Inspired Light

I hope to be… in spirit, inspired.

Do you?

It looks like a heart gently carrying a spark—something like the flame of a candle fanned—that ignites us and lights us. It calls us with such great measure that we feel passion and purpose. It propels us to take action on our vision for a better life.

And so we move forward. We celebrate. We enjoy. We give as we live, inspired.

The idea of living connected to spirit can seem airy and somewhat unattainable to many. It might feel that only the Pope or the Dalai Lama has access to the light of the divine. But no. We are all connected to this light. We are all born from the same source, and it is a soul map that we are here to discover so that we may shine brightly.

Your soul is calling you to live an inspired life, and those great spiritual teachers show us what’s possible even for the everyday man and woman to achieve.

As with so many good things, though, the inspired life is a choice. If you wish to feel the juice of inspiration waking you each day, you must practice soulful living. You must seek what inspires you every day.

For years, we’ve said, “How you start your day is how you live your day.” And it’s as true now as it was when Richard and I coined the term decades ago. So begin your day waking up with gratitude and thanks. And as you begin your day in joy, so will joy permeate your waking dream. You will have eyes that see the light and the gifts of human existence. You will gravitate toward what inspires your soul.

I’ve been dealing with a dry eye condition, and my ophthalmologist suggested that perhaps I sleep with my eyes open. I had to laugh at this interesting possibility and the paradoxical relevance within it. Yes, it’s actually possible that I am doing that—that spirit may indeed be asking me to stay awake in the dream and sleep with my eyes open.

What kinds of things inspire you? For a life inspired—the type of living that stems from a divine spark—it’s important to identify the personal sources of inspiration that speak to your unique soul.

Here’s a tip: Begin your day with a quiet meditation to music or silence. Then, do some journaling, stretching, or reading. Start slowly; don’t dive into the day of interaction with phone and emails too quickly. Let yourself ease in, inviting grace and joy to be your stealthy companions. It’s almost trite to say so, but exercise will inspire you; movement of any kind and time is good for your soul. A deeper conversation about feelings and dreams is inspiring. Work can be inspiring, too.

So, as you take slow steps into the day, allow room for your mind and heart to hear the inner whisper of your truest self. It’s there that you’ll learn the sources of your inspiration, the one-of-a-kind combination of activities and gifts meant to enliven your soul and call you to the spirit of adventure present in every moment of the waking dream.

Begin your day inspired and connected to your soul—and see how it unfolds. My guess is that your creativity will rise, and you will feel more awake as you embark on your most vibrant life, inspired.