What -Lifts your spirits? -Drives you to create?  -Touches your heart?

I’m not referring to those touching moments that “give [you] allergies” as a dear friend of mine refers to emotional movie scenes that leave him with moist eyes.  Rather, I mean the kind of matter that transforms you, that makes you want to grow, that urges you to try new adventures, and dare to be a little better than you are.

Dr. Seuss wrote about such an awakening in How The Grinch Stole Christmas.  In a moment of fear that he’d lose all the Who’s Christmas goods, the Grinch struggled to save all he had stolen.  Then “in Whoville they say – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. ”

People are inspired in so many ways, no two of us exactly alike, but yet we have so much in common.  For some, it is the stories of perseverance and overcoming obstacles –consider how many blockbusters have hit theaters in the past week with this theme: Joy, Star Wars and Concussion— just to name a few.  Others find it in music.  On Thursday, for example, while singing with nearly 300 people, I was touched by the passion the composers poured into each piece.  Their work has touched hearts so significantly that it continues to be popular centuries after their conception.  Another perspective I found while reading amwillowz most recent blog post about how she finds solace and motivation through perusing the work of photographers (see [Insta-Happiness for a Gypsy Soul]).

We find sources that heighten our awareness and push us to grow in a number of ways, but it tends to be through engaging and pondering in one way or another.  Sure we can sit in a chair and watch a film, listen to a song, or see a photo that has no impact on us, regardless of the content.  But if we make the effort to look beyond the surface content, to ask questions like: Why that work was created?  How much effort went into its formation? and What motivated its maker? we may find a far greater appreciation for creativity and lessons that may ignite a spark in each of us.

So whether you’re listening to a great Ted Talk (https://www.ted.com/talks), reading an epic novel, or planning the trip you’ve been dreaming of, take a moment to consider how you relate, are impacted by, and perhaps even motivated by the influences in your life.

Here’s to being inspired!