Inspiration

I am pretty easily inspired on one hand but on another hand it takes a lot to truly inspire me. And today my friend Amy was telling me a story about her little boy Zane. I hung up the phone so inspired to believe that people can change and circumstances can change. As I drove down the road I smiled thinking, man it only took a 5 minute story to reinspire me today to dream big and not be discouraged.

The last few months have been filled with fun, friends, lots of processing, emotion, new things, and old things which have all made for some INCREDIBLE memories of this season of my life. At the same time I have wondered what is next. What are my dreams? What things has God created me to do in this world? Whether you have a relationship with God or not I genuinely and passionately believe you were made with specific dreams and abilities that are unique to you. And our world needs what you have. I was watching President Elect Obama this morning introduce his choice for his leadership team. As I sat there trying to take in what each person's job actually was I thought, man I don't even know what that they're saying as they explain the role with little bullet points to the right. And even when each person accepted the nomination and said why they were thankful and why they would be good, still nothin'...on some of their rolls at least. Lest I make my mother and boyfriend cringe, I do understand the big picture of each person's job, but it is the working out of what they actually do and all the knowledge and intuition they must naturally posses that kills me. I shook my head as I watched some of the rolls and thought, I could never do that but more than that I would NEVER want to do that. Now there were some rolls that sounded fun and I pictured myself doing it--like the United Nations Ambassador...Seriously?!!! I would love that. You are constantly building relationships and convincing people they need to do what you want them to do, while not making anyone too mad and getting people to like you....really?!! Could there be a more rewarding job on an international/change the world potentional level? Now I recoginize it is MUCH more than that designate Susan Rice will do. And she appears to be brilliant and well schooled and seasoned, but if I was picking which place I would want on the cabinet it would definitely be that one.

I digress, though...kind of, between watching President Elect Obama's Cabinet be announced and my conversation about Zane I got to thinking of how we really are all wired different. C'mon seriously? Did any of you who saw the Cabinet coverage pick which job you would do and why with such passion? I am just wired to think of what each person is created to do and do it to myself all the time. Whether I am watching Friends and picking which character I would be or watching our nation's President Elect pick his cabinet I just have to see which role is most me.

So what inspires me? People. I love people's stories. I love that everyone is created uniquely. I love that everyone has potential whether they choose to fulfill it our not. It is like having a bank account that is FULL of money that is yours to spend (wouldn't that be nice, huh?) But really, that is how I see people....human potential is a free commodity and endless in possibilities. Erwin McManus in a podcast called Focus, said a few weeks ago, "What would you fail at over and over again because it was your dream and you believe in it that much." I actually started crying as I heard that because I thought..."I have no dreams, I have no vision for my life, what am I doing with my life, I have nothing I will fail at over and over again." I was crying to Sam that night about how I have no dream for my life and I have never been in this spot before. And in typical amazing patient Sam way he reminded me I did have vision and there are things that I dream about. I nodded yes to him, but inside I think I still wondered. But the reality is for me that the thing I would fail at over and over again is people. I would rather believe in someone and call out their unique greatness and have them absolutely fail 100 times over, then to have never believed in them because they seemed like they might not succeed. I am a hopeless optimist when it comes to people. I looked up the definition of inspire today (which as close as I get to research--looking up a single definition) and was surprised at the actual definition:

"Fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative."

I felt like I found my life statement all of a sudden...who knew in an Apple widget it was hiding? The irony is that the more you are with people the more they actually inspire you and the more you want to see other people inspired. It is this beautiful human potential Catch 22. Every person is creative....I believe we were made by a Creator, so while we are all not artsy, we are creative....how can we not be? It's in our DNA. Sometimes the creativity comes out on Global levels in jobs that make no sense to me, sometimes it comes out in your home with the way you organize your family and decorate your home, sometimes it is artsy, like my talented boyfriend with his photography. Each person holds this creativity that makes me so curious to see it come out and affect the world...

Funny I got up early and walked with my sweet sweet friend Abby and we talked about life and family and holidays and as she was trying to still wake up she asked do you really love mornings this much? And I said yeah I do, I love accomplishing so much by only 9AM. Who would have thought that I would be so reminded of what I love and what inspires me....a little brisk/cold morning walk, politics, an old friend, and a widget the combination today for inspiration.