Inspire Me

So here's the question I find myself asking a lot lately--why is it that when we have those times in our lives when we most need to take care of ourselves that we don't?  I find that to be true, for myself at least, a lot.  When I'm down, when I'm struggling, when I'm exhausted, I have a tendency to not do the very things I need to do for myself.  For instance right now.  I've been struggling with myself for the past 6+ months.  I know myself well enough to know how to nurture myself.  I know the things that make me feel most alive.  However, it's during these times I lack motivation and no amount of self talk can convince me to do the very things I need to do--create, write, eat healthy foods, exercise.  I try but my motivation soon dwindles. 

I know writing feeds me like nothing else...and yet my notebook remains empty.  I joined a gym...but I don't go.  I even paid extra to attend the yoga classes...and sill, I don't go.  I know walking fills me with energy...instead I sit on the couch all night.  I know when I'm creative I'm more likely to enjoy being alive...but I haven't created anything, not event a collage, in a very, very long time.  So why is that?

I also know that when I feel inspired, inspired by life, by music, by poetry, by other people I feel more alive.  And when I feel more alive I'm better able to see beauty, color, details, hope, and possibility.  I'm better able to do what I need to do to take care of myself.

So I'm asking for your help to get a little bit of a kick start.  What has inspired you lately?  What blog has really touched you?  What totally cool website have you recently stumbled across?  Is there a book, movie, or cd that's brought you inspiration? 

Help inspire me by sharing what inspires you.

Comments

[hele]

In cognitive psychology they teach us that it is only possible to divide our attention between things depending on the load of each process. For example, if your job and your home-life are already demanding you will have very little attention (energy) left for writing and gym-ing. I sometimes think we tend to forget this and instead of being gentle with ourselves when under pressure we try load more on the plate, hoping that some-how it will make us feel better.

Almost as if writing could diffuse the stress of work. But does it? Or does it add more pressure?

You sound like you have a lot on your plate right now, maybe the nurturing thing would be to eat a bit slower so you have time to chew :)

And just a small delicious chocolate mint (lying under a tree) as desert instead of a huge bowl of ice-cream (writing a poem about it) on a already groaning stomach.

[Lizzie]

So understand where you're coming from. And then you feel guilty for not doing the stuff you know is good for your soul and only end up needing it even more. One of the things I'm doing to try to break this pattern of mine is to do something I don't normally do. I'm getting together with an old friend from high school tomorrow to catch up and bake cookies for one of her kids' school parties. This type of activity is definitely not in my normal scope of daily life, but I'm looking forward to the change in routine, not to mention the chance to talk to this woman who has proven to be a steady friend through all the years.

[Sue]

I've been in the same place as you many, many times! Sleepless nights with two littlies (now grown men), broken marriage, life all over the place - it all contrives to break the flow of creativity. So many false starts and abortive plans over the years. However, now I've begun again. One step at a time, and I'm working REALLY hard to silence that voice of mine that tells me I'm not good enough, not prolific enough, not original enough, and so on and on and on...

The things I have found that inspire me are walking in the fresh air, even if only around the block for half an hour; visiting exhibitions - within minutes I am scrabbling for a pen and some scrap of paper to jot down my thoughts; and listening to music, which is something I always, always forget to do.

Wishing you lots of happiness, ideas, creativity and fun.

[Sam]

I'm nodding, because I am the same way! I feel most alive when I am actively creating, but yet I get in my own way over and over again. Part of my excuse is that I don't have space to really get alone and put my head down...unless The Small One is in bed! (But then he tends to wake up every hour...not a lot of time to devote to something that once I get started, I like to ROLL!) That's one reason I threw caution to the proverbial wind and signed up for NaNaWriMo. I have no idea how I'm going to manage, but I need something big and crazy and nearly impossible to strive for...sometimes to get excited about...and so that's what I'm doing. I have no idea how on earth I'm going to do it, though!

[Angela]

I'm with gkgirl - flickr! and the bookstore too, i always walk out feeling refreshed and inspired :)

[Claire]

longing and quiet inspire me. you inspire me. i have just found your blog and i plan to spend some time here, finding inspiration.

[jenica]

i'm so happy you're posting again. ;-D

also, the book "wreck this journal" will get you over the hump. it's so fun.

[jenica]

i'm a rebel without a cause. it's been days since i last took my vitamins. why? they taste yummy and they make me feel better, that's why!

i think sometimes i need to be taken care of, and by wearing myself down and not doing it myself, i'm expecting someone else to do it for me. i appreciate it when my husband, my girlfriend, or even people in blogland notice me feeling down and do something about it.

yesterday my grandma was here. she walked in and i apologized for my mess. with NO judgement she set to washing dishes, gave small chores to the kids, and inspired me to get off my butt and do something. just try to sit on the couch doing nothing while your grandma cleans your house!

people inspire me. physical contact inspires me. love inspires me. pandora.com inspires me.

i also agree with liz, sometimes you have to take your own advice and pretend it's from someone else to give it validity. i had a random case of gout in april, but at first when i thought it might be broken i was sitting there crying in pain and not sure what to do. i wanted someone to just take the pain away, pick me up and take me to the doctor, tell me what steps i needed to take. then i thought of the advice i would have given to someone in my situation. i got up right then and put an herbal poultice on it and went to the insta-care to get it checked out. long story longer i took the advice i would have given someone else and was out of my pain within a few hours... you are a wise, intuitive, inspiring woman.

flickr inspires me too. spc. two girls~two clicks. i need some sort of challenge to keep me going.

when i am staring at a blank canvas and feeling overwhelmed with what to even start painting... sometimes it just helps to make a mess, pour paint right on, glue a bunch of collage elements on, etc. it just feels good once you jump in.

xoXOxo

[amy]

here is some of my current list of inspiring (or thought provoking) things:

eddie vedder's music for 'into the wild' (played extra loud)

a book of short stories called 'the boat' by nam le

an australian mook (magazine meets a book) called Dumbo Feather which comes out quarterly and profiles interesting people

new and old TED talks

http://www.thedolectures.com/

the work of inspiring, creative NGOs like Dave Eggers' 826 National

the doco 'man on wire'

[leah]

feel free to join in "art every day month" this year! it always gives me a good dose of inspiration to create and share my own creations and to see what others are coming up with. the art can be anything from photos to poems to collage. no pressure though!

as for what's inspiring me lately, the book "Life is a Verb" by Patti Digh has been wonderfully inspiring. i also love listening to good podcasts like Craftcast, Hip Tranquil Chick, and Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me among others.

[tami]

I am in the same spot - I KNOW that if I would just get out of the house and walk a bit I would feel better - but I can't seem to make myself. So, I have a yoga DVD that I put in and do. I ALWAYS feel better, after yoga. And yesterday? I went for a walk (and I felt better!). It also helps that my daughter went with me.
Tomorrow I will do yoga - or walk. Baby steps, baby steps. Someday I will be back jogging.

[Lee]

I hear your story and it echoes mine. What is it that can motivate us...I wish I knew the secret to that one. I am trying in my own little way, we have a dog and I walk her, only because nobody else will. It gets me out of the house and some air in my lungs. I try to watch what I eat but somtimes those french fries just slip in my mouth and i cant say no. When will it be that we can be happy the way we are.

[shona]

what about a collaboration, or something with deadlines that involves someone else keeping you accountable? that always helps me.

[gkgirl]

i know
this is old news
to you
but flickr is has been
a huge inspiration
to me lately...
i find i have to grab my notebook
and take notes
of what i am seeing...
and oddly enough,
it is blogs of people
that i am finding on flickr
that are really getting me going lately...
i guess i'm just on camera mode
right now.
:0)

and a drawing book that nine
borrowed from the library...
that has been getting alot of use as well.

[Prophecy]

I was wondering if anyone believes in destiny?
www.GodYesOrNo.com

[Tamsie]

Thank you for posting. I saw your site in my Favorites. I sighed and thought, if there's nothing new, I'll delete this. And, to my DELIGHT, there are many new posts. Whew!
I found that the first step that helped me was to buy Dieter's Diary by Netzer. It's a spiral journal where I record my food intake and it has tips and hints. Nothing I don't know but I force myself to record and BE HONEST. I wasn't "perfect" right away. I thought if I didn't write it down, it doesn't count. And some days I ripped the pages out. But, I kept/keep at it.
Thank you for coming back. I was worried about you!

[an eager soul]

I had a really rough summer. Probably the toughest of my life. No one knows this really but my journal. I felt my heart burning almost everyday. What snapped me out of it was routine and meditating. As soon as I was alone (when school started for the kids) I sat in the quiet and breathed. I don't even know if that is meditating, but just sitting silently helped me the most. Since I have very few alone hours I just do it when I can and I am gentle with myself when I can not.
I lost weight without exercising. I hate exercising and I really hope to some day do some yoga or walk or something, but I knew it wasn't realistic for me to cut calories and to execise so I just focused on the cutting calories. I think doing one thing at a time helps and then layer upon it. So first I lost weight and then I meditated and now I am focusing on purging because there is so much clutter in my life. I closed down alot of my cyber homes and I am trying to downsize everything I do right now.
I felt I needed time to re-group because I was feeling overwhelmed by life and I didn't like that feeling.

I wish you well.
I think writing will help you.
It is very cathartic, don't you think?

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

Maybe you are trying to start too big with making changes.....I get overwhelmed when I do that.....I like to break down my larger goals into smaller, more manageable goals, so that I'm more likely to accomplish the tasks.

I go through periods where I will be extremely motivated (which I am right now), and then I will be completely wiped out for a couple of days after a week or so of going full throttle. I'm trying to work toward combating that, but I have yet to meet a compromise.

Instead of saying, "I need to start going to the gym!", maybe you could say, "I should really make an effort to attend a yoga class on such and such day." There you have a more definitive goal to tackle.

I learned that I can't do everything as quickly as I want it to get done.....but the first step is taking action.....making a list (if your a list person, like me).

My resolution for the week is to turn off the tv more often, and start organizing my wash room. Last night I picked up boxes that I save, towels, & other misc items that needed homes elsewhere.....the washroom looks 100x's better, and I'm only halfway there.....it felt really great to get that small portion done though.

I know you weren't expecting a response like this, but I thought that maybe my insight could help you. You, inspired me!

[Star]

I, too, am in search of inspiration (and am glad you're back with a rich supply).

Sorry to say I don't have much to recommend to you in return. Things have changed in my life and the amount of time I have to spend in blogland has taken a hit. At the moment, most of my inspiration comes from family/friends and nature. I'll have to come back and see what others have recommended to you here in the comments.

[Carol]

I'm so pleased to see that you have returned to blogland. I first encountered your blog in April if I remember correctly and although it wasn't long after that that you went on a blog break, I continued to return here on a regular basis to see if you'd updated. I came back again and again because your blog is wonderful. You are wonderful. Your honesty about your journey in life is one of the most trueful I have encountered in blog land. I am naturally suspicious of any blog that appears to portray a perfect life, because it's not reality. Your recent photos have been beautiful and I am so pleased to see that you have returned with your honesty and integrity again. I look forward to reading more.

[Ria]

Like Liz, I have to say you inspire me. And I'd like to thank you for that. I do hope you find the inspiration you need. I don't know if it would help you, but you might want to look up Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. It's an old book, but you might still find it useful. Take care!

[Daphne]

I know this isn't the focus of your blog, but this past year I have gotten so much out of blogging about the books I read. It's been a great incentive to both read more and blog more, and has led me to write more about books and authors and the things that the books make me think. Plus it's opened my eyes to many more 'book' blogs and that's been wonderful. So nice to have you back, by the way.

[LIz]

Truthfully, you inspire me, and the posts that you have put up in the last couple of days are some of the most inspiring and rich reads of my days. Dare I say, read your own words and pretend someone else wrote them, and see how they affect you? Is that silly? Your authenticity and vehemently truthful words make my heart sing and my mind soar, and make me fell truly happy to be alive.

[celticbuffy]

I'm in the same boat as you right now. I'm searching for inspiration. In November I'm following a book study for the book "Soul Coaching" by Denise Linn. I'm hoping that will point me in the direction I need to go.