I have wanted to post for about a week now. Unfortunately, inspiration seems to leave me when I sit at the keyboard. I have had so many great ideas in the shower, in the car, while drifting off to sleep. And, I’m not the kind of person to keep a pad of paper and pen or a memo recorder handy for these times even though I carry my iPhone (which has both a notepad AND a memo recorder, not to mention the Wordpress app) with me wherever I go, aside from IN the shower!
Thats when it hit me. Often times, our dreams get pushed aside or simply ignored when we don’t take the time or make the effort. We may have the greatest idea or inspiration. Or maybe an incredible talent or ability. But, we suffer from a fear of the unknown, a lack of motivation to start, worry about the details (money, time, etc) or in my case at times, inspiration when it’s inconvenient or a lack of inspiration when I try to “force” myself to be inspired. These are all simply excuses. Excuses give us an “out” to avoid the “work” of doing difficult things. Excuses allow us to put the blame on other things when in reality WE are at fault for not following through or making the effort.
So, how do we combat the excuses? There are many ways of doing this. Sometimes, you just need to start. Maybe you want to write a poem or story but have no inspiration. Just sitting down and writing, anything, will get the juices flowing and before you know it – BANG! – your mind takes over and you’ve filled three pages with excellence. Maybe you want to open a pastry shop but don’t know how to start. Find a local shop and go ask the owner how he or she started. Maybe you have an idea for a service to help the elderly but don’t know how to implement it. Go talk to the director of a retirement community or home. In other words, find solutions. They’re all around you when you open your eyes and your ears and your heart.
As you can see, one of my “recommended links” points to the incredible blog Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. He often posts about motivation and making your life something incredible. This is his take on defeating the excuses and finding the motivation to realize your dream. Zen Habits is one of the inspirations for this site. His ideas have really helped me to see what my “dream” was/is and how to make it a reality. I highly recommend his blog for more inspiration and life lessons.
Peace!!!
