Inspiration:

1 a : a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b : the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c : the act of influencing or suggesting opinions

Do you ever wonder where your inspirations come from?  Some people think it is given by a force great than what we can conceive of, some think it is our subconscious. Some find it in great celebrities or cultural icons of our time. Some find it in our parents or our children. Tonight, I will share with you, dear readers, some of the amazingly special people that touch my life, and inspire me.

One of my inspirations is my friend, C. Although she has only been in my life for a year, she is nothing short of a revelation. C. embodies the ideal of what I would hope to be, with her sense of bravery and chutzpah. She has seized the reins of her destiny, and made her biggest dreams materialize, in the form of her wonderful boutique. But what inspires me the most, is that she believes in me. I, of little and low self esteem, never quite see myself as others do- something that I think plagues us all at some point. Perhaps it sounds something narcissistic, but sometimes, knowing that someone truly has faith in you, in your hopes & dreams, allows those very dreams to become more of a reality than some unattainable folly. C. has allowed me to see that, and constantly encourages me to attain those many goals, and hone my talents. C. listens to my dreams with an open heart, and embraces even the ideas I cast off in my own fits of self- deprecation. She has conquered my heart, ten times over, and I am blessed to call her a friend.

Another person who touches my life every day is my wonderful boyfriend, J. I have praised him on here before, but how can one help but feel  deeply indebted to the person who makes them confront the reality of who they are. J. has sat with me with the darkest moments, rejoiced with me at all my triumphs, and never ceased to believe in who I am, and who I will be. But where does the inspiration come in, you might be asking. J. inspires me because he never accepts mediocrity from his life. He constantly seeks greatness, in all facets of his person. There were moments where I almost thought J. was almost too harsh on himself, always pushing his limits, always working, always trying to conquer every challenge set before him. These were the moments where I had yet to learn a very important lesson. J. has become the pillar of intelligence, integrity, and respect that he is because anything less was just not his reality. J. has mastered the use of the Law of Attraction. Some may call it the Secret, or just plain old optimisim- but for J., he has made his life this story of success and balance, because no other option could possibly be a reality for him. Naturally, such success and balance has been accompanied by years of hard work, dedication and study. But I strive every day to emulate him, to learn from his example. Trust me, it AINT easy. I have a long road ahead of me, and much success and joy to embrace and make my own.  With J. & his inspiration by my side, I have great hopes for what my life will become.

My last inspiration for this evening is a young woman who I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting, yet I feel like she is a intimate friend. Miss Julia Allison shares the moments of her life with the world, through photographs, stories, opinions, and other forms of media. In fact, it was her blog that inspired yours truly to divulge her ideas to the world. Miss Allison inspires me because of she embraces the woman that she is, and is not afraid ( well, maybe a little) to share that with millions of readers who peruse the internet every day. She is what I think all young women should strive to be: ambitious but humble, entrepreneurial but cautious, strong yet still vulnerable. She is wonderfully perfect in her imperfections, and resilient in the eyes of the opinionated. I am thankful for discovering her lifecast on Nonsociety.com during one of my fits of insomnia. She has truly touched me in an unexpected way, and I am extremely grateful for it.

I have many more people in my life who never cease to inspire me in special ways- but to document each one of their glories would turn this blog post into an epic of gratitude and love, and this Diva needs her rest. Tonight, look into your own lives, and seek out those who inspire you to be the best version of yourself, those who never allow you be less than you deserve to be, and those who inspire you to touch on dreams you never dared to.  These are my definitions of true Inspiration.