photo by : Katarina Benzova
“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will
reveal its beauty to us.” ~Daisaku Ikeda
I have always loved that scene in American Beauty when
Ricky Fitts shows his video of a plastic bag blowing in the wind.
He’s the complete opposite of his neighbor Lester Burnham, who
seems to have decided long ago to live life in a comatose state of submission,
completely disconnected from authentic joy.
Ricky seems inspired by everything that most people simply
overlook. He explains of his bag video:
“It was one of those days when it’s a minute away from snowing
and there’s this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. And this bag
was, like, dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For
fifteen minutes.
“And that’s the day I knew there was this entire life behind
things, and… this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was
no reason to be afraid, ever. Video’s a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me
remember—and I need to remember. Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world
I feel like I can’t take it, like my heart’s going to cave in.”
Though it can look different for all of us, I suspect this is
the feeling we wait for in life: a sense that there’s boundless beauty out
there, and we have the capacity to feel, channel, explore, and express it.
We all want to feel moved, and then to use that to create love,
joy, passion, and purpose.
If you’ve been feeling stuck or uninspired, these ideas may help
you find inspiration:
Find Inspiration in Nature
1. Go for a walk in nature, practice mindfulness, and lose track
of time for a while.
2. Meditate or practice yoga in a nearby park.
3. Watch children playing at the park then make a point to
carry their spirit with you throughout the day.
4. Watch your cat or dog in nature and try to emulate
your pet’s
mindfulness and playfulness.
5. Take a camera outside and photograph everything that looks beautiful
to you.
6. Practice deep breathing while listening to nature sounds.
7. Draw or paint a scene outside your window.
8. Watch Planet Earth
DVDs to experience beauty of the oceans, forests, jungles, Great
Plains, and caves.
9. Get lost in nature photos
online.
10. Spend some time contemplating nature-based art.
photo by; Katarina Benzova
Find Inspiration on the Web
11. Watch a TED video to learn about
inspiring ideas.
12. Search for tweets with the
hashtag #inspiration using the Twitter search functionality.
13. Post an inspiring video, like Validation
or The Tutu Project. Then
be an active part of the conversation in the comments.
14. Read blogs written by people who have overcome adversity.
15. Join a forum of people who can
relate to your challenges.
16. Browse through inspirational
quotes on Tiny Buddha.
17. Share yourself vulnerably and authentically in a blog post—give
inspiration to receive it.
18. Learn about ways to change the world
through social media.
19. Watch 40 Inspirational
Speeches in 2 Minutes.
20. Search Facebook for new inspirational pages to
follow.
Find Inspiration in Possibilities
21. Try something you’ve always assumed you can’t do but secretly wanted
to try.
22. Teach someone to do something and tap into your potential as
a leader.
23. Immerse yourself in learning something new and allow
yourself to forget about the
limitations of time.
24. Write a bucket list of all the things you’d like to do in your
lifetime.
25. Create a vision board with pictures of all of those
things.
26. Brainstorm for ideas for a new project.
27. Think about the challenges you face and identify
possibly solutions.
28. Submit your resume for a dream job instead of assuming
you can’t get it.
29. Attend a conference or retreat to connect with
likeminded people. (The Wisdom 2.0
Conference recently inspired me!)
30. Read 50 Ways to Open
Your World to New Possibilities and pick one to try today.
photo by: Katarina Benzova
Find Inspiration in People
31. Ask someone you love what they consider to be the most
important thing they’ve ever learned.
32. Ask everyone you see today what they’re grateful for.
33. Ask someone to tell you about the thing they love the most
in life,
and watch how they light up sharing their passion.
34. Ask your parents to tell you what you were like as
a child, and remember what mattered to you then.
35. Notice what matters to someone and focus solely on
how they experience it.
36. Join an organization of people making a positive difference
in the world.
37. Read an autobiography by someone who has marched to the beat of
their own drummer.
38. Listen to music that moves you and think about what the
songwriter felt when s/he wrote it.
39. Make a list of all the ways your friends and family members
are your heroes. Odds are, there’s a lot of inspiration around you already.
40. Spend time with children and see the world through their eyes.
Find Inspiration in Yourself
41. Disconnect for a while and write in a
journal.
42. Make today the day you embrace a new healthy habit that
can change your life for the better.
43. Give yourself a pressure-free day with nothing to do
except the things you enjoy.
44. Try something new and revel in the sensation of stretching
beyond your comfort zone.
45. Express yourself creatively in a way you never
have before, by sculpting, for example, and see what comes in your mind and
heart.
46. Enjoy something you created in the past—a blog post, a video,
a drawing, or a project.
47. Sing in the shower. Put your heart into and release your
feelings through music.
48. Recognize in yourself the strengths you see in other
people.
49. Make a conscious decision to let go of something that
doesn’t serve you.
50. Reflect on everything you’ve learned and accomplished
and how you’ve made a positive
difference in the world.
What inspired you
today?
photo by Katarina Benzova
Article by Lori Deschene/ tinybuddha.com
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