Inspired Moments

In my short 21 years here I have realized quickly that in life there are inevitable cycles. We cycle through seasons, months, and weeks. And in the same way, each day has a cycle of its own. We find ourselves caught up in our daily routine which is full of a lot "have to's" and only a few "want to’s". Currently on my “have to” list are the all consuming tasks of getting my education and working which together consumes more than 50 hours of my week. Then tack on the additional 15 hours a week of homework, allow some time for the necessities like sleeping and eating and just like Houdini my time for “want to’s” seems to vanish before my own eyes. I find myself skimming through my calendar on a daily basis trying to schedule something artistic and relaxing, anything to take my mind off of the “R” word responsibilities… then once I’m two weeks out I just give up and hope to squeeze it in somewhere along the way. It kills the mood of excitement when you have to flip your calendar to the next month to schedule some time to relax. “Ahhh the joys of becoming an adult.” Don’t get me wrong, this is not to be misinterpreted as a pity party about my life. I am astonished by the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon me and do not take one aspect of my life for granted. My family, my boyfriend, my friends, my job, my classes, the food I eat, the sleep I get… these are all blessings straight from God. BUT I have realized that no matter how much God blesses you with incredible things, you will still have to work to be inspired by the life that you live. It is your life after all, you are in charge of making it extraordinary because no one else is going to do it for you.  You may have to search high and low for moments of inspiration within your day because simply put, life isn’t always as exciting as you expected to be, people aren’t always as kind as you hoped and passion isn’t always as prevalent as you desired. But with the right mindset you can bring excitement to the mundane, find the joy in every person and infuse your believes with an uncontrollable passion that you can’t deny. It all depends on the perspective that you have towards your circumstances and the realization that inspiration doesn’t always come in the form of an epiphany or that light bulb moment when it “just clicks”. Just as the Lord doesn’t hang flashing neon signs over our heads when He wants our attention, He asks us to stop, be still and listen for a still small voice (which seems like a LOT to ask when you’re in the midst of your daily cycle, right?). Inspiration is not always obvious and in your face. It hides in the shadows and if you can't find it then you might just have to BECOME the very inspiration that you are searching for. I have been thinking about this since I started working as a barista The starbucks I work at is a a drive thru and often times I am standing at that window for 8 hours straight. I have had hundreds of encounters with people since I first started working there. Every day, at least once a day I have an encounter with someone who seems to be genuinely rude, stone-faced and unresponsive to my attempts of bringing them a little joy to their day. It drives me crazy. Its moments like these when I feel the LEAST inspired. However, I started an experiment inspired by this cheesy little quote “If you see someone without a smile give them yours." It sounds a little silly but try it! It’s not as easy as it sounds. Looking someone in the eye and smiling after they’ve given you a dirty look, made a rude comment or are on their phone completely ignoring you is not easy. Although this is a miniscule example, I learned through this that in order to represent JOY and encounter inspiration I will have to BECOME it by humbling myself and making the choice, the sacrifice to be kind. Live inspired. Make sacrifices. Abide in Humility. Cultivate change by setting an example to others. I may not think I have the power to “be the change I want to see in the world” but I can start by being THE JOY and THE INSPIRATION that I want to see in others.