Anyone seen my muse?

We are bombarded on a daily basis by advertisers, marketers, politicians and people wanting to get our attention. For better or for worse, sometimes it feels like we're surrounded by a bunch of needy toddlers who are on the brink of a meltdown! If you're like me and you're sensitive then sometimes it's easier just to switch on 'auto pilot' and go through life becoming completely desensitized; because if we truly took at everything and responded accordingly, we'd be completely broke and utterly exhausted.  However, the catch of becoming desensitized is that we stop listening to ourselves and our reactions to our surroundings. My mum always says, 'make sure you water the things that you want to grow'. But how are you supposed to know what you want to grow if you're not present? I've always tried to remain conscious of the things and relationships in my life that make me feel positive and renewed, but sometimes I find myself completely detached and going through life with an idea of what I think works for me, rather than paying attention to who I'm becoming.  We have to discover a way to take a moment, turn off auto pilot, take note and feed what brings us joy.  Like most things it's a habit that really starts with being aware of your responses to things through out the day.  I personally think it's always good to stretch yourself and challenge what you thought you knew to be true. We need to ask ourselves, "does this same idea still float my boat?".  It can be a myriad of things but to celebrate the colours, objects, sounds, people, places or faces around you that leave you feeling uplifted and excited, is in my opinion directly proportionate to how excited you feel about your life. You may surprise yourself with what you discover you respond to and once we know what makes us respond positively, we can access this stimuli whenever we need that extra little boost.   .

Here's a few things that inspire me and ways that I continue to challenge myself to keep the thirst for my own life.

I love to go hikes with my puppy or take her to the beach. There's nothing like watching her be completely carefree and have the time of her life. It's completely infectious and before I know it I'm running and laughing with her like there isn't a care in the world.

My orchids are another fascinating pleasure. There's something new everyday and it amazes me how they're always growing and changing. 

I love spending time at the local flea markets and lately I've been collecting old jars from the 1800's.  They make great vases and can instantly transform any table setting.

Farmers market meals!  There's nothing like picking out produce from your local farmers market and then creating a wonderfully colourful meal out of your finds. If you've got the time, why not make a day out of it. It's both creatively and nutritionally rewarding and great on the pocket book!

This is probably one of my favorite pieces of art. It's done by my boyfriends mom and believe it or not is on the back of a grocery bag!  The beautiful pensiveness spontaneously captured here combined with the sheer talent of her work, inspires me every time I see it.

Travel. Sometimes I can't get as far away as I would like but need that quick jaunt to rejuvenate me. In that case it's all about day trips and for me preferably somewhere in nature. Natural beauty is so awe inspiring and being reminded of how we all play a part in something much larger, manages to put things into perspective!

Some mornings I sit with my fresh cup of tea and flip through blogs and/or old magazines and pull out things that I like. After a while I'm left with pages and pages of things that have invoked some kind of inspiration. It's like created my own magazine of things that I love.

If I have the time and get extra creative, I'll put it all together so that I'm left with something that's pure eye candy. Anytime I need a little boost, there are a plethora of things on this cork board that can bring me joy and remind me of how beautiful life can be!