Live Inspired, Every Day

Do you believe it is possible to live inspired, every day? What about those days when you feel too “down” to get up? When those down-in-the-dumps days arrive (and they will), are there things you can do or say to yourself to inspire hope that things will get better? Especially when you don’t see any way that they could? What about when you’re going through really tough times? Is it possible to live “inspired” through those times too?

Because I believe it is possible to bounce back from just about anything, I also believe it is possible to live inspired, every day. In my life I've bounced back from quite a few setbacks, and I'm still inside the ring, standing and fighting. And that's how I came up with three ideas that I believe can help anyone live on a healthier, happier side of life. Every day, you can be inspired if you:

• Choose to live life on purpose. If you seek purpose in your being and doing, life will seem more of a joyous discovery, every day. As you execute plans, you'll undoubtedly see, as a result, your purpose being accomplished in a variety of ways.
• See the bigger picture. Learn to “seek ye first the kingdom of God,” and discover how minuscule worldly worries and concerns are, in the larger scheme of things.
• Know there's a brighter tomorrow. No matter how dark the day might seem, stay strong and hold on until tomorrow, because the sun will come out, and you'll be given a new day and a new way.

Even as I am writing this article, I am going through some tumultuous and trying times, working hard to reinvent myself for the rest of my life. After many years of financial challenges and setbacks, I’ve had to redesign and begin to rearrange in my mind my whole idea of how I approach earning a living for myself. But I still live inspired every day, because I have the faith it takes to get back up from any “down” place, and to try again every time life shows me the need to do so.

Choosing not to believe in a "random" universe opens the door to not believing your existence in the universe is "random." It means things don't just happen, and that there is a reason for the existence of people, places, and things. It means believing there is a time and a purpose for everything, under heaven.

I believe God has assigned a purpose to each person, a reason for being alive and for living on planet earth. And, I know that the act of seeking and discovering purpose makes living more rewarding, and worldly activities more satisfying.

When you know you are connected to a Higher Power, and that your purpose for being, at any given time, is not just connected to, but emanates from that Power, you are free to live inspired--lit up and on purpose. And, even though purpose can and does change as you live and grow and age, when you choose to live your life on purpose, you know that there is always a divine reason for being alive.

Be inspired about life. Seek and find your own opportunities. Don’t take “no way” for an answer, especially not from you, when you’re looking for your way. Find your way.

I'm on the younger end of the "baby boomer" generation of women who expect not only to be able to help bring home the bacon, but feel we're capable of starting a farm business, raising the pigs, and making and selling the bacon too, if we so desire.

Growing up in the rural country where women helped out with household and outside chores, I believe, gave me a great appreciation of life. I am inspired by what it means to have it and I am grateful for it, every minute of every day. And I believe, wholeheartedly, that as long as you have life, you have another chance to live your purpose while pursuing your dreams.

When we put our minds on a higher plane, we are able to see the whole picture, instead of simply peering thorough the “pinhole” that is our problems and concerns. A pinhole camera, also called a "dark chamber," is a something you can use to create an image. A small hole in the side of a closed box creates an image of something on the outside, that is reflected inside, on the side of the box opposite the pinhole.

Looking at our problems and worries sometimes, is like using a pinhole to see our lives—when our lives are so much more than the view that's possible through the pinhole. And that’s exactly what the Bible tells us in Luke 12: 31-32, where it is written, “ . . . and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Until we learn to "fear not," and to relinquish the cares and worries of the world, to focus on God’s priorities, we will not know the wondrous peace and contentment God offers.

Contentment comes when we accept and internalize that God is in control of what happens to us, as well as what happens to every living thing on earth. When we are able to grasp this concept, we come one step closer to realizing the potential of our purpose on earth, and of God’s promises to us. When we remember to take our cares to God in prayer, we no longer have to live in fear or dread of what will happen tomorrow.

Do your best to conquer fear when it tries to hold you back, to keep you from moving forward. Don't allow fear to direct your actions. Instead, listen to your inner spirit, to what God is telling you. Allowing fear to rule you will only set you up for more worry, fear and anxiety than you are equipped to handle.

Worry and anxiety, part of the smaller picture, are most often manifestations of fear. But when we learn to tune in to the bigger picture--to what God says is possible, there is peace to be found. When the world says we should fear, God says, “fear not.“ When the world gives us more and more things to worry about, God says, “take no care.” And when the cares of the world ignite anxiety within us, God says, “be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6). From this it is clear to me that what the world wants, and what living in the world ignites, is the polar opposite of what God wants and what prayer and spiritual living ignites.

No matter how dark today may seem, know that there's a brighter tomorrow. A lot of people are going through very tough financial times right now: Losing jobs, losing homes to foreclosure, and seeking and not finding viable employment opportunities. Many are asking if God cares because they are not able to see an end in sight to their pain and suffering.

But it only takes hearing and understanding the word of God to know that God cares. It is inspiring to take the time to take a closer look at some of the end results of suffering. When we do, not only can we understand why God allows it, we can also understand, and be inspired by, why we have to go through it. The Bible tells us in1 Peter 3:17-18:

“For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit . . . .”

Christ suffered and died on the cross for us. And not one of us is better than Christ. Therefore, if God allowed suffering for His only son, with goodness as the objective of it all, it should be easy for us to see suffering and trial as something God allows us all to go through, to bring forth something good.

When God tells us it is better that we suffer for well doing, than for evil doing, He is telling us it is better to suffer the hunger pains of poverty, than to suffer incarceration for stealing a loaf of bread. Although some parents might not like to hear that it’s better to buy their children a pair of no-name gym shoes at a discount store, than to sell drugs in order to get them a pair of Nikes of Adidas, it is true. God is never pleased with us choosing to do wrong to try to make something right. When we make the wrong choice, it means we're not trusting God for our every need. Instead, we’re deciding we're better prepared than God to take care of our needs. And that’s ridiculous.

This is not to say that any of us should ever desire to suffer. But suffering is a part of life, so it will come, whether we want it to or not. It does not wait to be invited to the party—it crashes the party.

The landscape of the economy has changed so drastically in the past several years that the job market is now unrecognizable to me. There is a lot of unemployment-related suffering going on in the country at this time, and for this reason, I'm glad to say that looking for a job is now one of many other things a lot of people see as an option for making a living. The gasping-for-air-while-barely-breathing job market is now unfamiliar territory for many. But, there's inspiration to be found in the upward reaching of the human spirit. Suffering through unemployment is causing a lot of people to have to become wiser and smarter about a lot of things, including looking for alternative ways to earn a living.

Any time something is set before you or me that feels like a mountain, instead of being bitter, feeling beat up, and/or blaming God and everyone else for the obstacles in front of us, we can choose instead to find the strength we need to climb. Or, we can seek the guidance we need to be led around the mountain. In other words, we can learn to live inspired to go on, no matter what comes against us.

Believe there is a brighter tomorrow. Hold on, and never lose control of your desire to find spiritual contentment and happiness.