I just finished a date with improvisation while putting my daughter to bed. I got out my cello and began a story not knowing what characters would show up or how it would turn out. Yes, it was a little goofy and inconsistent (a princess with ponies and race cars), but came out way better than I could have imagined. After turning out the lights I meditated for a few minutes (she always asks me to). The inspiration to write this came to me as the question, “What does an inspired life look like?”
For many years I longed for a comfortable life, not an inspired one. An inspired life is an energetic life. It is a committed life. If inspiration comes to you and you want to engage, it will demand a great energetic output from you to follow through. Just keeping yourself juiced and in the flow takes a great deal of discipline and determination, especially when life tries to get you down.
As I’m writing this I feel the upward flow of energy which tells me that I’m on the right track, that behind these words is a message trying to come through. It is 9:30 at night and I will probably have a difficult time getting to sleep, but I want my life to be inspired. I’m willing to deal with the inconvenience of a little less sleep. This rising wave of energy is simply the most enjoyable experience. It’s being in the zone, where everything locks into place. It’s a deep joy which goes way beyond just being happy.
What kind of energy are we talking about? Not the kind that comes from an adrenaline rush or only the force of will. As I am sitting here my pulse is around 60 beats per minute and my breathing is very light and calm, yet I feel a great inward flow of energy. It can be overwhelming at first, but once you get used to it you quickly get hooked. You begin to enjoy the power flowing through your whole being without the worry of being exhausted afterward.
In my Four Accords process I introduce The Lift – catching the rising wave of energy. This step is all about engaging in upward activities and attitudes that move energy in the right direction. For me, exercise, meditation and service are a few that “prime the pump,” aligning me in an upward flow so that it becomes easy to catch the wave of inspiration when it does come.
Being a musician has helped a great deal. In accompanying others on my cello I’ve learned how to tune in and go with the flow of what is trying to happen. The energy of inspiration is self-revealing, guiding the next step. I don’t hear voices, but I do get the essence and feeling of what I should convey through my music, my words and my countenance.
An inspired life is not for the timid. It’s not for those who follow whims without direction. Inspiration may not show the entire road map or give us all the answers and outward security we hope for, but it gives us vision. It gives us energy. It expands us to become something greater than we dreamed we could ever be.
You have what it takes. You know you want it. It’s time for your energy to RISE.