This year more than ever I’ve been leaning on the things that inspire me. I am a very self-motivated person and can happily work hours every day. However, every once in a while I need to dip into things that reset my perspective and give me a new look into life and my business. It’s when I surround myself with these things that I think of new projects, find my voice, and get excited by new dreams. They return me to my “why” and remind me of where I want my life to go.

These five things inspire me each and every day. I want to share them with you so you can get a deeper insight into my life, but also so that you can start to think about what inspires you. Make your own list and try to insert those things into your life as much as possible, and start to feel the inspiration flow through you.

These are the things that inspire me.

Mountains

Okay no one is surprised by this one so it’ll go first. I’ve lived in the Shenandoah Valley for four years, and seeing the mountains every day has been amazing. They’re absolutely beautiful in every type of light and season. I love how in the distance they’re blue in daylight, purple at sunset, and orange in autumn. When you get closer, they’re a rainbow of greens in summer, reds in fall, and grays in winter.

They promise adventure, exercise, solitude, fresh air, clear skies, and bright stars. When I need a day to myself, I go to Skyline Drive and drive for miles along the winding ridge. Each mile gives a different view. This is the nature that resets my lungs and technology-infested mind. I come home and am exhausted from the trip. I get a great night’s sleep and the next day I am energized like nothing else. They inspire me to reset and think of the big picture.

Stories

If you didn’t already know, I was an English major and currently own over 300 books. As far back as I can remember I’ve always been a reader and writer. My mom took me to the library each week as a kid and I carried home armfuls of books. I wrote short stories and started longer novels, but was always distracted by the appeal of a new ideas.

I love fiction, fantasy, mythology, and juvenile literature because they’re meant to make you feel and connect with others. How could I not love the thrill of turning page after page, getting attached to characters, and experiencing new worlds? Late high school and early college I thought I didn’t have time to read for fun, but when I picked it up again I realized how much I needed it.

Stories give me such amazing inspiration. They inspire the urge in me to travel, to wonder, to question, and to explore. They make me think about relationships, hardships, and perspectives other than my own. After finishing a book, I expand my own worldview and the way I see my life, my business, and photos. It’s amazing.

Education

Education has always been my world. I’ll always be a life-long learner. I love to learn how to make my life and my business better in every way I can. With each new voice I hear or read, I can add that perspective and apply their teachings. If I feel stuck or don’t know what to do next, I turn to the educators in my field and get ideas.

I read books on marketing, business, communication, efficiency, and more. This year I decided to read one of these books each month. In December I’ll do a roundup of what I read, what I learned, and how I applied it to my business and life.

I am also an avid listener to podcasts. Every week I listen to The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher, The Heart & Hustle Podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy by Amy Porterfield, and more. I admire these businesses and appreciate the insights in their episodes and their interviews with people of new perspectives. I learn so much from them every week.

Flowers

This one is relatively new to me. Since becoming a wedding photographer, I’ve started appreciating the beauty and potential of flowers. I see more of their details, how they compliment and soften things around them, and how they can completely change an atmosphere.

Now I walk through my neighborhood just so I can see the gardens and flowers planted along the street. I stare at wildflowers whenever I see them, and wish I could take armfuls of blooms home from my farmer’s market. If I could budget a vase of flowers to be on my desk at all times, I would. When I’m not on a college budget, you bet I will. I dream of having an office window with a garden view that will put color into my perspective. As a result, they inspire me to see beauty and softness and color.

Post-It Notes

No, the actual Post-it notes don’t inspire me, it’s what I do with them.

My desk is in the corner of my room, and in front of it is a built-in bookcase. The lowest shelf is at eye level when I sit down and gives me easy access to my school supplies on my left and my planners and notebooks to my right. I left the space directly in front of me empty so that I can see the wall.

I’ve covered that space with neon sticky notes so I can see them whenever I sit down at my desk (which these days is most of the time). Each note has a purpose and reminds me of something every time I look at it. They each inspire me in a different way. Here are a few:

– I have one sticky note for each couple that has booked me for their upcoming wedding. These remind me that couples trust me to capture such important memories and they value me and my business. I work every day to give these couples the best experience I can

– “Live somewhere new for a month every year.” This sticky note reminds me that I want to live a life of adventure and travel. I really do want to live in a different country for a month out of every year. The three weeks I lived in London was one of the best experiences of my life. I got into the rhythm of the city and started to truly understand their way of life

– “Assume the kids you teach will only have your class to learn about English. It’s their only English class – ever. What do you need to teach them so they will love English? Assume you only have 3 kids to teach, and assume that at the end of the year, you will die. What would you teach them in that year?” This is a quote from one of the hundreds of articles and books I’ve read in my college path to becoming a high school English teacher. Although I may not in the end be a teacher in the traditional sense, I still take this message to heart. How can I make the education or experience I give now have lasting impact? What is the most important thing I can do for each person that will leave them with a love for photography, education, or whatever I’m teaching them about?

– “The way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives.” This is a powerful quote that reminds me that I need to insert adventure, travel, education, love, and happiness into every day. I can’t say, “When I’m rich I’ll travel” or “When I have time I’ll go on a hike” because I may feel that I’m never rich enough or have enough free time. It’s a classic human trait that we feel like we have to wait for something to happen before we can live the life we want to have. I refuse to wait.

These and many more are the daily reminders I give myself that push me to constantly evaluate what I want out of life and what I can do TODAY that will get me there. I am a highly motivated person because I have put these reminders literally in front of my face so much. I really think that if I didn’t make time to drive through mountains or write out my goals, I would just float through life without a strong grasp of my purpose.

Thank you for reading this far. It meant a lot to me to write all this out in such a personal way. If you’d like to talk about any of this or motivation or inspiration, please contact me and I would love to start a conversation. This topic is fascinating, and I’d love to know if it interests anyone else. Until then, you can check out my other personal posts here!