Flower of Inspiration

Each of us has our own perspective developed from our individual collection of memories and experiences.  Our memories and experiences shape how we view and interact with the world around us.  Certain smells, sounds and sights can generate our mood and alter our perspective in a whisper of a moment.  On a day to day basis, most of us are not even aware of the beauty and inspiration around us that are shaping our thoughts and feelings.

Everyone has heard the saying that we should stop and smell the roses, but most of us are too wrapped up in our daily lives to really take this advice.  This is especially true for those of us fighting Fibromyalgia or any chronic illness. Those of us who have a chronic illness are forced to take a different perspective in life than we had initially started with, because we must focus on our day to day tasks if we hope to have any chance of getting through the day and manage to accomplish something.

We live in an era where thoughts about budgets and money are cultivated strongly and necessarily.  Many people define success as having enough money to do the things they dream of doing.  But in our focus for financial survival in such an uncertain world, we tend to forget to nourish our minds with inspiration.  Inspiration can come in the form of art, music, and literature.   Most importantly, inspiration can be derived from our surroundings and our loved ones.

My Daughters Window Sill Of Plants

Today, I challenged myself to take a deep breath and look around me for inspiration.  I happened to be doing dishes, not the most inspiring task, but in the kitchen window I saw the flowers my daughter is always planting and putting in the window sill with the hope that they will grow.   More often than not, they end up being over watered or simply wilt away.   To be fair, she often plants flowers that she picked from the ground minus the roots, so most don’t have much of a chance.

My Inspiration for Today

This time, however, I was a little surprised.  I’m not sure how I missed noticing this, but one of her flowers has grown and flourished.  Last fall, she received a flower kit with a bulb and vase.  She immediately placed the bulb in the vase, surrounded it with rocks, and saturated it with water.  Then she waited.  When very little happened after a few weeks, she lost interest, but she still kept adding water periodically. I really hadn’t looked at it all, but today I looked up and saw it. 

The world outside is filled with grey overcast skies and rain falling to the ground, but inside we have a touch of beauty.  In just a whisper of moment with a simple inspiration, my approach and perspective for today has changed drastically, from dragging and fighting, to relaxing and enjoying.

May each of you find a simple inspiration today.