Inspiration makes your world a better place.

October 19, 2011

I have been writing this blog for just over two months now and I’m still working on its theme. Does a blog have to have a theme? Well I’m sure it helps get more people reading it if it’s specialised, but it depends if that’s what you want. I write this blog to show people interesting stuff, and to showcase what I do. Ultimately it’ll be a travel blog when I go on a round the world trip next year. But really I write it for myself and the word at the core of it is “inspiring”. It’s a reminder to myself of all the amazing, awe-inspiring stuff out there, and indeed people out there that make life just unbelievable. And that anyone can be unbelievable including me. It pushes me to create – to write, draw and paint because then I put it up here. It’s here on the blog to be judged and if I stop putting it up, then people might notice (my beautiful 11 subscribers).

My friend Catherine wrote on Facebook today, “It always seems impossible until it’s done”. Well it might, but she’s right – anything is possible. I hated, read HATED sports at school. I was the scrawny little one and had little to none hand-eye coordination. But then in my twenties I started running and last year, on 3rd October I completed the Loch Ness Marathon. Who would have thought it possible?

Sometimes the problem is simply figuring out what your dream is. Not that you have to have a big dream, lots of little dreams and goals make up a beautiful and fulfilling life; when you have a big dream you’re lucky. Though it can take a lot of courage to even start to try to achieve it. My friend Fern is one of the most beautifully positive people I know and because of that she is utterly inspiring. She’s decided to leave a career in advertising behind and become a yoga teacher. After saving and saving, she’s off to India next week for her course, the first step towards her dream. She also wants to be a DJ. Amazing.

And so, here are five things to inspire you to achieve your dreams (or at least they cheer me up):

1. Music. Find your favourite song and listen to it to raise your spirits and find that mental place where anything is possible. Then make it possible. Just do it! Let’s start with Fern’s latest post, a little song by the Avalanches called Love, Love, Love. And join Spotify, if you haven’t why not? IT’S FREE MUSIC!!!

2. Fitness. A little less easy, but find a fitness goal and go for it! Be it a 5K, 10K, go to the gym 3 times a week goal, it doesn’t matter, but the endorphin rush after exercise makes you uber productive (I just got back from the gym and this will be my longest post (and by far the most interesting right?! Feedback welcome)). This 100 year old just completed the Toronto Marathon. I mean, really? If he can do it…. He says, “The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stress-free. Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from people who are negative, stay smiling and keep running.” Wow!

3. Nature. Well I think this one is obvious. Ever stood overlooking a view and felt on top of the world? Check out the awesomeness and completeness felt by Wordsworth as he looked down upon Tintern Abbey. And then just get out there. But if you can’t so easily, then just close your eyes and remember the amazing scenes you’ve seen. Take yourself back, replay them, seek out how you felt. Again, I refer you to Wordsworth’s poem as that’s exactly what he did.

4. Inspiring friends. Look around at your friends – you like them not only because they’re kind and interesting, but because you admire them. What do you admire about them, what can you assimilate to inspire you to do more, to be more of you, to say YES and LOVE like my friends Fern and Zoe. Here’s another poem for you by Zoe.

5. Travel. Believing travel is possible is amazing, because travelling by yourself (which I’m about to do) is a scary prospect. Bootnall is a blog which persuades me I can travel through South America from Colombia to Argentina by myself and live to tell the tale. Also, I found this guy’s blog about a trek in Chile really endearing and funny. But travelling doesn’t have to mean going to far away places. People travel to your home town (well, depends where you live, but I’m sure you’ve had some visitors to your home turf). So seek out what drew them to your familiar surrounds and enjoy those things. Find inspiration in your local world.

So go go go! And to finish, here’s a little poem I wrote on the train the other day. I said yesterday I would post a drawing a day. Well they’re supposed to be from the actual day, but this has a poem as well so we’ll call it a bonus drawing! I’ve written the poem below since no one can read my handwriting. The view is from a mental picture I took while on a dog walk in Surrey.