Tell Me, Who Inspires You? What do you plan to do, who do you plan to be?

 (This post is inspired by Amanda Smith's Spark Within Me August Blog Challenge. <-- Click the link to participate with us now!)

Today's prompt: Who Inspires Me?

So the question is clear: Who inspires me?

I walked into the kitchen to grab my cup of coffee, “Who inspires me?”  My kids would be the normal, expected answer. What mother is not inspired by her children?

(Probably more than I would like to think!)

I plunked myself onto my bed with my laptop across my bent legs and asked again “Who inspires me?” wanting so badly to be original rather than trite.

My children inspire me.

And then I saw a link to a youtube video I posted on facebook yesterday, from 2009. My kids and me, and my Mom, taking the Christmas photos and at that time I was doing a video self portrait series. This was long before selfies and I was taking self portraits on my point and shoot digital camera. INVISIBLE, without the ability to see what my camera was seeing self portraits where I would take a bunch, look, take a bunch more, look – no editing as I went because I couldn’t see what I was creating and I fearlessly did, anyway.

I realized how much I am inspired by myself – past, present and future – and how much I need to continue to be inspired by me BECAUSE that me is always so ready and willing to serve the world and leave it better than when she came. I don't let my depression diagnosis or my occasional everyday malaise to get in the way of the work I need to do in this world.

I realize I should share the short, less than two minute video here, too, since I mentioned it.

 

Yesterday, an example, I helped save a veteran’s life.

I stopped a veteran from killing himself.

It was so simple. I was on a live broadcast along with 30+ other people. A gentleman came in asking about the Veteran Crusader. All of us knew who that was, we recommended him to her, he said he was in crisis and after a few moments I realized I needed to go further than a recommendation.

I went off the broadcast, sent a message to my friend the Veteran Crusader and she got connected to him and spoke to him on the telephone moments later. He asked her to thank me for connecting them and saving his life.

I have brought homeless people into my house to use the shower. I have made friends with the friendless since I was a little girl – although sometimes that’s self-serving due to my fear of being the friendless one at some point. Aren’t we all in some context or other?

I figure I need to be inspired by me SO THAT I may continue to inspire my children and others.

My timer went off – and I want to say one more thing.

Let’s each choose to create a lifestyle that is inspiring – even if not to others, let’s make it inspiring to ourselves. Amanda did it with this blog challenge, after all. More of us are blogging… and doing so authentically.

How about it?

Mary Oliver wrote this,

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

I’ll be here, waiting for your answer.

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Julie Jordan Scott inspires people to experience artistic rebirth via her programs, playshops, books, performances and simply being herself out in the world.  She is a writer, creative life coach, speaker, performance poet, Mommy-extraordinaire and mixed-media artist  whose Writing Camps and Writing Playgrounds permanently transform people's creative lives. Watch for the announcement of new programs coming in early Summer and beyond.

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