What inspires you?

To live your best life, you have to live a life that is engaged and connected. And that means different things to different people.

For me, that means the hustle and bustle of the city. I can and do appreciate time away in nature, and enjoy the solitude. It’s a weekly requirement that feeds my soul. But interaction with people, city life and chaotic adventures ignite a passionate abandon that excites and rejuvenates my inner being the majority of the time.

I have friends who, if they lived in the environment where I thrive, would be depleted and anxious on a consistent basis. For them, nature is how they engage and connect with life. City life, only once a week, would be plenty. They find their inspiration walking beneath the open skies, hearing the chirps of bird chatter, and katydids in the distance.

Isn’t it a beautiful thing humanity is so different. We just need to remember to appreciate these differences as neither is right or wrong. It’s just a matter of what sits right in ones soul.

Now, many things can, do and will inspire you. But too often we don’t actively create the environment around us that feeds our soul positively. We just take the environment that is there, regardless of its positive or, too often, negative impact.

I pause for a moment as I write this because I realize I need to step back a little bit. For it’s not the outer environment to look at first, but the inner environment. Our thoughts.

We don’t live the majority of our time in our own head, with our own self. We live ALL of our time there.

There is no escape from you.

Did you just say “uh-oh?” Knowing you have no escape from yourself can bring a feeling of joy or a feeling of dread depending on if you’re your own biggest cheerleader or biggest critic. Often times a mix of both.

Creating the external environment that adds to your life is important. But it’s futile if you haven’t created a good and affirming environment in your own head. I doubt many of us would advise a close friend to accept an environment that depletes his or her energies for life. So why do we so often accept that for ourselves?

It’s actually pretty crucial in life to be your own best friend. And until you are, life will be much harder than it has to be. How does one do that? There’s no formula. It’s a process. A journey. But it starts with accepting yourself right where you are. And sometimes that means forgiving your past. And it can start. Right. Now.