I have a thing for upbeat self help books.

Sometimes they’re about organizing, sometimes about making my life cozier, or sometimes just how to see the good in every situation. I realize that not everyone likes or appreciates these sorts of books, but in a world where you can accidentally drop a piece of your dog’s poop into your purse (true story), I need a cheerleader. My personal cheer section comes in the form of these books.

One such book that I read in “The Lemonade Life” by Zack Friedman. And one section of the book that I found interesting/helpful focused on the Seven Wonders. Now, while the author did talk about the Seven Wonders of the World, what the author refers to in the book is YOUR personal seven wonders…

What are the things that inspire you?

I recently changed the name of my Sunday posts to “What Inspired me This Week”. I began to think about the things in my world that make me get out of bed in the morning, the things that make my heart race, the things that make my life worth living. It’s another form of gratitude to acknowledge that there are things in your life that make you happy…

I present you my Seven Wonders- the things that inspire me:

1. Art- street art, old masters, my daughters school work framed on my wall- doesn’t matter. I love to look at sculptures, paintings, installations…whatever. If it falls under the category of art I’m in
2. Music-All music inspires me- just depends on my mood. My playlist is eclectic….classical, jazz, hip hop, ROCK…if it has a beat of some sort, I’ll listen to it
3. Food– I love to try food that is different and new to me. If I go out to eat I try to find food that I’ve never eaten or can’t/won’t try at home
4. Flowers– can’t grow them but love to look at them. I could sit at the Botanic Garden and just look at the blooms
5. The Written Word– come on- you know I love to read. As evidenced from this post, I get inspired by what I read in books- all books. I have rarely found a book that doesn’t move me
6. Walking– I love to take walks- I love to stumble upon things I’ve never seen. I love to just move my legs, no real destination in mind. It’s about the journey
7. Planner– when I look at my planner I feel hopeful. I can look at yesterday and appreciate the memories of what I did. I can look at today and see the things that I did to move my life along, and I can look at tomorrow and tomorrow and see what life has in store for me. And also, that a blank page is a page filled with possibility…

What are the things that inspire you?

What makes you, YOU?