in·spire
inˈspī(ə)r/
verb
- 1.fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative."his passion for romantic literature inspired him to begin writing"
synonyms: stimulate, motivate, encourage, influence, rouse, move, stir, energize, galvanize, incite; More - 2.breathe in (air); inhale.
It can be argued that most people know what inspires them. In fact, many people acknowledge that they have "go to" things or activities they rely on when they need a creative spark.
Words . . . those already recorded on the pages of books and my own, written in journals . . . have always inspired me.

As a child, books created in me a desire to travel, to become a teacher, and to do a variety of things forgotten with time. More recently, recorded words have inspired me to attend conferences, long to journey Route 66 in a vintage red convertible, and endeavor to write a book. They have driven me to embark on a more healthy eating plan and to exercise 6 days a week, to visit Alaska, to search for hours for an affordable class B+ or class C camper in which I can travel throughout the United States.

I've found in the past few years another, new-to-me sources of inspiration. Although I'm a minimalist and have never had any issues with weight, televisions shows like Hoarders and My 600-pound Life motivate me. Those brief, 30-minute or so glimpses into a person's struggle to battle their own eating habits or their compulsion to collect stuff sparks in me a desire to accomplish something. Oh, not to exercise or lose weight or even to clean out a closet. But to do something with my life.
More morbidly, perhaps, is the motivation to accomplish something I receive from the obituaries in my local newspaper. My eye flies down the on-line page, honing in on the age of the recently-departed. If they are much older, my body relaxes with the subtle reassurance that a long life is often a reality. And I'm inspired to do something with those years ahead of me. When I see a number near my own age or even, tragically, lower -- even much lower, I'm gripped with an urgency to do something now.
Inspiration . . .