Throughout the eighteen young years of my life, I have learned that inspiration is not so much a destination as it is a transformation. If you were to ask each person on earth what their definition of inspiration is, more likely than not, each answer would come out somewhat the same. However, if you were to also ask where that inspiration comes from, each answer would be so diversely different that you would begin to question the sanity of the entire human race. My theory for this rational, yet totally radical reality is simply this: inspiration is a state of mind. The word ‘inspiration’ comes from the Latin root word ‘in-spirare,’ which means ‘to breath.’ So, life itself is inspiring! Everything we do is inspired by something, whether we realize or not.
The largest part of the human brain is the Cerebrum, which contains a section of lobes called the ‘Frontal lobes’, otherwise known as the ‘Prefrontal Cortex’. This section of the brain controls ours behavior, morals, actions and emotions, however it all starts with a simple choice. We have the choice to be happy or sad, surprised or disappointed, which means we also have the choice to be inspired. What inspires me is different than what inspires you, thus, inspiration truly is a state of mind. Which leads me to conclude that inspiration is this delicate forte that holds the power of our soul, only to reveal who we truly are.
Who am I? My two blue eyes have experienced inspiration all around. I have explored the Caribbean floor and the unruly mountains of Puerto Rico, while there I would fall asleep to the singing coqui’s and waking up to the chanting roosters; they were always in tune and always on time, never skipping a beat. I have bustled my way through the thrilling, busy streets of New York, and I did so just as passionately as the Yankees. During the chaos, I ventured on my first cab ride and stood star struck on Broadway. My feet have traveled through the subways of D.C, the sidewalks of Chicago, the stadiums in Indianapolis, the back roads of Tennessee, the swamps of Louisiana, the beaches of Florida, the majestic waters of Niagara Falls, and the inspiration of my ever wandering heart.
As I am writing this, I am currently spinning thousands of miles per hour on this tiny planet called Earth, in a tiny galaxy called the Milky Way that is located in a huge universe, only to breath in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, again only to breath, to be inspired. Never once have I told my eyes to blink or my heart to beat, it just happens, inspiringly. So, I guess what I am getting at is that I don’t need to travel to be inspired; inspiration is simply all around. Something I have learned is that optimism never reaches its purpose, but it only journeys on to see what is next. Although I find that escaping is necessary for the soul to remain sane, I find that traveling is invigorating and the excitement produced from it always brings me hope for my next big adventure, however sometimes it is nice to take a deep breath, and be inspired by simply living.
About the author:My name is Nancy Mitchell and I am eighteen years young and I am just as optimistic as I am determined. I have dreams bigger than my heart and ambitions bigger than reality. When I grow up, I aspire to be happy, making others smile along the way!
Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.
Please comment below and enjoy these related articles
Keep dreaming and writing Nancy. enjoyed your piece very much.