365 Inspirations—57: Inspiration is Always There

"Inspiration doesn't come to you, YOU are IT."—Katherine Jenkins

This a post from my 365 Lessons (Lesson 131) I wrote in 2010, which I am planning to turn into a book! It's almost 11:05pm and I've had a long day and nothing inspiring is coming, but I am inspired by these words that I wrote long ago...they are words I need to hear right now! 

I've heard people say, "I'm waiting for inspiration to come to me." or "I'm waiting to be hit with inspiration." You may be waiting a lifetime. Inspire means to breathe in. You don't wait to breathe in, you just do it. Inspiration can also mean to be "in spirit." For each person that will mean a different thing. For me, it means tuning in to the divine within. Or, more simply, "tuning in." Inspiration is always there. The space within you is always there. But it is clouded by thoughts, emotions, and activities. Because the human mind is so cluttered with thoughts, it's very hard to see the inspiration.

So much of life is about "doing" and very little of life is about "being." There is an emphasis in Western culture to do. You can't forget the Nike ads which said, "Just do it." While I do believe action is also part of being, alot of the "do it" that gets us stuck happens in our thoughts. We have "to do" lists and those lists are LONG. Sometimes too long and humanly impossible. We have plans, we want this and that and need to go here or there.

Inspiration is hard to see if the our vessel is full...full of information, full of plans, full of worries, full of ideas, full of ________.

When you empty your vessel, when you start to let go of all those things that are clouding the clarity or emptiness or spirit that exists in you, you will start to feel inspiration again. If you keep your vessel or your inner space clear, you will find that inspiration is always there and it doesn't come from you specifically.

When you are empty, inspiration is able to move through you. Many writers talk about how they have no idea where the words came from. They just sat down and let go and this is what came out. The very act of "trying" to write something inspiring doesn't work. Inspiration comes from space within. If there is no space within you, if you are tired, stressed, overworked and underpaid, unhappy, worried or sick, it will be very hard for you to see the inspiration that is always there.

Keep your vessel clear, leave an empty space within you, clear your calendar, keep a regular walking schedule, pray, do yoga or practice meditation. Find a way to create space for yourself everyday and you will find, if you practice keeping yourself clear, that inspiration is always there. Inspiration doesn't come to you, YOU are IT. Don't try to look for it, just let go, clear a space and "be."

Do you feel inspired daily or is it difficult to find anything to be inspired about?