Sometimes I feel as though inspiration can be a fleeting feeling. You watch a movie that is moving and inspirational, yet soon after the movie is over you give it nothing more than a few passing thoughts before it is forgotten altogether. At least until someone mentions the name again. You see a picture of a beautiful place, you read a great book, you talk to a insightful person--all of these things being inspirational to you on on level or another. There are times where you might book a ticket to that beautiful place or have a discussion about the book or go do something that person had also done, but most likely, you are only moved for a short time before letting your high settle back down to earth. Slowly you are swallowed back into everyday life and the invigorating feeling of sheer inspiration is forgotten, stored away for another day. Why is that? Why can we only seem to hold one emotion for a certain amount of time? Why can't I walk around life feeling uplifted and invigorated all the time? As John Mayer says, "Who says I can't be free from all of the things I used to be? Rewrite my history, who says I can't be free"
My basic point to all of these ramblings is I have been inspired and I plan taking this feeling, this powerful and wonderful feeling, and harnessing it for as long as possible. I am at a point in life where I want to tell everyone those lyrics from good old John. I can answer his question to myself, no one has told me I cannot do anything. So what is holding me back? Unfortunately I think its my own mind cutting off my potential. Which is no real surprise, I have always been like that and at this point, it's starting to get frustrating. So enough of that! Time to rewrite my history. Or at least work on the now. That is something I know I can do.
So where did this sudden inspiration come from you might ask? The same person who has inspired me countless times, my old friend and swim coach, Ryan. Although she does not know it, she has brought on a new feeling of inspiration and my challenge now is to hold on to it. There have been a few days where the feeling stuck around for a while. I think I've written about it before, but it was a day where I felt the feeling you sometimes get when you first wake up. You realize how unbelievably precious life really is. My journey is going to look a bit different from the one Ryan is on (as it should). My goal is the keep that feeling. I am going to start out smaller and see where to go from there.
So I shall start out in my mind. I have a lot of thoughts that are flying around and my first task is to organize them. Obviously I am a big writer already. I write virtually everyday, yet I circle around issues instead of really investigating them (as this blog post is starting to do). So task one will be all about writing. My inspiration can come from anything. One of my best friends has a "God Jar". She puts things into her jar that worry her or stress her out. Once she writes them down and puts them in that jar they are no longer her problem. The idea is the big man upstairs will take care of things since she has done all she can about it. I like that. I also love Miranda July's "Learn to Love you More" projects. I once took the challenge as part of a class assignment after reading No One Belongs Here More Than You and did a few of her suggestions. Let's just say that was a day I also felt truly inspired. http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com/
So I am starting off with writing. I will not be writing everything down in this blog, some being just for me than for others, but I will do my best to write a lot in here as well. I will give myself small topics or ideas and go from there. One requirement is that it has to be somewhat creative. I will welcome a good challenge. Anyone is welcome to join! So that is what I will focus on first. I will work on this for about a week. We will see where I want to take it after that. So it begins.
After all, who says I can't be free?
