I love love love to be inspired.  I think as a result I am constantly looking for inspiration.  Here are some of the things that have been inspiring me lately…

Dalai Lama

I have loved the Dalai Lama and been very curious about him and Tibet’s plight ever since seeing Seven Years In Tibet, which you all need to go out and rent this weekend if you haven’t seen.  The other day Facebook suggested that I like him and I was like, “Why, yes I do.”  He puts out thoughts and statements a few times a week and one of the first ones I saw was this…

“All the world’s major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness can and do promote inner values. But the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate. This is why I am increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion altogether.”

Now I am not going to say that I agree with this statement completely and I surely don’t want to ruffle any tail feathers, but I do want to say this.  This is a very brave statement, coming from someone who is a monk, ie. very devout worshiper of his own religion.  I like his point of view that we all have to work together to figure out answers for this world instead of standing up on our individual mountains and yelling, “My way is the best!”  That point of view is obviously getting us nowhere.  I am very inspired by his bravery and his diplomacy.

I think that anyone that has been reading our little blog for any period of time knows that we love the idea of magic.  This lovely book is quite successful at making me feel like it really exists.  A wonderful story with beautiful imagery that is sure to inspire anyone.

The Lumineers

Based on my Facebook feed and the little Spotify notifications, I know that I am not the only one being inspired by this band.  It has been awhile  since an album has come out that I really wanted to listen to the whole way through every time.  Many people have probably heard “Ho Hey” but I also suggest taking a listen to “The Big Parade.”

Photography

Never in my life have I been so inspired by the ability of a truly talented photographer to capture something special and honest in a person’s face, an object, or a scene as I am at this point in my life.  It is easy to understand how magical it is once you start trying to take pictures yourself.

Fall

Image credits  1  2  3  4  5

You actually thought we would get through a post without talking about Fall again?  Hah!  The change in the weather lately has been blowing me away along with the beauty of the leaves on the trees and the crunchy sound they make when I walk through my yard.  Yay Fall!

Happy Friday ya’ll!

What has been inspiring you lately?