Inspiration

I happen to live in what I believe is one of the coolest places on earth, just outside New Orleans, Louisiana.  This city has so much.  The culture is unique, the music is amazing, the food wonderful, the weather just right for me, and the majority of the people are great.

We had a local businessman add another ingredient to the mix this weekend.  It was the second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival, and this businessman paid a skywriter to paint the sky with inspirational messages and drawings.

Words like "Love" "Peace" "Transform" "4give" and this one "Is Time Elbert!" which I have no clue what it means painted in the sky.  There were also hearts and peace signs and smiley faces.  The benefactor felt like we all needed to be reminded that there are good things in the world, so he paid for this skywriting to last from April 29 until May 4.

I was lucky to see many of his creations, but usually didn't have a camera handy, so didn't get a lot of pictures.  Here's where the inspiration part hit me.

I spend most of my life busy.  When I'm outside, I'm usually working on something, or exercising.  When you are busy putting one foot in front of the other trying to achieve a goal, you lose the opportunity to look up and see the inspiration the world has to offer.

I'm not advocating doing nothing but looking at the sky all day, but sometimes, it is the right thing to do to stop, look up and appreciate the world.  Focus on blue skies, and clouds, and trees, and flowers and birds.  It is an amazing and beautiful world.  Don't get so busy making a life that you forget to take the time to live.  Look up.  Find inspiration.  Share love and positive messages.

We all end up living in the world we notice.  If we focus on the negative, that is the world we live in.  If we focus on the good and the positive, that is the world we live in.  Every life is filled with challenges.  Sometimes there is so much hard stuff to get through the temptation is to put your head down and keep plowing through.  Try to look up.  You may see something that gives you the strength and hope to keep on going.