It is often thought that inspiration only comes when something goes wrong. Well yes, the coldest and perhaps darkest hour is always before dawn. But noon is often the most productive part of the day.
When things fall into disarray, when the unexpected ensues (amusing notion in itself for all futures are unknown, it is the occurrences that are unwanted rather than unforeseen that we fluster around chaotically), it isn’t really true inspiration that revels. It is hope, the power of choice, the will to live, which is recognized and celebrated. Seeking the light through the darkness is not necessarily inspired, it may merely be survival.
So what then is true inspiration? It is a U2 concert, where rock band activists are not ashamed to ‘entertain’ with soul, with purpose and with humanity. It is the appearance of a smiling, endearing, youthful old man and the gentle almost playfully innocent way he speaks to a nation. It is identifying with our moral voice that will not be silenced despite our silence, the Arch (Archbishop Desmond Tutu). It is the memories whence forth we came, when looking at a picture of Nelson Mandela - and discarding rather than ignoring the faults of a man and gravy trains he may have wrought - but recalling rather the greater sum of his parts, so that his iconic semblance is not of a man, but of a nation united.
Looking at the history of our world, not all great men are good men, the attribute they all shared was the ability to inspire. Not all were the best orators, but those with passion, fervor, purpose and belief are those who lead best – and not all followers need be sheep, when shown a path we are all artists with the power to canvas easels, create more, inspire farther.
To soar on the touch of true inspiration is not to be blinded by light from the dark…it is magical. It is a springboard for creativity. It is the way history does not repeat itself but progresses.
Thought for the day – it should be on everyone’s bucket list, on all new year’s resolutions, not to be truly inspired, for true inspiration finds us every day,…but to ACT on it.
