The Gift of Inspiration

Some time ago, I was walking down the main street of Fremantle on a Friday after work, when I noticed a discarded McDonald's drink container that was lying in the middle of a heavily populated walkway. Eager to catch the bus that was soon to arrive, I swiftly approached the foam item, scooped it up and placed it into the trash receptacle which was located nearby. Very soon after I left the area in which the receptacle was located, I felt an eager, but gentle tap on my right shoulder. When I turned around to see who it was that was trying to grab my attention, I saw a young man in his late teens with dreadlocks, who I had earlier noticed talking to a group of people.

Before, I could inquire as to his motives for seeking my attention, he opened the dialogue with the words "Nice work buddy! I saw what you just did and I like your style". With this, he enthusiastically patted my back, so as to physically display and reaffirm the substance of his verbal message. Taken by surprise at his forward response to my small act of cleanliness, I quietly responded, "Thank you. You have yourself a great weekend okay." "Sure thing. And you." were the words with which my new friend ended the conversation. It was at this moment that we acknowledged each other with the wave of a hand, and we each went on our separate ways.

As I walked briskly towards the bus stop which was now just meters away, I found my attention shift and a calm enveloped me as I reflected on the nature of the interaction that had just passed. No longer was I consumed by my eagerness to make it to the bus stop on time, for something more peaceful had taken its place. As I contemplated his words of kind admiration, I couldn't help but feel inspired by my exchange with him.

As I stood there, waiting for the bus that had yet to come, I made the decision to let his gift of inspiration touch me once more. With this, I used my spare moments to scour the area for other discarded items which would be better housed in a trash container, and as I did what I felt was my duty to do, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the solidarity which the young man had engendered in me. In this sense, I was not alone. What his gratitude made me want to do was set a further and better example for others. If he had noticed what I had done by my simple act, then hopefully others would be receptive in the same way and follow my example if I continued to repeat the action. With this, I had all the incentive that I will ever need to continue to clean up when the opportunity presents itself. By showing him a way, my friend had showed me the way that inspiration feeds off itself to become an all powerful force in the physical world.

When the bus arrived, I sank comfortably in my seat, content in the knowledge of what had just transpired. What I had received was a lesson in how inspiration leads and moves us to grow in beautiful and profound ways. I also learned that it doesn't take much in the way of physical effort, to give and receive the gift of inspiration. By the simple act of picking up an item of rubbish, I had inspired someone who, by his words and actions, had touched and inspired me in return.

What is given in the name of spirit should never be kept to oneself, but shared with others who can benefit from its bestowal. Like the fragrance of the rose which lingers on the hand of the one who presents it to another, inspiration is the gift that continues to give because by its very nature it grows in power as it is given. We have all experienced moments when someone has lived from their heart and the example that they have set touches us for a lifetime.www.willpawa.blogspot.com