Inspiration

Inspiration is a funny thing. There are all sorts of quotes about it from famous, and not so famous people:

Inspiration and genius--one and the same.
Victor Hugo

Every artist was first an amateur.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.
Leon J. Suenes

It is something that is universal. It doesn't matter if you are right brained or left brained and it doesn't matter if you are young or old. Inspiration might truly be the only thing I am aware of that has no favorites or isn't biased based on any sort of socioeconomic metric. It often comes to us when we least expect it. Sometimes it is something truly magnificent and sometimes it is the answer to a quandary that has befuddled us for years. Some are fortunate to know what inspires them, others come by it more randomly. The things that lead to inspiration can change over time. Things that inspired us once may no longer, while new things do.

The reason I bring it up is that I believe in the quotes above. I believe the true joy in inspiration comes from following through on what it is you are inspired to do. How many times a day are we inspired to do something that we then sit and think about. We think of how wonderful that project might be, or how cool designing this other thing might be or maybe we are inspired to ask questions about why we do the things we do, or the way we do them. But then there is the other part. The part where we think of all of the reasons we can't follow through. We think of all of the obstacles that stand in our way. Most people have gotten so good at shooting down their ideas, that they never make it past the inspiration. And that is where it ends.

So here is my advice for the day. "Don't do that." Mostly it is my advice to me, but if you get something out of it great. If we are truly inspired, then we need to focus on the things we can do to make it happen, not the things we can't do. If you are inspired, don't let things, or people or naysayers stand in the way. Focus on what can be done, not what can't.

Along those lines I was inspired to start a little contest. The winner will receive great fortune and fame (assuming they achieve it on their own). It was posed to me by a friend and colleague, that the picture of me posted on this blog, left them perplexed as to what it is I am holding. I should explain it was the only picture of me I had around and I was far enough away and blurry enough that my face doesn't look fat so much as, not there. So back to the contest; What am I holding. Submit your guess in the comments section of the blog and I will post the winner early next week. Have fun and be inspired.