Inspiration

Everyone needs a little inspiration now and then. A little motivational speaker on their shoulder to remind them about the importance of finding joy and peace in everyday life. Yesterday was a rough day and I found myself lacking perspective. E was cranky, we hadn't had much sleep, it was cold and gloomy, and nothing seemed to go the way we wanted it to. It was just one of those days.

This morning I was reading a friend's blog, and clicked on a link to one of the blogs she follows. It was about the trend these days in getting so much genetic testing done and people choosing to abort fetuses as a result of illness or even gender. From there she went on to talk about God and the tendency people have these days to "design" a God that fits their lifestyle. I'm not a religious person, but the post resonated with me. I took away a message that was perhaps different from what she had intended, but just as valuable.

Life is to be enjoyed. Everyone struggles and falters, and no one has it all. Every day there will be things around us to complain about, and things around us to cherish and be grateful for. All we can do is make a choice. We can focus on the negative and become weighed down by misery, we can focus on the positive and be surrounded by hope and good will, or we can choose not to focus at all and lose out on the experience of life itself.

I am making the choice today to see beauty wherever I look. I hope to make the same choice tomorrow.

Here are three poems that often pop into my head when I'm having a bad day and need some inspiration. I am grateful for the people who have shared them with me.

Don't Quit (My Grade 6 teacher Mrs. Goulagh forced us to memorize this poem. This is an excerpt.)

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Untitled (We used to have this up on a corkboard in our kitchen growing up.)

I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

The Serenity Prayer (Our cheerleading coaches, Sandy & Adam, would lead us in this prayer before competitions)

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

...and that's about as spiritual as I get folks. :)