thoughts along the way. I’d love to hear them.