My life has always been guided by people who inspire me. In good times and in bad, I wake up and think about, read about, or listen to those men and women who inspire me to leap out of bed and greet the day with a zest for life.
The definition of “Inspire” is: fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Do you have people in your life who fill you with the urge to do something creative? I am sure that you do, and I invite you take a few moments now to think about who these people are in your life.
Allow me to mention a few people who have inspired me over the years to create a better life – to attempt to be the best person that I can possibly be (this list is literally off the top of my head, and if I spent more time writing this, I could come up with hundreds of people).
- My Dad: My Dad is ninety years old. He still exercises (if not a full-on workout), every single day. He continues to expand and keep his mind sharp by learning new things every day. He’s even just embarked on a course to learn Transcendental Meditation. If I can be half the person that my Dad if I am lucky enough to live with decent health until ninety, I’ll be very fortunate. If I ever feel like it’s too hard to push that extra mile, I think of Dad.
- Deepak Chopra: I read his first book, Quantum Healing, over 25 years ago, which inspired me to want to learn a meditation practice. He unwavering dedication to inspiring people to a better version of themselves is awesome.
- Dr. Christiane Northrup: I read her first book, “Women’s Bodies Women’s Wisdom” when I was in my twenties. Dr. Northrup has been hugely instrumental in inspiring me to take an integrated approach toward my healthcare.
- Kris Carr: Kris is a dear friend who has always inspired me to reach for that green juice in place of a sugary latte. As a cancer survivor, Kris inspires thousand of people who have been diagnosed, to get up and dance around the room (green juice in hand), because it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Through Kris’s work and inspiration, many have turned their diagnosis into a gift.
- Marianne Williamson: Marianne’s books helped me through some very challenging times when I was younger. She continues to be an absolute inspiration in all that she does.
- Steven Pressfield wrote a book called The War of Art, which is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read in helping me push through creative blocks. He has helped me to understand why I resist creativity sometimes, and how to triumph over it.
- Emmet Fox: I read The Sermon On The Mount when I was in my twenties, and it revolutionized my attitude toward Christianity, and inspired me to pray.
- Jane Buckingham: Jane is an outstanding author (her brilliant Modern Girl’s Guide has just been updated), and the premier trend expert in the U.S, who mentored me to write my first book, Gorgeously Green. She inspired me to do something creative when I really wasn’t sure I could. She is also one of the most generous and Gorgeous women I know!
I could go on and on, but I will say that I am lucky enough to be surrounded by talented and generous people every day – who inspire me in ways large and small. And this post wouldn’t be complete without a huge shout-out to my husband. Seriously…. when I was crying years back because I had been rejected by a publisher, she inspired me to carry on. He told me that even if we had to sell my books out of the trunk of his car at the local flea market, we would – a year later, I was on Oprah with another woman who has always inspired me, the gorgeous Julia Roberts:)
