I have been waiting for inspiration to hit me like a bolt of lighting. This whole time travelling I have felt like I have been standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to take the dive into some great truth. I had this niave idea that inspiration would come to me in a magestic and great form; not in the way of a banged up knee, stolen belongings, lonely nights, being stranded on the side of a road, or climbing a route that made me about pee my pants. I knew this trip would offer me many lessons to learn, and maybe hints of inspiration, but none have turned out the way I thought.
First lesson learned: dont wait. Dont wait for anything, especially inspiration. Get on that scooter, jump on the bus, travel down that dirt road, jump off that cliff into the deep blue sea...walk up and talk to that person. Order that item on the menu that you have no idea what it is. Hike up that intimadating mountain and go for the harder climb. Just keep walking, keep your eyes and heart open.
Sometimes you will get caught in the rain and have to hike out alone. Sometimes you will go for it, and then fall. But thats okay, that's part of taking a risk and reaching outside your comfort circle for inspiration; for that taste of sweetness that comes with living!
It seems the best lessons offered and inspiring moments during travelling are in the subtle things. The flowers and baby goats I walk by on the road, the feeling of salt water drying on my skin, the taste of oven baked feta. Its been the colors of the ocean I cant describe, the little shells I see sparkle on the ocean floor, that swim that lasted for hours allowing my thoughts and dreams to drift away with the swells. I have found strength in my courage to talk to people and reach out to make new friends. I have grown in trusting my instinct and believeing in my abillites. Finding kindness and love from a little old greek lady that brings me fruit or soup to eat everyday. Inspiration in watching others climb smoothly. Inspiration in seeing other people find happiness throughout the day. And having the blessed opportunity to step into other people's worlds and see how they live.
Sometimes the greatest inspiration comes from acts that takes practice and demand lots of sweat and maybe tears. With years spent working on a project or a skill, the hard work to gain "perfection" or that "one goal" gains clarity and comes into focus. "Like swimming laps, painting, or climbing, in the beginning the direction may be difficult and unclear, but after hours, days, and years of practice it becomes a habit and a form of living richly, finding happiness, and just in that, is what is truly inspiring" (MM).
By continuing with a project or goal, accepting the hardships and dull days along the way but not allowing those to fualter our steps, we improve our being tremendously. The following is a quote from a book that I am reading. I think the author states this very clearly:
"Life is difficult. Once we fully accept difficulty as natural and normal, we cease to be offended or daunted when we encounter a struggle or a test. We can embrace these tests as opportunities. Difficult experiences are the way we learn, and they also are the way we can appreciate ease. We understand brightness by its contrast to dimness, happiness by its relationship to sadness. By embracing this duality of experience, we allow ourselves to find peace within our difficulities rather than wasting our power on trying to escape them. We shift to a position of power by focusing on seeds of opportunity within difficulty and staying curious, by exploring reality instead of avoiding it" (Arno Ilgner).
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