Lost: My inspiration

I haven't been feeling very inspired lately.  I sit down to write and nothing comes to me.  When something does come to me I can't find the words.  Writing isn't the only thing I don't feel inspired to do.  I haven't felt inspired to do much of anything.  I made it through Christmas without baking one cookie, without sending one Christmas card, without even putting out the Christmas hand towels.  My Zia so kindly pointed out that I used to do a lot of stuff that I no longer feel inspired to do. Why have I lost interest even in the things that used to bring me joy?

Where did my inspiration go?  More importantly, how do I get it back?

I suppose the first thing we should examine are the things that zap us of inspiration:

1) fatigue
2) stress
3) illness
4) mental exhaustion
5) poor diet
6) cold, wet weather

I'm sure there are many others but those are the ones that come to mind right now. Well, I can see what's zapping my inspiration.  How about you?  Now, let's examine some ways that we can get back the inspiration to do the things we love to do.

LIKE INCREASES LIKE, OPPOSITES CURE

So what's the opposite?

1) fatigue?   Get more rest

2) stress?    Do more yoga/meditation...Slow, conscious breathing

3) illness?    Take care of ourselves... i.e.  rest, eating properly, exercising

4) mental exhaustion?  all of the above with an emphasis on meditation

5) poor diet?  Putting down the cupcakes and cosmopolitans is a good start

6) cold, wet weather?  Well, there isn't much we can do about the weather but we can adjust our

    practice and our diet to balance out the cold and wet feeling. Eating soups and try 12 sun salutations for
   generating some heat in the body.

That was pretty simply. So why aren't I doing them? I don't know.   I know what I need to do but I don't always do it.  Why? I don't know.  I allow myself to get stuck in non-action.  I find myself daydreaming not about yoga but about crawling into my bed with the covers over my head and staying there still spring!!

When 5:30am rolls around and it's cold and dark.......the prospect of rolling out the mat doesn't seem so appealing.  I know I'll feel better once I practice but I'm not gonna lie..... It's hard to get out of bed. 

When it's raining and cold outside.......the prospect of going to a yoga class doesn't seem so appealing.  I know I'll feel better once I practice but I'm not gonna lie.....It's hard to get out the door. 

When it's warm under the covers on sofa..... the prospect of getting up to make a healthy meal doesn't seem so appealing.  I know I'll feel better after a healthy meal instead of junk food but I'm not gonna lie..... It's hard to get off the sofa.

At times like this, I would suggest that we do not entertain the board of directors in our mind.  They are debating about the pros and cons of sitting on the sofa under a blanket verses the pros and cons of getting to yoga class.   Don't go on debating....Don't think..... just act!!! You know you'll feel better after yoga.

Believe me,  I can think of a million reasons why it's better to stay in bed all day but instead...... I'm going to jump out of bed before my mind begins convincing me that I need to sleep a little longer.  I'm going to roll out my mat quickly before my mind convinces me that I don't feel good and I need to go back to bed. 

Once I'm there I know I'll feel better.  I know what I need to do.  Now I just have to do it!!  There's no harm in not baking cookies or sending out Christmas cards.  There's certainly no harm in not putting out the reindeer hand towels.  But not practicing does cause harm.....It zaps away my inspiration to do the things that I love.