These last 6 to 7 months have been a time of change. Here's the short version of the story. (or long -depending on whether or not you enjoy reading novels)...
One night last winter, I walked out to the Mister in my skivvies (after trying to fall asleep for hours) and said, "We need change." the Mister said, "Yes, we do." (Of course, we had a great conversation that consisted of much more than these words, but I'll save my rambling for the rest of the story)
Our first steps out of that slump were simple.
1) We moved.
We could no longer live in the tiny basement apartment which offered us a walking distance to the lake, but no room for any of our belongings or, more importantly, room to breathe. This place was beginning to stifle our senses and I was feeling discouraged. Ever feel that way? It was time.
Our needs for space (and no more clutter!) lead us away from apartments and we ended up finding a house. Our new house is still small, but the perfect amount of space for us. Clutter is no longer an issue. In fact, we work very hard to keep clean lines and empty spaces. We have many windows that frame the big beautiful trees in our yard, letting streams of light travel across our floors. (Hardwood floors! Woohoo!) And, did I mention we have a yard? We do! Although, it is a lot of work, we are proud of it. (Mowing has been a practice in discipline and strength. The garden has taught us a few lessons as well. Let's just say it sounded like a good idea at the time.) Regardless, we love our yard and things were looking up.
Our second step...
2) We got rid of our TV.
It's gone. (Good riddance!) It was the best decision for me- for us both. Before, the Mister and I found ourselves turning on the tube a the first hint of boredom. Most of the time, we didn't even like the shows we were watching. What's the point of that? We haven't had a TV now for 7 months, and you know what... I DON'T MISS IT. Who would have thought? We find other things to do and other ways to pass the time in meaninglessness (Because I do believe in that!), but whole evenings aren't sucked away. I don't get that feeling anymore that it's all of the sudden time for bed and I don't know what I did with my night.
These two steps, among small day-to-day decisions, have started us on the journey of living with intention. This brings me to inspiration...
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I was soon learning that with all of this intention I was becoming inspired. My ideas, wishes, dreams were growing and changing. I found myself starting to journal again, painting, drawing, smiling, and continually curious about new discoveries and new experiences. I was moving. My life was no longer at a stand still.
Inspiration is contagious and overflowing. Each cup of possibility fills and then spills into the next. Before I know it, five more ideas have occurred to me, excited me, prompted me to change. Sometimes the flow is a raging river and at other times it's simply a trickle. I'm okay with that. If it were always so constant and significant I would be wiped out. Ah, but even this gentle trickle is powerful and I'm starting to crave it more and more.
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I believe in the power of intention and inspiration working together as a team. One without the other can never have the strength that the two of them hold together. I have found that it is with intention that inspiration occurs and inspiration (with the constant aid of intention) that we move forward in life -filling those cups and letting them spill into one another.
I'm just going to say it... We must work to stay inspired. Yes, spontaneous creativity can suddenly form as if out of nowhere, but we can't rely on that. I've learned that I must put myself in circumstances to foster creativity and growth. I only become curious and encouraged when I've allowed space within myself and taken the time to seek new and interesting experiences. Bear in mind, these "experiences" can be quite simple.
What does that look like for me? When I feel lonely and unmotivated I go to places that make me feel a part of the community. (coffee shops, buses, parks, creative/fun shops, or even other blog sites if I can't get myself out of the house) When I want to draw or paint, but don't know what, I watch people, sift through magazines, and go to markets. When I want to learn something new I read blogs and newspapers and listen to talk radio. Sometimes I just surf random topics on wikipedia. (You would be amazed how much useless information there is out there!) When I simply need a spark, I do all of these things. (I've even started a blog to keep myself seeking -to have a reason to seek when I can't think of any other reason. -You should really check it out sometime. It's great! ;) All of these things offer something new and, because of my personality, they help me dig deeper within myself. (My level of introspection can sometimes fall on the side of ridiculous -I'm not gonna lie.)
Now, you must understand... this is all very new to me. I feel like I'm learning to really live for the first time in my life. This new little nugget of truth, that a beautiful life doesn't just happen upon you, is staggering to me. I've spent my whole life up to this point believing that my life was out of my hands.
You must also understand that this new perspective scares me to death. How long am I able to maintain this thirst for life, which has driven me to work hard and remain intentional? Will the inspiration disappear down the road? I sincerely hope not. I must continue to seek new opportunities for growth and creativity. I choose to continue believing that all of this work I've done will trickle into the next cup -that my life will always remain full because I simply can't afford for my life to be any less.
