A cup of inspiration

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in·spi·ra·tion ˌin(t)-spə-ˈrā-shən, -(ˌ)spi- (noun; 14th century)

1a: a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b: the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c: the act of influencing or suggesting opinions
2: the act of drawing in; specifically: the drawing of air into the lungs
3a: the quality or state of being inspired b: something that is inspired – a scheme that was pure inspiration
4: an inspiring agent or influence

The smallest things inspire me. I find it surprising at times because one little, seemingly inconsequential thing can draw the most amazing ideas from my mind. A simple smell can inspire me to write a short story; the sounds of children laughing may inspire me to go outside and play after a long day at the office; a single word might cause my mind to begin composing the next chapter of whatever book I tell myself I’m working on.

I’m inspired to cook after a Facebook friend posts photos of their food. I make appointments for manicures and pedicures after someone I know talks about going to the spa for a day. I schedule golf lessons after hearing my boss talk about playing 18 holes over the weekend. And I go to the gym after my 11-year-old nephew phones to tell me that he’s just been on a training run for the 10K we’re running together in October.

But whilst I find these little inspirations everywhere – every day – I still find myself constantly searching for inspiration.

I search for inspiration to motivate me to do the dishes. I scour the Internet for inspirational quotes to help bolster a failing smile. I read book after book searching for the inspiration for writing books of my own. And seek inspiration to just get me from one day to the next.

It’s the searching for inspiration that I find strange. I never needed to search before. But then, Paul was my muse and I suppose I drew much of my inspiration from him – probably without either of us realising it. 

The inspiration for this post? The side of a disposal coffee cup.

When I’m inspired, I get excited because I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next.
~ Dolly Parton

3 Replies to “A cup of inspiration”

  1. Hi Frances,
    Great post. It’s…inspiring!
    I know exactly what you mean about the little sights, sounds, or smells that can reach out and shake up our worlds. And yet we can still be left in a fog, without a clue what to do next.
    I’ll bet when your cable goes off, it will be inspiring!
    Take care,
    Debra
    PS—nothing inspires me to wash dishes like having something else I should be doing…

    Reply

  2. My inspiration to do the dishes is normally that 1) the housekeeper is coming the next day and there are just so many that I’d be embarrassed to leave them; 2) I’ve just gotten a call that someone is coming for an unplanned visit; or 3) I don’t have any clean dishes left in the house!
    I think I have a mental block when it comes to dishes because when I got married the deal was I’d cook; he’d do the washing up. I don’t think it’s fair that he’s not still doing the washing up since I’m still cooking! 😉

    Reply

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