Inspiration

I've been reminded that inspiration can come from many places and in various ways. The sound of the wind chime in the flowering crabapple tree; the sight of a great blue heron flying over the road in front of my car on the way home from a stressful day at work; a mother cat caring for her newborn kittens; watching the sonogram dvd of my grandson; a friend enjoying homemade chocolate chip cookies; laughing out loud at the irreverence of Mark Twain. Unrelated, perhaps, except for the lightness breathed into my soul.

Another way to find inspiration is through the writings and words of others. In looking for wise and witty things to post on my social media sites, I found reminders of the creativity, intelligence, common sense and greatness of mankind. Here are some of my favorite quotes (for tonight anyway):

"The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." -Ben Stein

 

“The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still, small voice of conscience.” -Mahatma Gandhi

"'Normal' is just a setting on the dryer." -Barbara Johnson

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses." Alphonse Karr

"I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom." -Bob Dylan

"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom." -Albert Einstein

And, the one that made me laugh out loud:

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress." -Mark Twain

Find inspiration. Laugh out loud. Release stress. What could be better?