Ten Things That You Can Do To Get Inspired

Posted on by writerchick

robinLook, let’s be honest – life can be a drag.  Life can be hard.  Life can be all work and no play.  Things have been tough for a lot of people in the last couple of years—perhaps you’re one of those people.  Maybe you’re working a job you hate just to pay the rent and feed yourself.  Or you’re working two jobs because you can’t find full time work, or doing work on the side just to make ends meet.  Believe me, I get it.

So, it can be hard to get inspired about anything – except maybe a large pizza with everything and an all weekend Lost marathon.

There’s an old adage that says, “The best things in life are free.”  And maybe there is some wisdom in that statement.  Have we become so accustomed to our super techie world that we’re unable to see the simple everyday miracles right under our noses?  I think maybe we have.

So buck up maties and take a look at the following list to see if you can find inspiration in any of the following:

  1. Grow something from a seed.  There is nothing more inspiring than growing something with your own hands.  Seeds are very inexpensive, often you can find them in Dollar stores or discounted at the local nursery but even if you can’t afford that, you can harvest seeds from fruits and vegetables you already have.  If you harvest your own seeds, make sure to dry them out before planting.  It’s simple, just rinse them, dry them on a paper towel and set them in a warm dry spot for a week or so – then plant them.  If you don’t have a yard, use a patio pot.  If you don’t have a patio or porch, set up a pot on a table by a sunny window.
  2. Read a children’s book.  Who can read The Cat in the Hat or Ham and Green Eggs and Ham, without smiling? Children’s books by their nature are meant to encourage, teach, and inspire.  I dare you to read a Dr. Seuss book and not feel better.
  3. Make  your own bread.  There is something wonderful about the smell of fresh baked bread wafting through the air.  This is a no fail recipe that enables anyone to make their own bread.  And again if you’re on a tight budget, you can probably find all the supplies you need at the local dollar store.
  4. Make a little movie.  This article discusses specifically making a book trailer but you can make any kind of movie you want.  Maybe you want to make your own little inspirational movie.  Have fun, it’s only for you so you can make it as bold or silly as you like.  And play it whenever you want.
  5. Take a free course.  Learning something new can open new worlds and ideas to you that maybe you didn’t even know were there.  Free courses online abound everywhere.  The ones offered here really inspired me.
  6. Volunteer.  Nothing makes you feel better than helping someone else.  It puts things in perspective and makes our own problems seem a little less daunting.  There are hundreds of places to volunteer, hospitals, veteran centers, food banks, libraries, rest homes, etc.  But even if you don’t want to commit to that you can learn about seniors in your neighborhood who could use some help, maybe a ride to church or the local grocery store, helping them weed their garden or walk their dog.  If the will is there, you will find an opportunity.
  7. Take your grandparents or parents out to lunch.  Your parents and grandparents are a wealth of information.  They all have histories.  They have all gone through hard times and survived.  Why not take them out to lunch and ask them what life was like when they were their age.  What challenges did they face?  How did they overcome adversity.  Learn your own family history – maybe you have some heroes in your family tree you never knew about from whom you could get inspiration.
  8. Mind map your brilliant ideas.  This free software is a fun way to work out that idea you’ve had in the back of your mind for years or months.  Why not work it out on paper to see if you could actually make it work?
  9. Personalize photos and make a collage.  Everybody has photos – grab a bunch and head over to this free site.  Spiff them up and make a collage and send it to your friends or post it on facebook or make it your computer wallpaper or screensaver.  Or string a bunch of images together that creates a dream board.  The possibilities are endless.
  10. Count your blessings.  This is something none of us does enough.  No matter how bad things may be in your life, they probably aren’t as bad as someone else.  It’s so easy to focus on what is wrong with our lives while ignoring what is great.  We often take the good things in our lives for granted rather than showing gratitude for them.  I promise you if you just change this one thing you will see a real change in how you feel about yourself,  your life, and other people.

The truth is, inspiration is really everywhere we turn.  If we just open our eyes and look for it, we are sure to find it.

Are there things that inspire you?  Tell me about them in the comments below.

Writer Chick

Copyright 2013