“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?

Inspired Living image

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 4: A Scripture

DAY 5: Making Room

DAY 6: Asking for a Little Direction

DAY 7: Getting Rid of the Noise

DAY 8: Being Present

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

DAY 31: Reflections + A Prayer For The Journey

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37 comments

  1. Thank you Claresa for chasing down Lady Inspiration in your life! Looking forward to hearing more during this series!

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