In this series, I’m using the word THRIVING as an acrostic to discuss what leads to a thriving life. We’ve talked about the importance of taking responsibility, being honest and humble, and resilience.
So far, we’ve talked about the following:
T- Taking Responsibility – the importance of taking responsibility for our lives
H- Honesty and Humility – essential virtues to embrace in our lives
R – Resolve to be Resilient – we have to have a firm determination to bounce back in life
TODAY, I’d like to talk what the letter I represents: INSPIRATION
Here’s a quote that popped into my head and heart this morning – a moment of inspiration, if you will ! :)
“A thriving life must be an inspired and an inspiring life.”
It’s occurred to me lately that there are times in my life when I don’t feel as inspired and it can lead to me to not feeling or being inspiring.
So, what does “inspiration” mean?
The Oxford Languages dictionary online gives two definitions for “inspiration”:
1) The process of being mentally stimulated to do something, especially to do something creative
and..
2) the drawing in of breath; inhalation
When I thought of this topic, I naturally was thinking more of the first meaning, this idea of being “mentally stimulated.”
Yet thinking about it a bit further, the second definition, the “drawing in of breath” makes me think of the miracle of life.
Every moment since you and I have been born, we have been taking breaths and most of the time, it’s automated! It’s not like you and I have to tell myself most of the time to breathe. I just do!
So, there’s a sense in which we are literally inspiring all the time (in the breathing sense)!
But even though we’re alive, we don’t always feel inspired or inspiring in the emotional or spiritual sense, do we?
Yet, it’s that very breath that we draw each day that enables us to be alive and witness things like..
…the birth of a child,
…the wonderful intricacies of the human body,
…the beauty of the trees, plants, and the sky,
…the glory of mountains (loved seeing the peaks in Banff National Park in Canada this summer!), and on and on I could go…
And I stop and I wonder: how could these things happen and there not be a Benevolent Being who created it all?
I also think of children and how they can both get easily inspired and easily inspire us. While there are so many examples I could probably think of, here’s a personal anecdote that comes to mind…
A few years ago, my wife had bought tickets for us to go indoor skydiving for my birthday here in the Dallas area. While I think there was a bit of apprehension, my daughters were curious and still open to the experience.
We got to the skydiving location and got all the necessary flight instruction and then it was time to roll!
Once I saw my daughters get inside the wind tunnel (the big tunnel where the wind blows upwards to simulate air resistance during a free fall), I could see their eyes light up, their breathing get more intense (speaking of inspiration!), and their whole body get more excited as they got tossed to and fro like leaves on a windy day. Slowly, the flight instructor was training them to control their bodies in a pretty intense situation (not easy by the way!). But they did great!
While I’m sure they were probably inspired by their own ability to have that experience, I also found myself inspired.
Inspired by their courage.
Inspired by my wife who had purchased this thoughtful gift as a way to encourage our family.
Inspired by the kind and jocular flight instructors trying to get everyone relaxed before their “trip.”
Not to mention inspired by how people have figured out a way to simulate sky-diving while you’re still close to planet earth.
Summary:
What leads to a thriving life is having an inspired and an inspiring life.
Putting It Into Practice:
Think and ask yourself these questions:
What or Who has or does inspire you?
Do you see a connection between being inspired and being able to inspire others?
Do:
What is one thing you could do this week to recapture that feeling of inspiration in your life? Maybe it’s hanging out with someone that comes to mind?
Maybe it’s spending time in nature? Singing? Dancing? Reading? Listening to that song?
Or maybe it’s connecting with your Maker…the One who has put inspiration – literally and metaphorically – inside all of us?
Let’s go THRIVE, shall we?
Sean
