The picture above is a glimpse into my mother’s garden. I’m watering it for her while she’s away for a few weeks.
It sounds like a simple task, but the garden is huge and we’re in a drought, so it takes almost 2 hours every day!
Except for when it rains…
Which got me thinking about inspiration versus action.
Have you ever gotten a brilliant idea out of the blue? A quick and unexpected insight into something cool you could do or create?
That’s like rain. It comes on its own schedule and nourishes you to keep you growing and blossoming.
But it doesn’t always last, or rain as much as you need to fill up.
That’s why you still have to take action. You have to do your part to keep the forward momentum going.
The rain can start you down a path, but you have to keep walking even when there’s no sign of further inspiration or rain for months.
Like with my mother’s plants – to reach their full potential, they need water. But without rain, I have to water them to keep them growing.
It’s an easy metaphor but think about your life:
Where have you been inspired to be, do, or have something, yet failed to continue to water your vision?
Maybe you joined a gym after the New Year, but now you only exercise walking between the front door and your car.
Maybe you started looking into going back to school or signing up for marriage counseling, then let it drop when life got busy.
Or maybe you know you’d feel better if you meditated or journaled every day, but you keep saying you’ll start tomorrow then hitting snooze when the time comes.
In the words of Vincent Van Gogh, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
Spend the weekend reflecting on what you’d like to water in your life. Then commit to nurturing it in a small way each day.
An affirmation in the mirror, an extra piece of fruit, 5 minutes of focused writing. Whatever it is for you – start now.
Water the seeds of your inspiration each day so you can enjoy the rewards of their growth tomorrow.
Be free. Be brave. Be YOU!
Love,
Alexis
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