Creative Inspiration for Passionate Living

Today is the first day I've written an inspiration in at least two weeks.  It wasn't that I didn't have anything to say or that I didn't have time.  I simply didn't feel inspired to write an inspiration - how ironic. At inception, I titled this blog "Daily Inspiration..."  a friend asked me if I'd have time to write daily to which I immediately answered "I'll make time."  And for a long, consistent while, I did make time.  Sometimes the words would flow as freely as bath water waiting to soothe aching muscles.  At other times, I was forcing the words onto the page like I used to when my parents served liver and peas for dinner.  The resulting works may not have revealed my internal struggles and some may have still even found encouragement. Still, I felt insincere and hypocritical on days I was trying to inspire without having first found my own inspiration. I cannot promise a daily post but I commit myself to capturing inspiration as

When I was a girl of maybe 6 years, I would have a recurring dream about Raggedy Ann and Andy taking me through the forest to see the Wizz (not the Wizard of Oz).  When we arrived at the ivory castle, an evil witch would appear sitting high atop a golden throne (i.e., toilet).  We'd make our humble requests to the witch but she only scoffed at our pleas and told us we were fools.  This always angered me because my request was to use the bathroom. Because Raggedy Ann and Andy were my friends, they didn't take well to the witch's callous cackles.  They argued with her as I stood defenseless, legs crossed trying in vein to abstain from soaking my favorite baby blue pajamas with hot urine.  After unsuccessful  appeals on my behalf, they fought and defeated the witch and flushed her down the golden throne.  My fears were replaced with relief and elation as the village made me their new queen.   The lolly pop kids, Tom & Jerry, and other characters from books I read would s

Once when I was feeling a bewilderment about how my team fit in a changing organization, I sought input from a trusted mentor.  By the end of the discussion, which lasted less than 30 minutes, I was not only assured that my team had an opportunity to play a vital role in the organization's transition but also admonished for not seeking ways to ensure we were involved at the appropriate levels.  My mentor encouraged me to seek ways to add value rather than artificially asserting the need for involvement and complaining when the invitations didn't come. Today's Inspiration Seek No One's Permission to Fulfill Responsibilities That Are Yours Oh so many times we sit feeling like we're bound by the validation or acceptance of others.  In some cases, though we know (internally at least) that we have certain obligations, we wait for someone in our lives - oftentimes we don't even know who - to make a way for us or to move out of our way so that we may proceed with

During the Christmas of 1997 I decided to try my hand at peach cobbler. I was nervous because I didn't have a recipe and my in-laws were at dinner. My only experience was watching my husband's aunt make one once so I really took my time with everything.  I felt as if needles were tumbling around in my stomach the whole time the cobbler cooked. When I removed the pan from the oven, I was proud at the look of my finished product.  The crust was golden brown and fit for a photo spread in a recipe book.  The aroma caused mouths to water - I had to threaten my family with bodily harm so they wouldn't dig in to the delectable treat prematurely. When it came time for tasting, I found that the cobbler - a balanced blend of butter, sugar, spices and special ingredients - was seasoned to perfection!  My family raved about it all night and I knew it wasn't just talk because the entire pan disappeared in 5 minutes flat.  My dessert was divine! For every cobbler I've made

I started this daily inspiration blog in hopes of reaching people with a message that could encourage and lift the spirits.  Some how, I imagined having hundreds of readers stop by  daily  to flood each post with comments about how relevant and helpful they found the message.  Well, after about four and a half months in, I became discouraged (not completely, just a little bit).  The list of supporters slowly grew to 14 and comments are sparse so I figured perhaps what I was doing wasn't as significant as I'd hoped it would be.  I allowed myself to skip multiple days - nobody was reading anyway right? WRONG!!!  I recently got an email from a friend in Slovakia telling me he was reading my little blog and rather enjoyed it.  WOW!!! Today's Inspiration Out of sight is NOT always out of mind   The advent of instant sharing and social networking has many of us spoiled.  If we update our Twitter or Facebook status, comments and 'likes' from friends provide instant v

My brother and I are really close. If I am looking for a pat on the back, I can count on his strong, gentle hand.  One evening, I called him to vent about a matter that had my gears shifting.  He listened as usual but instead of siding with me, he asked me a series of questions that helped me understand that I was wrong for my actions though my emotions were well justified.  Tough pill to swallow but great medicine all the same. Today's Inspiration Encouragement Breeds Confidence; Admonishment, Humility Bring on the accolades, let the compliments fly!  We love to be praised and why wouldn't we? It feels so good.  Some enjoy praise so much till they surround themselves with people who only tell them what they want to hear - dangerous, dangerous, dangerous. Just as we need and enjoy praise, our social circle is complete when we are surrounded by people who will also keep our egos in check.  We continue to learn and grow when we have loved ones, those we trust with life and l