The word “inspiration” floats through the universe as frequently as a cloud. Philosophers, authors, motivational speakers, business CEOs and many more people frequently use this four-syllable word. What does it mean? This word can sometimes sound vague, cliché and downright confusing. However, its definition is quite simple. The Oxford Dictionary defines inspiration as “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.” In other words, inspiration is what keeps the mind active.
The importance of this word cannot be underestimated. Without inspiration, the mind leads a dull and stagnant life. Creations would be lost and relationships would be boring without an inspired mind. So where do we find inspiration? It seems like we’re often caught up in the repetitive nature of our everyday lives and the endless to-do lists to actually find time to be inspired. With graduation creeping closer and closer for many of us, the panic of what’s going to happen next is increasing. The unknown is scary, but finding things that inspire can help.
It seems that when we make important life decisions, about things like jobs, we often consider pay, location and how it sounds to others. But what about inspiration? If inspiration is what keeps the mind stimulated, shouldn’t we choose things in our everyday life and a path that inspires us? With an active mind, our lives can move forward. And any forward motion is progress.
Think about what inspires you and focus on those things. They can keep the present moment exciting and your mind fulfilled and happy.
Here’s a list of 50 inspiring things:
1. Books
2. Blogs
3. Pinterest
4. Flowers
5. Babies
6. Puppies
7. Recipes
8. Yoga
9. Running
10. Kindness
11. Walks
12. Friends
13. Family
14. Fashion
15. Sports
16. Ted Talks
17. Graduation speeches
18. Technology
19. Pictures
20. Relationships
21. Movies
22. Beaches
23. Sunlight
24. Trees
25. Chocolate
26. Journals
27. Writing
28. Experiments
29. Teaching
30. The Food Network
31. Travel
32. Meditation
33. Art
34. Yo-Yo Ma
35. Magazines
36. Twitter
37. Color
38. Jewelry
39. Beats
40. Laughter
41. Tears
42. Games
43. Conversations
44. Music
45. Class
46. Goals
47. Poems
48. Hand-written letters
49. Powerful women
50. The University of Michigan