I was inspired to take a walk this morning. It was meant to be.
A magical dancing leaf, 4 butterflies, and a heart leaf (plus lots of other beauty) told me that I can inspire others simply by living an inspired life.
I don’t need a specific plan. There is no pressure for perfection (a past hangup); in fact, perceived perfection is intimidating, not inspiring. It creates separation, not connection.
What lights us up is when other people are lit up. Hey, hey, I’m a light! 👏🏻😁🤩 And when I’m not lit up, I can share that too, so others will know that being human is not about being perfect or happy all the time; it is about being real and honest and vulnerable.
But when I am looking with a child’s eyes or an artist’s eyes and finding the wonder of life, that is worth sharing. That is inspiring. I AM Inspiring.
A while back, a dear friend posted something on Facebook about appreciating the people in her life who are not afraid to just be themselves, flaws and all… for one reason, because it allows her to feel better about her own flaws.
“I appreciate the fact that as I get older I have come in contact with people who are willing to be honest about who they are, flaws and all. Makes me like them all the more. [It] also gives me courage not to judge myself so harshly. Courage… because it is sometimes easier to just assume I should be a better person than I am.”
The very next day, I found myself thinking about my friend’s post again as I was listening to World Cafe Live on the public radio station. Brandi Carlile and the Indigo Girls were the featured artists. I found myself tearing up a little—because of the raw honesty when they spoke and when they sang. Carlile described her first songwriting experience with one of the Indigo Girls: how nervous she was to be working with someone she admired so much. She, after all, is just another person dealing with self-doubt and self-criticism. Hearing her laugh and poke a little fun at herself was refreshing. (Wow, other people—accomplished, talented people—really do have the same insecure thoughts I do!) And then the two women sang the song they had written together. Beautiful.
It occurred to me that this is what I cherish most in people and what I miss (often without realizing it) when it’s absent. When people aren’t trying to sell something or convince someone of something, when they are just themselves, there is something so utterly beautiful about that. You don’t have to like what they’re doing or saying or creating or singing, but if you can tell that it is truly from the heart or the soul, whatever you want to call it, it is magical. It is pure. And that is beautiful.
So, how about we make that our goal for the day? Just to be 100% ourselves and accept that as a beautiful thing. My guess is that other people will see the beauty too.
I find that it is often easier to accept myself just as I am when I am out in nature.
I have very little to say today, as the smell of hyacinths fills my house and the sun streams through the windows. Today, the pictures—taken just this afternoon in my neighborhood—can speak for themselves.
One of the dangers of an active mind is having nothing to do with all the jabbering going on up there. So far, talking to myself has achieved little other than garnering some very strange looks, so I thought I’d start this blog.
No, seriously.
Actually, that is partially true.
But I also, on occasion, have a thought or photo that I think others may enjoy. And so I offer this blog as a way to potentially entertain and inspire you. (Note the “potentially” in there. I offer no guarantees.)
Topics you may encounter in this blog: nature, beauty, art, music, serenity… and lots of photos, as I have found taking pictures a wonderful way to capture my view of the world and its beauty. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility, but I would like to keep this blog on the positive side, as there are already plenty of places you can find people complaining about the state of things.
With peace and gratitude, I thank you for your interest.
Carmen
I loved the character of this tree and the surrounding plants up above Laguna Beach.
