Random Inspiration

Hi Readers,

After being a bit slack with my posts for a fortnight, here we go again, two in just a few days !

Thank you so much for those who left comments on FB about where and when they experience 'Flow". I was truly inspired by your responses! 

So, if you previously left a response on FB, if you feel the inclination to leave a comment about this post, the tab is at the end of this post.

I have decided not to promote this post on FB purely for the reason of hoping that readers will come back to the blog without needing a prompt.

Am I being too ambitious ??

Inspiration is all around us !

Like just about nearly everyone on this planet now, I carry a phone with me pretty much all the time.

However, I refuse to use it while I am out walking or riding (and driving ! ) as it just drives me nuts crashing into people walking along with their face stuck in a phone.

As I'm living in Melbourne at the moment, and I'm often walking the streets (No, I'm not lost ) the one thing I notice is that I'm continually dodging, or crashing into people who are more intent on their phone than looking where they are going.

While trying my best to be patient and apologetic, a few poor unfortunates have copped a "Get off your F@#$%^G phone and look where you are going !"

And straight away I get the guilts for being a dick.

Anyway, rant over.

I still want to talk about phones, because as much as they may infuriate me, they also allow me to capture moments of inspiration.

Over the years I have been incredibly fortunate to travel overseas many times, and the opportunity to whip out the phone and take a photo means I have captured so many moments that I may have otherwise missed if I had tried to get a camera ready for the moment.

It doesn't have to be overseas either, as one of the photos I took today attests.

And don't the latest phones take great photos !!

Let me start with nearly my all time favourite.

I was in Vancouver a few years ago and went for a run around the city, one of my favourite ways to get my bearings and get a quick look around as much of a place in the shortest time.

This was painted on the footpath. I looked at it, thought about it, then kept running.

The more I thought about it, the more I began to make some sense of it, and all I could wish for was that I needed a photo of it.

So, some backtracking was done, I found it again and got the shot that I will forever treasure.

It's not just what it says to me, I took it when I was in 'flow'. (Read previous post !!!)

Live The Life You Love.

Love The Life You Live.

To me it's about making choices.

Yes, try to do the things you love, but not at the expense of the people you love. I can't just go and do my own thing whenever I want without considering the impact it may have on so many other people. Family first. Friends. Work.

I'd just love to spend my days out exercising, riding my pushbike and motorbike, but that's not going to pay the bills.

Doing what you love requires balance and consideration of others. I can't see that I'd love it if I was forever worrying about the impact it may be having on others.

Over the past few months where I have taken leave from work, I have been able to pursue other things that I have a love for, and this blog is one of them. I certainly couldn't put in the time and effort if I was still at work, as teaching requires so much out of school hours commitment and dedication.

Many in the community and media would dispute that, based on some of the comments I've seen recently.

Living the life I love requires balance and planning, knowing when to pursue things with gusto, and deciding when things need to take a back seat. This just adds to the desire and passion to find that balance.

By now I hear you thinking..."Yep, he's on the incense again !"

To me, living the life I love means not creating stress or problems for others. If I'm calm, then hopefully I'm helping others to be calm too.

Doesn't always work or happen, but it is at least something to strive for.

I could go on and on, but I think you get my drift.

If I'm living the life I love, then it only seems natural that I'm going to love the life I live.

When I took this photo, maybe I was already doing this, but for me it is the photo that makes it resonate even more and creates a deeper consciousness of doing all that I can to live up to it.

It's no coincidence that this quote appeared on the funeral booklet for our much loved sister Anne who passed away recently. I'd often shared this quote with her and we had so many discussions about it.

I'm sure Anne lived this quote to the fullest.

So Readers, 

what do you need to do to Live the Life You Love?

Maybe you're doing it already. I hope so.

Finally, do you Love The Life You Live ?

If not, can you take steps to change this?

Once again, I hope so.

And today I was out walking when I saw something that grabbed my eye.

Once again, I saw it, thought about it, and kept walking.

And kept thinking about it.

And slowed own and thought more about it.

Dang !! I should have taken a photo !! 

That meant a bit of backtracking, hoping that the item would still be there, which it was.

This was hanging off a rail at a building site. Maybe it was left there for a reason ?

Maybe it was left there for me?

Who knows.

I began to think about the meaning. (Yep, grab the incense !!)

I, like so many others, work for money. But I also work because I love what I do. Whether I'm any good at it is for others to decide and judge, but if I was in something purely for the money I would not last in it for long.

The money is necessary, but so is the enjoyment of what I do.

So, Yes, I work for money.

"Design for Love".

To me this is not just limiting itself to designing things. It prompts thoughts about the Vancouver picture, Live the Life You Love, Love The Life You Live.

Plan for the things you love. Plan for living the life you love.

Identify the things you want to do to achieve the happiness you want.

Often we may think that this is not possible, but is that because we set the bar too high right from the start, and then give up when it is obvious we cannot get to where we want.

Small steps.

I'd love to run a marathon again. 

I'd love just to be able to run again ! However, my body won't allow that, so I need to make changes that enable me to get that same fix that running always gives me.

Or gave me.

Flow.

I know my limitations and abilities, so now I work within those, and anything extra is a bonus that I'm always grateful for.

The slogan on the t-shirt is also telling me to not forget the things that are important to me, and to others.

To do what I can to help others 'design for love'.

Yep. More incense !!

So Readers ( Gee I say that too much !)

These are just my ramblings.

You may look at each of these photos and have a totally different reaction. I hope so !

You might totally disagree with my interpretation. I hope so.

There is no right or wrong, but I hope there is some sort of thinking generated.

Maybe I might go back to some of my not so deep posts, like the stupid stuff I've done in my years, but I'm warning you now.

I've nearly finished reading Andre Agassi's book 'Open', and it has REALLY GOT ME 

THINKING !!!

Don't say I didn't warn you !!

I hope you can take some photos that inspire you, I could have shared probably 50 or so more, but that would have bored you to death.

Maybe this post has done that already 🤣

Feel free to comment, or even just leave an inspiring photo with no comment.

I'd love it.

Until my next post Readers...

Cheers 😁