Find Your Muse

Lately I’ve been listening to Lisa Nichols, a powerful speaker and transformational leader who keeps me pumped up to live my best life, but I’m also obsessed by organization, both at work and home. My go to is Nikki Boyd (At Work with Nikki and At Home with Nikki). Yes, I too love labeling containers in my pantry and fridge – it gives me a sense of order and accomplishment.

I also color code the clothes in my closet, just like we do in our Goodwill stores. The rainbow of colors is a story of order and diversity. The palette is joyous and just like my varied choices of literary genres and authors – every different hue brings something beautiful and marvelous to the hunt for treasures.

I bet you have a lot of things that you like to do that keep you motivated and engaged. Sometimes, it’s a hobby that allows you to lose yourself (and your worries) for an hour or two.

For me the trick has always been reading. I have always been an avid reader. At the age of 5, I ferociously devoured 7 board books a week!

That was the limit of the books that you could check out at my small community library. My mother took me to the library every week. I would get the same seven books week after week. At first I just marveled at the pictures peeking over my mother’s lap as she held the books while reading them to me. Then, with practice I began sounding out the words.

While other children my age were just learning their alphabet, I was reading complete sentences. Once I started school I jumped ahead to the 2nd grader books, my favorite book was The Frog and The Toad, a series of books of these two best friends, one a frog and the other a toad. The first of the series, was written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel in 1970. I loved the relationship that the frog and toad had. Sometimes they were happy, sometimes sad, sometimes content and sometimes curious, but always friends. They weren’t afraid to be themselves around each other. It taught me the benefit of building relationships that go beyond the surface-acquaintance level.