Inspiration

"Desire is the Key to Motivation." - Mario Andretti

That's the quotation on my desk calendar for this weekend. I get one quote a day for Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday must share a quote...so it had better be good, yes? I happen to find Mary Engelbreit very inspiring. I love the color, shapes, and subjects of her work, so having her calendar close at hand makes me happy. Autumn is my favorite season, so it is inspiring as well.

"Be a Lamp, a Lifeboat, or a Ladder."-Rumi

Go forth and help others. It fits with the well known "What goes around, comes around" and so theoretically if we're there for others, we are helping ourselves as well. This could quickly get bogged down into the whole "Why exactly are you helping others".... No, thanks. Just go help. The reasons will work themselves out. When someone is collecting canned goods for our local food bank, I don't care if you give because your heart is full of good cheer, you're hoping for a bit of good karma, or you've found the perfect reason to get rid of the canned beets. Someone in need will still have dinner this month.

"If you can't Excel with Talent, Triumph with Effort."- Dave Weinbaum

Now, there you go. I love this one. I have worked with hundreds of children over the years, and can say with absolute certainty (which for a Libra, is saying something!) that attitude and perseverance trump aptitude any ole' day. I have seen so, so, soooooo many children--and adults--who have every bit of cognitive brilliance a person could need to make dreams come true. . . and yet they flounder. They wait for the Dream to come to them.

I tell my girls if they want their Dreams to come true, they need to go out, hunt them down, and drag them home. Anything is attainable with belief and effort. :)

I'll leave you with something to mull over:

"It is only with the Heart that one can see Rightly; what is Essential is invisible to the eye."- Antoine de Saint Exupery

Inspiration and Motivation are both very personal things; what inspires you and your work? And check out my new link The Write Soul for some truly inspirational writing posts.