I’m grateful this evening for inspiration. It’s virtually everywhere around me and can strike at a moment’s notice. In the morning while I’m still wiping the sleep from my eyes, I pick up my pen and write a few pages in my journal, sitting up in bed balancing it on a lapdesk, my back leaning against the study pillow. I have written daily since the end of January, and while there’s no prize for writing in one’s journal every day, I nevertheless derive a sense of satisfaction from being able to say that I do something worthwhile every day. (Writing this daily blog also falls into that category as far as I’m concerned.) Sometimes in the midst of all this writing I am missing the critical ingredient of inspiration. I nonetheless manage to write something each day and even when I struggle with finding my words, people seem to find these blog posts at the very least entertaining and sometimes helpful. That is certainly something else about which to be grateful this evening.
I spent the better part of my day in my office thinking. This is the second Monday in a row I’ve been able to do that. Unencumbered with meetings and such, I was able to spend a good deal of time thinking about a number of important issues related to the work I’m doing with my intrepid team of coworkers. I drew charts and graphs and circles with arrows, reviewed numerous reports and documents, and wrote a number of notes, ideas and suggestions down on several legal sized sheets of paper. I was inspired throughout the course of this process–my mind whirling with possibilities and plans. It was a good feeling. Now all I have to do is pull it together so it makes sense when I present these deliberations in some tangible form at a meeting of our office staff tomorrow afternoon.
Every once in a while a new idea would strike me and at least once I got up walked down the hall and into one of my colleague’s offices staring madly at them. “I’ve got it!” I said to one of them and then proceeded to tell her about a conclusion I’d reached to a matter I hadn’t realized I’d been noodling on. Suddenly the idea was there and, as it had been something I’d spoken to her about last week, I felt compelled to go back and announce that I’d had a sudden inspiration to share. She listened politely, kindly indicating that I was perhaps onto something with my idea. I thanked her, apologizing for interrupting whatever she had been working on when I popped unceremoniously into her office, and went back to my deliberations.
I worked until my internal gong sounded, alerting me that it was time to get ready to hit the evening commute. I was a little distressed because in spite of the fact that I’d plugged away all day at my projects, I realized that I still had hours of work ahead of me. I still have quite a bit more work to do, but am grateful for the time and energy I spent noodling. Tonight as I prepare to take my rest I believe that even in my sleep my mind will be working out some of the issues that were on my mind during the course of the day. I don’t normally set this as an intention; I want my mind to be at rest along with my body. But unlike when my mind is actively worrying about something when I’m trying to sleep, this is an invitation to creativity and inspiration to occur while my body rests. We’ll see what happens with this.
I am so appreciative of all the things around me that serve as inspiration for the work I do, the words I write, the songs I compose, and all other manner of creative expression. Sources of inspiration are like sources of gratitude, you need only look around you for a moment or two before you can find them. I’m grateful to be able to observe this phenomenon every day. I’m looking forward to it carrying me into my meeting tomorrow. We shall indeed see what happens.
