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Inside myself is a place where I live all alone - it is where I renew my springs that never dry up
Pearl Buck
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Annabel's Blog
What Are You Reading? I’ve always been inspired by books, by words, by people’s stories. I usually have about three or four books on the go at once. They are a combination of non-fiction (biographies, philosophical texts, health, wellness, anatomy, fitness and parenting books) and fiction (extreme mix of poetic prose, classics, award-winning literature and spy novels, thrillers and chick-lit). Some books are my escape. Some are my entertainment. Some inspire my creative soul. Some cause me to view life differently. All inspire me to think, to reason, to learn, to challenge myself, and often to grow and change. As part of inspiration month, I thought I’d share some of the books that are inspiring me at the moment. - Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber
When I was given this book as a gift I was nervous that it would be too theoretical, too steeped in medical jargon, or offer a path of living that is too difficult for the average person to follow. I have been surprised and inspired by each page. It is beautifully written. The author is a doctor whose cancer was discovered by accident in his very own lab. He shares profound insights on both his journey and on the way our society looks at cancer. It is engaging, eye-opening, easy to read, and there are practical and applicable tips for healthy living that we can incorporate into our daily lives. I obviously connect with his deeply rooted belief that exercise, yoga and meditation can help us in our attempts to remain healthy (preaching to the converted here!) but there are so many more tools that are offered in the book. There is even a 16-page Anticancer Action guide that you can remove from the book. You can also visit his website: http://www.anticancerways.com. I am inspired by this book to live well and make healthy choices – whether it be at the grocery store or in the maintenance of my emotional and physical being - and I would recommend it to anyone. - Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater
Judith Lasater has written numerous books on yoga, but my connection to this book was raw and powerful from the first page. Although Judith is a renowned yoga teacher and a talented writer she shows us, above all, that she is human. Her writing is accessible, she uses life situations that resonate, and she offers us ways that we can take our yoga off the mat and into our lives. In most of the yoga books that I have read (and there are a lot) I have found a disconnect between the concepts of self-actualization, the idea of peace and serenity that one can attain through yoga, and the application of yogic practices in the midst of the shitstorms that life can often throw at us. This book is the first book I have found that truly bridges the practice of yoga and the practice of daily living. As the book jacket says, “If you think that you have to escape to a cave in the Himalayas to find the enlightenment that yoga promises, think again…The result: a new yoga that beckons you to find the spiritual in everyday life.” Judith offers us philosophical insights, mantras, ideas to meditate on, and actions to put into practice. This book truly inspires me spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Whenever I pick it up I find new meaning, and am truly inspired to “live my yoga”. You can also see what else Judith has written at: http://www.judithlasater.com/ I love the feeling of getting caught up in a book, and these are just two of the books I have on the go right now. What books are inspiring you? |
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Tuesday, 16 March 2010 00:00 |
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Get Inspired! Since it's inspiration month here at ClearSpace, it's only appropriate that I introduce you to the Get Inspired Project. Toni Reece, the brains and creativity behind the project, is interviewing one person a day for 365 days on what inspires them and how they inspire others. If you're in need a pick-me-up or if you want to make a great day even more inspired, I encourage you to check out some of her interviews. Just as each person’s definition of a balanced life is intensely personal, so is each person’s definition of inspiration. I was honoured to be interviewed for the project in January, and you can hear my podcast and thoughts on inspiration here. One of the things I found challenging about the interview was being asked how I inspire others. I discovered that much of what inspires me is intricately linked to how I inspire other people. Have you ever thought about the way(s) in which you inspire others, or how you hope to inspire them? I think these are questions that everyone should take time to answer for themselves. And, please, let me know what you come up with! |
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Tuesday, 09 March 2010 00:00 |
Inspiration and its Many Forms The theme this month at ClearSpace is Inspiration. There are so many ways to look at it. What inspires our soul, our mind, our body? What inspires us to be the best person we can be? What inspires us to get out of bed in the morning, or what inspires us in our chosen career? In every aspect of our lives, there is room for inspiration if we want to invite it in. This week inspiration came to me through my three-year-old daughter. It was a week full of deadlines and plans, a week I had slated for the completion of certain projects. I was getting things done. I was flying through my to-do lists. I was on a roll. Then on Wednesday night, my daughter tripped and flew teeth first into the footstool of our rocking chair. The rest of the week went out the window. I didn’t care about deadlines or projects. I dropped everything and went straight into parental protection mode. Nothing mattered except my daughter’s health and safety. After a couple of hospital visits, and emergency dental surgery, my daughter came home with some bruising and swelling and with two teeth to offer up the tooth fairy. She was so brave throughout it all. She held my hand, she asked questions, she listened to the doctors and the dentists, and she was stoic as all get out as she had four needles inserted into her gums. She didn’t move a muscle or make a sound. Then, after the teeth had been extracted, the procedure finished, she sat in my arms in the dental chair and sobbed. Once she had let it all out, she picked up her stuffed elephant and we walked to meet my husband. The tears were gone, and all she cared about was the blue balloon we had bought for her. Kids are a great source of inspiration, and my daughter often reminds me to look at things with fresh eyes, to remember what it’s like to play, and how to embrace life fully. But this week, she inspired me to be more resilient. To live through tough situations one moment at a time, to be strong when I have to be, but know that it’s okay to cry as well. And finally, to pull myself together and get back in the game. Life is a dance of joy and sorrow, pain and comfort, challenge and ease. Everyday we encounter obstacles – big or small, mental or physical – and the world does not stop when these difficulties arise. Resilience is having the courage to pick ourselves up and step back into the flow of life. So, as I step back into things, I’m interested to hear who or what have you been inspired by recently? |
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Friday, 05 March 2010 16:32 |
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