Years ago a friend gave me a journal, it’s ornate, not the type of writing journal I use. It has a lock and key reminiscent of childhood diaries, and it has the word “Desire” embossed on the spine. I knew I wouldn’t use this as a writing journal so I dedicated it to storing inspiring quotes, excerpts from poems and novels. Over the years I’ve added to it so that it now holds a collection of eclectic quotes, stories and anecdotes that inspire me in different ways.
Each reminds me to believe and trust in this process of living and loving.
With technology-driven alternatives for storing and building out your inspiration collection, there are lots of options. Pinterest is a place you can visually build out your perfect vacation, dream home, vacation cabin in by a lake, recipes you’d like to try. There are apps, folders and vision boards to help keep you focused and motivated to move toward your dreams. And without feeding those dreams, with inspiration, we can sometimes forget what we really want, get lost in the day to day struggles that drain our energy and put our inner joy at risk.
I encourage you to build an inspiration collection. A collection of pictures, words, music you can
access when you’re out of gas, running low on patience, passion, purpose or faith that humans are essentially decent creatures, faith that you are moving in the right directions. Your customized, personal collection can and will remind you of what’s important and help you reconnect to your heart. Your personal inspiration collection is a tool, a secret stock pile of support that you can use to lift you or someone you love off the roadside and back onto the road.
Here are a few quotes from my Inspiration Collection:
“Ask yourself this question: Is my attitude worth catching?” from a fortune cookie I got (and ate) in NYC many years ago.
“Be the change” Ghandi
“The world will be saved by the western woman” The Dali Lama (no pressure!)
“You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you!” Isadora Duncan
An excerpt from a news story reported in Norway: On Guardian Angels -
“In Aclesund, Norway, a girl, age 9 who was riding her bike down a steep hill, failed to stop at an intersection. She swerved into the path of an oncoming car and was knocked into the air. The driver of the car stopped to help the girl but couldn’t find her. Hours later he discovered she had landed in the bed of a truck going in the opposite direction and sustained only bruises.”
I have poems, excerpts from novels, quotes from famous and not so famous people. When I’m
feeling uninspired, beaten up by life, off track, I crack open my Desire journal and poke around. And when I come across something I don’t want to live without, that really speaks to me, I add it to my collection.
If you don’t already have a collection, start one. If you have an inspiration collection, please share some of your favorites. It’s not always easy to stay inspired, but this tool is a great way to ensure you’ve got a little inspiration up your sleeve at all times.