
On Twitter, someone said they liked my profile that says: "You’re never too old to reach for the stars". They said it was inspiring. That got me thinking about what inspires us.
Inspiration comes in all different forms. And you can find it anywhere. You don’t have to spend lots of money, just keep your eyes and ears open.
It can come in a quiet moment of solitude or reflection, from something you overhear, something you read or observe, or in nature, like a beautiful sunset or terrifying storm. It may come to you like a bolt of lightning or slowly over a period of time.
"Reach for the stars" is my mojo that inspires me when I’m feeling down or doubting my ability.
It came to me in a dream. A day dream in fact.
This was my vision:
I was followng a wolf.
In some Native American cultures, the wolf symbolises the pathfinder. So I guess I was feeling quite lost at the time.
The wolf led me to a tipi. The wolf sat outside and I went in. Inside, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like a Big Top. Huge. At the centre, where the pole should have been, there was a tree that towered above me and went to the very top of the tent. But it was no ordinary tree. It had branches – but there were no leaves or flowers. Instead it was dotted with stars.
There was a very old indian reaching for one of the stars. There were stars on the lower branches that were easily within his reach. But he was stretching as far as he could to a star beyond his grasp.
I asked him why he didn’t pluck one of the lower stars from the tree. He told me it was important to reach high and challenge yourself.
He was very old and wore a long trailing headdress with many feathers.
To Native American people, the feather represents bravery, power, wisdom, honour and strength. A headdress was of great spiritual imporance. Each feather was earned by an act of bravery, by achieving something for the tribe or a personal achievement.
To have so many, this old Indian chief had basically done it all. Yet he was still reaching…
At the time I had given up my dream of becoming an author because of a painful condition called Repetitive Strain Injury. This is caused by repetitive actions. For me, as a journalist, it came from daily banging away on a keyboard and having my hand clutched around a pen/pencil, scribbling shorthand.
But that day time vision, inspired me to keep reaching for my dream - for the stars.
I never gave up.
Since retiring a year ago the pains in my hands and arms has eased somewhat, so I am once again pursuing my dream and have published my first novel.
So whatever your dream is, - aspire to be inspired….
Thanks for reading and don't forget to keep reaching for the stars.