Inspiration

Inspire defined:

inspire
— vb
1.	to exert a stimulating or beneficial effect upon (a person);
2.	( tr; foll by  with or  to; may take an infinitive ) to arouse(with a particular emotion or to a particular action); stir
3.	( tr ) to prompt or instigate; give rise to: her beauty inspired his love
4.	archaic  ( tr )
	a. to breathe into or upon
	b. to breathe life into I am really inspired by servants. It stirs something in me, when I see a human helping another human and it gains them nothing. It prompts me, instigates me to serve as well. I want to help make someone's life better, or at least, make them smile. I spent two months in Africa, and that time changed something inside of me (pretty deep inside), some days were just spent cleaning the "baby house" at the orphanage we stayed at (it was a difficult job!), while other days were spent building a house and providing food for those that were without. Service can make us grateful for what we do have, realize what we might not need, and create a love for humanity in our hearts. There are some people that serve above and beyond the norm, beyond what is was required of them. These people fuel me, they give me hope, and they give me something that is incredibly important. Inspiration. People that inspire me: 1. Jesus - The ultimate servant.  2. Mother Teresa - lived her entire life to serve the poorest of poor.  3. My husband - generously living to provide care and safety for his own family, and many around the world. There are also some places that cause me to think. They make me wonder what else I'm missing out on in this huge world. They cause me to want to move, to travel, to explore. Places that inspire me: 1. Dondo, Mozambique - the people there opened their homes to us, fed us and gave us the best of everything they had, even though we were strangers. 2. NYC - I met wonderful people there, one of them a blind man who taught me many things. That city is full of beautiful stories and opportunities. Go to the subway and just help a woman carry her stroller down the steep steps, I bet you'll meet an incredible lady with an incredible story. 3. Nature, anywhere - shows me how much I'm loved, and stirs me to love greater. Lastly, there are things that give me fuel, that allow me to create, and dream. These are some of my favorite items, things I might not be able to live without. Things that inspire me: 1. Food - Audrey Hepburn said: "to stay thin, share your meals with the hungry", I have learned that chocolate chip cookies can bring comfort when words cannot, feeding the homeless will always satisfy you, and making a special meal for someone you love is rewarding. 2. Yarn - mainly, knitting. A warm scarf or hat gives a constant hug to those I love, even when I'm not around. 3. Ballet - It's my art-form, and it is lovely, I'm hoping to audition for a program that will allow me to travel and provide therapy through dance to those in high-risk situations. What inspires you?  P.S. I originally wrote this as a guest post on Ariel's blog. But I liked it so much, I wanted to share it with you.