Have you felt excited to take action in your community, create art, or write in a journal? Or the opposite, felt that you needed or wanted to do something but came up blank? As I sat down to write this article and found myself searching for inspiration, I decided to look deeper into the phenomenon of inspiration itself and share some thoughts on it.

From a holistic perspective, inspiration has physical, spiritual, and mental layers, some of which we may notice more than others. In the body, it can feel like a burst of energy, a sense of aliveness, or feeling of being grounded right where we are. Spiritually, it brings enthusiasm, authenticity, meaningful direction, and connection to the divine or something greater than ourselves. And on a mental level, inspiration creates heightened alertness, imagination, and the ability to focus.

I find it interesting that inspiration can come from both good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant experiences. On the one hand, it’s inspiring to be with people or pets we love, see a beautiful picture, read an interesting book, or follow up on something that piques our curiosity in a positive way. On the other hand, aspects of life or the world that we don’t like, injustices, and feelings of anger or compassion for another’s suffering, can all inspire actions that lead to change.

Once we’re gifted with inspiration, what do we choose to do with it? Taking action right away can be fulfilling and build momentum toward even greater aspirations, if we have time - or ability to make time - to follow our insights. But sometimes it’s not that simple. Other aspects may come into play when deciding what to do with inspiration, including doubts and fears that our ideas aren’t “good enough.” If that happens, we run the risk of ignoring our soul’s calling or feeling stifled. On a practical level, maybe we’re busy with other commitments or don’t have the resources to take action. In that case writing down the idea or taking a picture can capture the spark so that the fire of imagination can be reignited later.

And that leads me to a closing thought - however we find inspiration and whatever we decide to do with it, may it lead us to create or re-create our lives and our world with joy, health, and peace for all.