The Inspiration Well

Isn't it a beautiful thing when the well of inspiration is full? You know, when you feel inspired to do the things you want to do and it feels effortless. Sometimes it even feels  a little overwhelming because there is SO much to do and it all sounds so good, you don't know where to start.

And then there are the times when the opposite is true. When the inspiration well is running on empty and it feels like everything takes effort. When this happens, it's almost like there is so little in the well, it can be difficult to even find that little spark of inspiration to get you started.

So what do YOU do to fill the well? Where do you find YOUR inspiration? Is there something you like to do that never fails to inspire you - maybe a walk in nature, doing something creative, listening to music?

I definitely have MY list of things to get my inspiration spark lit. And you know what, sometimes none of them work. This can feel frustrating & in times like this, it's tempting to want 'solve' this problem and figure it all out. But I've learned from experience that this is NOT the best way to deal with an empty inspiration well.

When I've tried a few of the things that usually inspire me and I notice that the inspiration still feels like it's gone forever, I know that THIS is the time to step back. Instead of pushing through and trying to find the inspiration at any cost, I must instead relax and stop searching. The more I search, the more I feel the emptiness of the inspiration void.

As I relax into this part of the inspiration cycle, things open up a bit. When they open, I feel these tiny shifts. I realize that I don't need to DO anything. As I relax, as I open, the inspiration energy flows. The more relaxed and open I am, the more likely it is that that inspiration will seep in - that it will find ME.

So, wherever you are in the inspiration cycle, remember that it IS a cycle. I invite you to truly enjoy the times that inspiration comes to you with ease and to appreciate the times that it feels as if it will never return. Explore the things that bring you inspiration and remember that sometimes you might to just need to step back. As you do, be open to those little signs, the little urges, the little shifts - this is the inspiration coming into the well in order to find YOU.

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Where's YOUR sense of adventure?

I've been thinking about Adventure lately & what it looks like to different people. For some, the idea of adventure is jumping out of an airplane, or going white water rafting or training and completing a triathlon. For others, it might be traveling to a new city, moving to a new place or maybe singing karaoke. It's fascinating to hear people talk about what is an adventure for them because it gives us such a sense of each person's comfort zones & boundaries. It shows these completely individual ways of testing the limits.

For me the kind of adventure I have enjoyed most is CHANGE. And really BIG change. A great example of this is when I was just finishing up my MA degree in TESOL at the Monterey Institute. As graduation was approaching I saw an opportunity to teach at a University in Finland. A temporary position for a year. I thought it was perfect -- abroad and relatively close to Sweden, where I'd lived before. So I applied and I got the job. I was a little shocked because I had no teaching experience, just my degree and I was hired to teach 5 university courses. Also, I was graduating in mid Dec and courses started the 2nd week of January. I didn't even have a current passport.

So, I went into action mode and got it all done. I arrived late at night and the head of the department came and met me at the airport. It had snowed A LOT so the plane was delayed. He picked me up in the taxi and had the taxi driver stop at a grocery store to pick up some breakfast for me and then we drove out to the graduate dorms where I would be staying -- outside the city just a bit. He dropped me off and I walked into to this little dorm room with my one suitcase and my little bag of groceries. It was really dark everywhere -- pitch black outside even with the white snow. As I walked in and felt the reality of being in a new country where I knew no one and starting a new job with 5 new classes in just a week's time, I thought OH MY GOSH, WHAT have I DONE?? I panicked a little then and in the weeks to come. This is a perfect example of how I have tested my limits.

When we bring in that sense of adventure into our lives, when we test our limits, what happens is that we are taken to an edge. You know that place where you feel like you are almost stretching too far? What is so exciting about that is that those edges are SUCH rich areas of learning. They can be challenging and very uncomfortable at times and SOOOOO very rewarding. This was certainly my experience with my year (which became 2 & 1/2 years instead!) teaching in Finland.

So, now it's your turn. What is adventure for you? What ways do you like to test your limits? Think about a time when you were brought to an edge--a time you felt like you were really stretching. How did you react? What did you learn? How might you apply what you learned then to a current situation in your life? And finally, what might a new adventure be for you in the near or distant future?

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