Inspiration is what many of us wait for, no? If I was inspired I’d write that book, create that garden, build that treehouse, make that change in my life to eat healthier, become an eco-consumer, travel more, visit friends or family more, or finally get on my yoga mat. The truth is, inspiration is not something you need to wait for but a river that flows through you and around you all the time. Inspiration is the river you need to jump into to create the life you want.
We are often not open to being inspired, placing many barriers in front of us like work deadlines, to do lists, time or money deficits, or [insert your personal gripe here]. We use these barriers as excuses not to do, not to open, not to build or create but the only real barrier to inspiration is us. Our fear, uncertainty, or even laziness damming up the natural flow of our own inspiration. How do we remove the barriers? How do we remove the dam? For me it’s simple, it's daydreaming. That’s it!
Daydreaming? That sounds like a waste of time. Here’s my breakdown. Our brains are full -- we have a library of information, knowledge and ideas discovered at school and work, by reading, by speaking with friends and random people we meet, by traveling, and even by watching TV (yes, I may be slightly addicted to a UK gardening show). This library though needs to be read! If we are only adding content and not taking the time to browse the shelfs and explore we are missing out. We are collectors of inspiration not participants. We must enter the library and be open to inspiration. Maybe it’s a square organized library, maybe it’s a funny mess of turns with round corners, maybe it’s floating -- ideas and experiences and colors swirling about -- whatever you dream let yourself be inspired. Be free and open to mix ideas, patterns, and stories. Out of my daydreams comes an inspired life; work ideas, hobby ideas, travel ideas, relationship ideas, and yoga ideas. These ideas, pulled from your dream library, remove the barriers from your river of inspiration so you can grow, change or simply explore new possibilities along your path. Without taking time to visit your dream library you can get bogged down in life, trapped behind barriers -- uninspired.
Living an inspired life does not mean shirking your responsibilities (remember the Yamas -- yoga’s guiding principles for external ethical disciplines) it means you will open to see new ways of looking at old problems, uncover options either ignored or never glimpsed, or spy "hidden" paths that lead you to feasible ways to do or live the way you want. I encourage you to visit your dream library often to spark your inspiration and create. Make it a priority to do nothing. To daydream. Walk or drive in silence, no music, talk radio or podcasts, lay flat on your back and watch the clouds or stars, sit in your yard and sip your favorite drink and do nothing, don’t plan or create a to do list -- let your mind wander and dream. You are cultivating inspiration just by being and soon you will jump into the river that is flowing through and around you to create the life you want.