Inspiration

Time wasters abound just lately.

I am trying to inhale … exhale … and remember it’s God’s plan, not mine.

Let’s just say if you’re a contractor bidding on work on my house … and I rearrange my entire day to be there for the walkthrough … and you no-show with no phone call or anything … I might be unlikely to call you again.

This is but one example in my life.

So Godincidences. Yeah.

After about a month hiatus, I started seeing all these little signs and that word again. The same word every couple of days. Okay, hey, hi. I don’t know what you’re up to, Big Guy, but it’s something.

Oh yeah, it’s something.

Cue Switchfoot and some Earl Grey and some focus.

One of my mentors says,

“Be inspired. Be inspiring.”

I try to remind myself of that philosophy when I’m feeling scattered and distracted. When seemingly random opportunities keep changing my plan. And on days like today when I’m pretty sure there is ragweed pollen embedded deeply in my lungs. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Being in the health and wellness field, taking care of myself is actually part of my job. I giggle when I think about that. Working out, eating healthy, getting enough sleep … are all part of my job. That is so cool. How many times have I said this … put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.

And I don’t call it a job – I have my own business. I’m sure some people think I don’t really have a job, though. Entrepreneurship is so far out of the mindset of some that you can tell they just don’t get it. The confused look on their face says it all.

Okay, fine, maybe I’ll hire you to work for me at some point? You are the CEO of your own life. More people should act like it.

I don’t know why it surprises me anymore, but every now and then it becomes startlingly clear how many people have an employee mindset. Don’t get me wrong, the world needs good employees. And I never say never to the possibility of taking on the right opportunity. In retrospect, even when I have been an employee I had an entrepreneurial mindset. The more enjoyable roles were those where I had more freedom to decide how things were done.

Don’t even get me started on an entitlement mindset.

Newsflash time. It is possible to love what you do for a living. And you do not have to be pigeonholed by whatever your college degree is. Or by not having a college degree.

Being inspiring? Also part of my job. So whatever it takes to make that happen … part of my job. Maintaining good mental and spiritual health … part of my job.

In order to be inspiring you need to be inspired. So I make sure I put forth the time and effort to get inspired. I don’t sit back and wait for it to happen. Other than the aforementioned taking care of myself … for me, getting inspired is reading (the bible, leadership books, random fiction and nonfiction, articles and blogs), writing, thinking / praying / listening, playing in the kitchen, figuring out what makes people tick, listening to music, playing music. Sorry, no arithmetic. You were thinking it, I know you were.

So here’s my thought for the day. When the world starts getting a little too loud and tries to pull you in fifty directions … tell it to talk to the hand and go get inspired.