key notes: inspiration!

12 May 2010

As anyone who has been following this blog will have noticed, I am “taking the plunge” and trying to write seriously – become a real writer instead of a dabbler! So I’ve been reading, studying, conversing with other writers - and doing a LOT of writing.

Anyway, I’ve been collecting incredible INSPIRATION on the art of writing itself, lifestyles, entrepreneurship (yes, I’d like to make some money out of this writing thing...), and so forth. And from my many notes, I’ve been making a list of KEY notes. Because this is MY list, these keys inevitably, of course, reflect me – who I am, what I believe and value, my hopes and dreams, and the core of my life, my relationship with God. Some of my KEY notes are things I learned from others. And some of them are from me.

Wherever you are in YOUR LIFE, I hope you’ll too be inspired by some of these KEYs. And I encourage you to add KEYs that are especially yours!

INSPIRATION…. (alphabetically… in no particular order! Lol…)

Analyze your emotions responses to things. Learn about yourself. Change negatives in your life that bind you and hold you back, to positives that propel you forward. Focus on things that elicit positive emotions (love, joy, peace, contentment) rather than negative ones (see the negative ones in new ways: let them become eliciters of positive emotions).
Be inspiring yourself. Encourage others to be inspiring and amazing too! Empower them to step out as well.
Be the voice for those without one.
Be yourself – the you Creator God created you to be. Revel in it. Enjoy. Dance with Him – He is the Lord of the Dance, after all
Become a fast friend. To someone who really needs a friend. And find ways to become a better friend to your already-friends. Who are your friends anyway? Try that question out for size!
Blog every day.
Childlike simplicity: avoid complications of rules and regulations. Fun, humility, good character. Living a minimal lifestyle in an often very complicated world.
Clear your mind from being clouded by unnecessary things.
Close ties with family and true friends.
Create new out of old.
Dare to be different. Brave. Bold. Honest. Surprising. Even “wrong” (by some folks’ estimation! But cling always to Papa).
Defeat the resistance. Find something so important that it is worth overcoming all kinds of resistance, all the things that create friction in your life and slow or stop you.
Do routine things differently.
Don’t compare yourself to others; be inspired by them.
Don’t get complacent. Keep growing, learning, improving, building, exploring, taking on new challenges.
Emulate the greats. And especially the Greatest.
Find focus in an unfocused world. And share it. Share myself. And yes, share YOU, my focus… The Focus! (thank You!)
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Follow your heart.
Gratefulness: for life, gifts, other people, God’s love.
Great work: meaningful, challenging, makes a difference to you and to the world, matters to you, lights you up, is inspired by and integrates your passions.
Healthy lifestyle: eat healthy, walkabout frequently, write, journal with Papa, open door hospitality.
Integrate truth into all of life.
Interview. Observe.
Keep practicing. Keep doing.
Learn. Do. Teach. (And keep the cycle going!)
Limit distractions to just the essentials.
Live as frictionless as possible. Simplify your life. Clear it of non-essential tasks (and be surprised by how many of those there really are). Focus on what you love. Change your current conditions to eliminate “necessary” tasks that you wish weren’t necessary!
Live in adventure with Jesus: know Him more, love Him more … and share His love, expressed through me.
Love!!!!
Make major life decisions in alignment with what – Who! – you truly believe in and value.
Meet others’ needs.
Never stop learning. Never stop failing. Learn from your failures: and so make them successes.
Observe! Everything is a potential source of inspiration. See from different perspectives.
Reach out to the sad and hurting. Care for the uncared-for, the “unwanted” ones.
Relationship with people who think, live simply, love freedom, see alternatively, and with those who love Jesus.
Remember: all my friends, relatives, business and education contacts – everyone I know and encounter – are support and resources in my life.
Say “yes” slowly: question why? what? when? who? where? how?
Serve. Minister. Care. Shepherd. Walk alongside. Guide. Mentor. (But don’t forget Who really leads).
Share with the world – in many small practical ways. Sharing yourself: what and who you are.
Shoot for the one great thing. Avoid frivolous extras. KISS: Keep it simple, sweetheart!
Simplify life: Less stuff. Contentedness: count your blessings. Enjoy simple, free things.
Small initial scope: better one thing done well than many things never really accomplished. What “one thing” do you want to focus on? What’s your passion? Your gifting? Your core?
Smile. And let your joy put a smile on others’ faces. Bring them to You, the Source of joy Start a wiki-type site for those who write to/about Father but fear to or don’t know how to publish their writing.
Start new things: lean, small, focused, simple, nimble, flexible, low-cost. Start now, with what you already have, what you already know and love.
Start NOW.
Start with “good enough.” Get it out there. Then improve.
Stay agile. Remain curious. Keep your eyes and heart wide open. See opportunities.
Take lots of pictures. Or better yet, sketch them yourself. In graphics. Or words. Or both.
To become “great” at something: learn from others. But mostly: do, and keep doing. For years. As long as it takes. Teaching others, too. Desire, drive, doing, daring.
Union with our Creator and God: eternal significance.
Volunteer … street ministry, home-school granny…
Walking with God: joy, contentment, unconditional love.
What is most important to you? Focus on that.
Whatever you dream, you can pursue. What do you dream? Is it worth pursuing? Does it line up with who you are and what you believe and value? How can you pursue it?
Work harder than you ever have before, on what you love and are passionate about. Pour in your heart and soul.
Write!!!! Every day!

And yes, of course this list is uncopywrited! So add to it, change it around, delete what doesn’t speak to you, improve on it, reorganize it – make it your own, and then share your list too! And post it up! And DO IT! (And remind me to keep doing mine!)