Listening to quiet inspiration

“None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think that whisper Emerson is referring to is inspiration, and what inspiration can do is refocus us. Inspiration can come from anywhere, as long as we are willing to pay attention to it. Recently, I’ve been trying to make more of a conscious effort to slow down, which has really helped me to refocus on what I’m trying to do with my life.

My commute is a great example of how I make my life too busy and block out that gentle whisper of inspiration. In the past I spent my commute trying to make every minute “productive,” listening to various podcasts or skimming through books I would never remember, but lately I’ve been trying to just sit tight and take in my surroundings. So, the other day on my commute I was zoning out and blankly looking out on the city and all the huge apartment complexes.

Those big apartment complexes have always fascinated me for some reason. I think it’s because it reminds me of how big the world is, seeing all those dimly lit windows with people I’ll never meet. The strangest part is that every person in every one of those windows has an incredible story and is fighting a great battle. It really reminded me of the importance of every single person.

Yesterday I saw an old friend from high school that I hadn’t seen in probably five years or so. We’re both pretty easy going, so we re-connected quickly and smoothly, as we reminisced on old times and shared our lives for the past few years. It felt great to remember the past and how lucky I was to grow up with such great friends.

It also made me excited for all there is to still discover in the world, and to realize I still had so many more great friends to make. All those unknown rooms in those huge apartments, filled with perspectives I would have never even imagined and conversations yet to happen. All that from a morning commute!

from ken

Are you trying to change your life? I'd love to hear about it! ken.e.noguchi@gmail.com

photo by williamcho