Living an Inspired Life

Another calendar year has come to an end and the world welcomes the next one. This can be a contemplative time of year, a time when we muster the courage to query ourselves in the context of the year gone by, with another now at hand. I am always amazed at the speed with which time goes by. Hard as I try to live in the moment, to be present in the present, the minutes and hours and days and years keep rolling by at what feels to me an astonishing rate of speed.

As a young child, I recall anticipating with a great sense of eagerness my next birthday, the next holiday, the next anything; and that time seemed, at least in retrospect, to trickle rather than rush. As I have matured, and accepted that life is a rich journey, not a destination, my perception of time has changed. Life is full of unexpected curves and turns, everything and everyone that we encounter upon life’s meandering path helps to shape who we are becoming. It can be a real challenge to stay grounded in any given present moment when our lives are full and we are busy with the business of living a full life. All too often, we find ourselves lamenting the past, anticipating the future, and not fully aware of the moment and experience we are in the midst of. It is a constant practice for me to take that deep breath and reorient myself to the Now. It is my Yoga that keeps bringing me back to my senses; inviting me to experience my life breath by breath, fully embodied and witness to the truth of Now. Remembering this is the best inspiration I have for staying the course of living this life inspired by heartfelt passion.

The word inspiration simply means “in–spirit” when broken in to its component parts. To live a life “in–spirit” means to be connected to oneself and the world, to embody a sense of Joy about life, to be courageous when worried or uncertain, to trust one’s intuition, and to live from a place of Love and acceptance towards ourselves and all others.

Inspiration can come to us in many forms. There are a plethora of wonderful stories of simple people going against all odds to achieve great things, people mired by misfortune in their lives who rise above their adversities to accomplish enormous tasks. The wonder of nature can be incredibly inspiring. Faith in something greater than our conscious mind inspires many. There is an age-old echo in my brain (probably from my Mother!) that reminds me to count my blessings, and I am always moved. My Yoga practice consistently renews and inspires me. If we take a moment to contemplate this, we realize our own sources of inspiration are deep. Allowing ourselves to seek and embrace inspiration, whatever its form, can give a sense of buoyancy to our lives, enabling us to let go of that which keeps us immobilized in fear, and to embrace the challenges and changes that can create lives of depth and meaning.