I love talking about inspiration. To me, there is nothing like that feeling. Any action that flows from a place of inspiration is easy even when it might look impossible. It is fun and joyful even when it may involve profound applications or impact. It contains all the creativity and courage that you could ever desire and just enough to keep you invested.
Inspiration is a beautiful thing. How do you access you inspiration? Tough question? Well, one thing I know for sure, you can’t think it up. I’ve tried. You can’t force it. Inspiration has a life of its own.
So far, I have discovered a few key elements in the process. For me, it involves listening – not to others, but to myself. My feelings, my heart, my intuition. I locate it quicker when I remain open and let go of trying to mastermind the details ~ not always easy. And speaking of quick – patience really helps in the process.
And finally, developing a profound respect for your inspiration is paramount. How do we show respect for our inspiration? We follow it. We act on it. One little step at a time. The more we do this, the more it shows up.
Inspiration and Integrity
Connecting to our personal inspiration is one of the most powerful ways to maintain integrity.
Think about it.
Inspiration has the side effects of excitement, curiosity, high energy, and focus. It is designed to give us what we need in order to follow the path of our own heart. When it is at its heights, it is a serious contender for the voice of our egos that is hell bent in keeping us small and “safe” – in the discomfort of our comfort zone.
Acting from a place of inspiration – waiting to act until inspiration hits – is like tuning in to your internal compass. You start to learn that when there is no juice inside for you to pursue an opportunity, it might mean that it’s not worth the pursuit.
Alternatively, even in the face of insurmountable obstacles, when the juice is there, you will keep moving – no matter what. And you will get really creative within the parameters of your own integrity.
I suppose that is the trick. There’s that pesky ego again. It gets smarter and smarter as we get more inspired – more focused. It could try to convince us that any means is fine as long as we reach our intended outcome. If we follow that train – and most of us do at various times in our lives – our inspiration dies. Our hearts know when we have sold out. And, there is the opportunity to open again to inspiration and realignment.
How beautifully we are designed. There is always another chance.
The Many Faces of Inspiration
Inspiration is always available to us – from the mundane to the profound. It is sacred in its presence.
Things change. We change. And our inspiration keeps pace with us. It can sometimes feel like we’ve lost it because it is evolving and we may not recognize it or ourselves for a period of time. At times, we may feel afraid – we don’t want to “lose” a sense of inspiration for something that we have been focused on for a long time. That feels foreign and scary and we may not want to face the unknown.
This is the gift. When we have gone as far as we can with one aspect of our inspired intention, it will shift us in a direction that holds more appeal – more energy. Nothing is lost. If you look closely, you will almost always find the core – the original intention that remains.
When we have explored something to its depths, it is time to embark on a new adventure. New ideas will come. The heart will yearn for something novel to pursue. Go with it. Trust it.
The Creativity of Inspiration
Today, I want to introduce my first guest on Serving Consciously – a new radio show with Contact Talk Radio Network. Some of you will be very familiar with this amazing woman.
Deona Hooper is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Social Work Helper Magazine. – a rich, dynamic online resource for social workers and all helping professionals.
Deona created this platform from a place of inspiration and has continued to access her inspired intention to grow and develop the publication to international levels.
Introducing – Deona Hooper of SocialWorkHelper.com
I am beyond ecstatic to be in partnership with Deona Hooper as we work together to share information, open the discussion, and celebrate the work of helping professionals everywhere.
Deona Hooper is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Social Work Helper – an online publication reaching more than 250,000 helping professionals around the world. Talk about inspiration!
With a background in non-profit communications, technology and social media consulting, Deona has blended this expertise with her education and experience in management and community practice to create a valuable resource for helping professionals and the people they serve.
Deona holds a Masters in Social Work degree and a Certificate in Non-profit Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
And she is a living example of what can be created from a place of inspired intention.
What is SocialWorkHelper.com?
If you are a helping professional involved in any aspect of service to other human beings, socialworkhelper.com has something for you!
From resources to research – from inspiration to education – from self-care to service, the possibilities are endless.
Deona Hooper has created a place for helping professionals to connect – for current social challenges to be addressed – and for celebration of the contributions that are being made to the field by experts all over the world.
Visit swhelper.org and explore some of the resources for yourself!
What is on the Horizon?
Deona’s most recent project has involved the development of the Social Work Helper app. The app is a rich resource linking people with services and supports with a special emphasis on crisis intervention.
Individuals, families and professionals alike, who require quick and efficient access to community resources in their own area, can use the Social Work Helper app.
“Whether it’s a natural disaster or a family emergency, people need to know how to locate food banks, senior services, domestic violence shelters, crisis helplines, support groups, affordable daycare, low cost prescriptions, mental health treatment and more when a crisis happens in their lives.” Deona Hooper, MSW, Founder and Editor and Chief of Social Work Helper, explained why the app was created.
“No one is exempt from experiencing a crisis in their lives, and when it happens, you don’t need the added anxiety of figuring out where to begin your search for information,” she said. “A huge part of my job as social worker was to connect people to information and resources, and I hope this app will make it easier for individuals and helping professionals to find resources faster using mobile technology. The idea behind this app is to give everyone the ability to be a social work helper. ”
The app is available for download at Google play store or the iTunes App Store by simply searching with the keywords “Social Work Helper”.
The social fabric of our communities is in a state of constant evolution. Keeping up with new programs, new funding developments, and new approaches can be a full-time job for helping professionals. Deona’s inspired creations and offerings make this part of your work easier freeing you up to get to the heart of the matter. People. And to engage in the service that you came here to provide from a place of personally Inspired Intention.
I know that Deona is inspired to expand on what she has already created in order to be of service to more people. And I can hardly wait to hear more about these exciting plans.
Listen to our conversion below:
