Friday Reflections: Inspiration to Action
Since transitioning out of my full-time job, I have been grown greatly which has opened me to inspiration. I used to struggle to know what I wanted to do. I couldn’t connect with inspiration. When I did feel it, I would question it. Is this really right for me? What will the outcome be? Will it be worth the effort? How will I accomplish it? I was questioning if I “should” do it or not. I questioned the whole process. As I have continued to grow, I have gotten much better of letting go of having to know the outcome, at not questioning so much what the results will be. Even so, I often don’t take any action on the inspirations that come in, even if the first step is easy. I just don’t do it. I fill my time with other things. There are plenty of good things I am doing; spending time with family, helping organizations improve, coaching, sponsoring, staying fit, writing, hosting the Life in Transition podcast and many not so useful things too, reading the paper, playing solitaire, watching sports center, etc. Anyway, all those things will still be there the next day, but if I never get started on the inspiration, it will disappear. I will lose that opportunity and the light will go out. What keeps the light from going out? It is simple as action. Take the first step and take it immediately when the inspiration strikes. Then see if the inspiration is still there to take the second step and if so, take it immediately, too. The part I was missing was taking the action at once and then it would just sit there and I would feel bad about not doing it and still feeling like I should. I am still stalling on the inspiration I had create a great picture book as a Christmas gift for the next generation that was on our amazing family backpacking trip this year. If I don’t act soon, that window will close. But I did take actions on a major one this week. I felt inspired to run the Boston Marathon. I had that dream 13 years ago and gave up on it as out of reach. But this time, when I felt the inspiration, I immediately took action. I talked to a friend my age who just qualified for Boston, got his recommendation for a coach, signed up for coaching, started training, and signed up for a BQ marathon, all in 1 week. It feels great! I don’t know if I can make it or not, but I will give it my all in the next 18 months. It’s wonderful to take the first step immediately, and when still feeling inspired, to take the next and the next without putting it off like I normally do. I don’t know the outcome but am excited about the journey and the physical and mental transformation that is to come. It is amazing how much I can get done if I don’t think about it to much and just act, one step immediately after the other.
So, as Von Goethe Says, “What you can do, or dream you can, begin it as boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” What can you do to begin a recent inspiration?
Have an inspired weekend!
Art
#inspiration #action
