The other day I was strolling through the blog world, trying to catch up with my reading; it seems I am always behind these days. I haven’t been up to my usual self frankly; things have been weighing on my heart and mind, keeping me from my normal enthusiasm, my desire for social interaction and visits with friends flung far and wide. I miss you all; I truly do yet can’t seem to concentrate, to focus on what is needful to maintain the important relationships we have built through our shared words in this strange and wonderful blog world we all visit and make a piece of our homes.
Then I saw this: What Inspires You, by Penny
I have been thinking about this one for days, truly off and on I have been thinking about what inspires me for days. I have also been thinking about why I am feeling a bit uninspired, why it is hard for me to get up off my azz and write, dance, visit or anything else I normally do. So, in response and as a challenge to myself, I have spent the past couple of days writing down what inspires me.
Life inspires me. Yes, just life, the idea we have a limited number of days on this earth and how we choose to live them, what we do with them is a concept so few of us grasp completely. Some of us, we spend our life in frivolous, sometimes ignorant pursuits. Others are amazing what they are able to accomplish, so yes life inspires me.
Hope inspires me, so much seems terrible and tragic these days and yet so many still face the world with hope. I know there are those who look at me and think I see the world through rose colored glasses, who believe I am a bit naïve. Honestly though, I am not naïve. I know there are monsters in the world; I have met many of them. I simply choose which I will dance with and continue to rest in the lavender in a lounge chair of green wearing tarnished rose colored glasses. I am inspired by hope, all around me I am inspired by others, who despite the terrible and the tragic continue to rise up out of the muck and the mire, face adversity and hope for more and better.
Malala
Fearlessness inspires me. Not stupidity, not bungee jumping types of fearlessness, but fearlessness in the face of great odds. I am at times stunned by just how truly fearless human beings can be when it is needful and meaningful.
Joy inspires me. There is nothing more I can say about this. Great joy, pass it on.
Selflessness inspires me. Those men and women of our past who gave the gift of their blood, sweat, tears and lives to gain us so much; they inspire me to do more and better. I forget sometimes how much they gave, I think we all do.
Love inspires me. Yes, love in all its manifestations love inspires me. It is so easy to say, “I love you”. It is really hard to live, “I love you”, every single day, every single night. Love is hard, perhaps it was meant to be so we would have to work for it. We are, I think by nature, selfish and self-centered creatures. Love is, by its very nature, selfless. For any of us to love, we have to set ourselves aside and choose to not be selfish, even if only for the minute it takes to not think about what 
we get out of it.
That is what inspires me, it isn’t all that inspires me but it is enough for now. There are people who inspire me. There are things, great works of art, great pieces of music; but for now, this will do. Many of you inspire me quite often. If I don’t visit often right now, it is because I am having a difficult time keeping up, working through personal things that will sort themselves out as they should.
I hope you will visit Penny, who inspired this one. Maybe you will be inspired as I was.
QBG_Tilted Tiara 
Thanks for the link … it does help to be reminded of what is inspirational.
The long list of people who sacrificed their lives for civil liberty in the US was an eye opener!! Thank you for the inspiring and thought provoking post Valentine.
Welcome, I thought about this one for days. So much inspires me yet I don’t think about it every day. Now, I think I will.
Good reminders of the important things in life. It seems to me that we have seasons of feelings; happy, sad, angry – mostly we experience a mixture that is much more subtle than those stark labels. I hope you’re feeling less unsettled soon.
Thank you Peg, for both the compliment and the hope. I am sure my feelings of discombobulation will disappear soon, I know the sources and am working to gain control.
Very important post, Valentine. Most really don’t sit down (or walk or pace) and think about what it is that inspires. You nailed it. Wishing you a peaceful evening. 🙂
Thanks, I know most of us never think about it. Hell, I don’t either. But I was inspired to think about it.
I enjoyed reading this post Val. ❤
Might I add, that y.o.u. are an inspiration to many of us.
Thank so much Tess. I am so glad you enjoyed this one. I hope some of ya’ll will write your own.
~(*_~)~~
That’s so beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I’m glad Penny was able to lift your spirits.
If you’re up for a chuckle, please know that I answered your question about stupid people and throwing rocks. I hope you’ll stop by to see!
I will Monica. I am so far behind I am dragging but I will be there.
I enjoyed reading what inspires you, Val, and I think you outlined them beautifully. Now I’m going to go check out the post that inspired you to write about them! XXOO-Kasey
Maybe you can write one too. I would love to read that.
Sometimes I have blog posts fill my mind for hours at a time, long after I have finished reading them. I love that took that post and created your own from it. Inspiration can be so wonderful. Interesting you posted Malala’s photo there as she’s the focus of my newest women’s blog post. I know it’s difficult keeping up with the blog world and I’m behind too. We just do our best, that’s all we can do xx
She is my idea of fearless, what she did and continues to do is fearless. Don’t you think?
I thought I about inspiration for days. I have been in a funk, but thought about inspiration.
Sometimes we get in a funk and when it goes into lasting for weeks, we understand it’s something deeper than that. I’m inspired by similar elements, along with the fact that I could win the lottery. If I actually played. You’ve gone through a recent major transition with divorce, along with a new job. It’s time to pause now that you’re back in the saddle and maybe, reinvent yourself. Heck, I don’t know really. Just throwing something out there. It’s not like you’re drowning but that’s my 2 cents.
I am in the process of reinvention. We will see what comes out of it.
I am inspired by many of the same things as you, Valentine. Physically performing tasks such as sorting out junk in my garage also inspires me, even as it where’s my tire gold behind out. I have been suffering from a lack of enthusiasm, and the lack of inspiration lately. I think I’m going to follow your lead, and try to find what truly inspires me to get up and move. ❤️
Wears…One of these days I’m going to learn not to trust my smart phone. Then again, maybe not. LOL
It’s interesting how something comes along that occupies our thought in a deep way! … so cheers to your effort and for demonstrating the power of reflection.
Thank you Frank and you are so right.
Reblogged this on Hope & Love Radio.
I only have a second. I love this post. Excellent, Val.
Thanks my friend. Hope all is well, classes and all that jazz.
Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
What inspires you? Great post …. take a look!!
Beautifully written Valentine. Life, love and hope. That’s why we live and share and care and figure out how to take the bad with the good. Because we are lucky, to live another day, to make another difference for someone, to love and be loved. Because we do matter, all of us and I believe that’s why, ultimately we are an inspiration to each other – thank you my friend. All my love to you, Penny
This shook about and I sat and stared at it till I could write it. Thank you so much for the inspiration Penny.
I was so pleased it inspired you. There have been a few times in my life when … well I understand, and glad I was of some value, Valentine.
What a lovely post, Valentine. All the things you listed inspire me too. Another thing that inspires me is someone who’s had more than her share of adversity but is still able to think positively and write a post about the amazing things in this world. That someone is you. 🙂
Thank you Carrie. I find inspiration so many places, in so many people. You are one of them, so thank you.
🙂
Reblogged this on MrMilitantNegro™.
Beautiful, inspiring, empowering post, Val. Thank you for sharing. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
It has been rattling about my friend.
XX