To Come Alive - Inspiration for You and Me
I'd like to think that we all want to make the world a better place. As a child, I used to think if you could give everyone in the world $1 million everything would be peaceful and we all would be happy. I have since learned that happiness is not dependent on money alone (though $1 million sure wouldn't hurt). Happiness is an inside job. It starts with a choice and ends with a smile!
I remember this ad from my college years - how it made fabric look so fluid and dramatic. It was such a perfect expression of what fashion can be! I set a whole row of vases with some amazing roses in front of the television for this shot!
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Have you ever heard of this quote by Howard Thurman? I love it because it gives instruction on how to make a positive difference in the world without sacrificing individual passion. When I first came across this call to action my head stood at attention a bit. Come alive? You bet I can do that! I feel I have so much that makes my heart spark with joy that I could probably write a book (or at least a blog) about the power of my favorite topic... inspiration.
Inspiration makes me come alive! I know it sounds silly, or even redundant, at first - coming alive and being inspired are almost synonymous! What exactly do I mean? Inspiration literally means to be filled with breath. When I see the raw materials for new design - fashion, interiors, gardens, etc. I can see how mundane things can be turned into living art. It makes my heart skip, makes my eyes sparkle with joy, and gives me the drive to stay up late after a full day of work to plan my next blog post.
So, I thought it would be helpful to share my process and break it down with some pictures...
Life is all about finding out what makes your light shine and once you figure that part out, go do it! This way you can inspire others to live better lives living their dreams and doing what missions they have upon their hearts. That is what Mr. Thurmond is saying - creating a better world starts with us doing the things we most wish for in the world. In turn, our children and other young ones will see us and they will learn to do the same. This makes for a dream world of acceptance and love! So come alive! You never know who you may inspire!
Live life inspired!