A Round-Up of Things I’ve Found Very Inspiring Lately

Oh man, the world is such a beautiful place. And there’s something about being out in it that has given me so much room for finding and listening to things that inspire me. Things like a beautiful novel called Theo of Golden, a podcast about noticing the world, a moving Radiolab story, and even watching birds take flight on the pier.

My Sunrise Inspiration Challenge

I’ve been working on a little challenge lately—to get out into the world before sunrise each morning as part of my sunrise challenge.

As I walk through the pinks and hazy blues of early morning, watching the trees slowly grow their spring foliage in silhouette against the light, I find myself incredibly inspired.

Not just by the beauty around me, but by the things I’ve been listening to along the way. Books, podcasts, music, and ideas that have sparked new thoughts and deeper reflection.

I thought I’d gather a few of those inspiring things here for anyone who might be looking for their own avenues of inspiration.

So here we go.

A Book That Inspired Me: Theo of Golden

This book!

Theo of Golden was on my book list as a recommendation from my friend. And when a book club book came around last month that I wasn’t going to be in town to discuss, I opted to dive into listening to this one.

It was my “companion” on many morning sunrise walk/runs. There were so many times I had to stop to write down quotes in my “clips” of Audible.

I think I mentioned how sad I was to lose “Theo” as a companion for those early mornings when that book came to a close.

There is something so beautiful about the story of a person who humbles themselves enough to be the light to so many people. In a quiet, no-need-for-spotlight kind of way. I shared some of those quotes with family and friends and now they’re all reading too. And loving the insightful story of a man who finds true happiness in turning outside of himself.

A Podcast About Noticing the World

This podcast! One morning I decided to re-listen to this podcast I listened to years ago called “Your Life Is A Poem.” It is an interview with Naomi Shihab Nye about kindness, noticing the world around you, and carrying a notebook to record it there. She challenges the listener to write “three lines” a day about the world. This was the impetus for the “three lines” my sisters, mom and I have written to each other in a group email for years.

I love the way Naomi sees the world.

Some of my favorite parts:

“Use a word as an oar.”

“Making petite discoveries.” (which I was doing in the plants and beauty of the world as I listened)

“What grows here? How can we improve the soil?” (In our hearts and souls)

“Grateful people go places larger than themselves.”

“Writing things down makes you feel better after you do it. You give your feelings shape. You can think about them differently. Helps see your experience.”

Contemplation is a “long, loving look.” Bonds us to the world. Feeling a sense of gravity to the world.

“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.”

A Song About Growth Through Pain

I KNOW this sounds crazy. A crazy thought to “wish our kids pain.” But there was one morning, doing yoga with my sisters, where this song came on. The sunrise pink sky was fading to gold and when I listened to these words tears just spilled out. I texted my kids who are enveloped in pain right now, sending love through the firmament to them. All this pain will help us grow. It will make us stronger…eventually. But it doesn’t mean it isn’t excruciating right in the trenches. Somehow I hope these kids will be able to look back and learn from the pain. And know that God will carry them if they reach out. And Up.

A Faith Matters Podcast That Made Me Think

One morning, trudging up a snow bank in Park City while we were there for President’s Day, I listened to this podcast about the “un-sifting of the saints” on Faith Matters.

I liked it so much that I had Dave listen as well, which led to such a good discussion. It reminded me we are all coming to “church” from such different vantage points. We have so many different lenses. It helped me remember that there are all kinds of good, faithful people. And because of that, we are all going to come at what it means to be a “follower of Christ” in different ways. The trick is to figure out how to do that in harmony. I’ve talked about this idea in so many ways on the blog:

• The Gospel According to Me
• Some Thoughts About the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Growing Up in a Religious Family – my sisters and I discuss this topic on our In the Arena podcast
• Some Thoughts About LDS Garments

But I just love how this conversation on this Faith Matters podcast helped conceptualize so many thoughts.

A Story That Shifted My Perspective

My friend sent me this Radiolab interview. An overview: “Before he was even born, Sarah and Ross Gray knew that their son Thomas wouldn’t live long. But as they let go of him, they made a decision that reverberated through a world that they never bothered to think about. Years later, after a couple of awkward phone calls, they go on a quest and manage to meet the people and places for whom Thomas’ short life was an altogether different kind of gift. We originally made this story back in 2015, but we wanted to play it again because we love that it brings a view of science that is redemptive, tender, and unexpected.”

I loved this quote near the end:

“I felt a fundamental shift… I had felt like I was a boat on an ocean that was rocky and choppy with waves. And I had this feeling that ‘I’m not the boat, I’m the ocean.’ Like, the decisions that I make are changing other people as opposed to ‘I’m a boat getting slapped with waves all the time.’ It has made me feel powerful.

I loved thinking about that analogy to the ocean. We are the ocean and have the power to create and move, people and ourselves, to better and higher ground.

Looking at the Creation Story in a New Way

This was another podcast aired on Faith Matters that my friend had recommended and it just spoke to me. Especially near the beginning of my journey to read the whole Old Testament this year. Boy I have a lot to learn! And I LOVED that this linguist Jared Lambert had such a beautiful way of describing the words and stories in the Bible, especially surrounding the creation.

I was so inspired by this podcast that I sent it to my Eyre family to ask that we discuss during one of our fortnightly discussions. Then a few days later my Dad sent a podcast wanting to discuss as well. And we realized it was the same one, just aired on different podcast platforms (his was from The Sanctuary where the same podcast was published).

So much to think about, and I loved our family discussion about it.

Rediscovering the Old Testament

We may as well include the Old Testament in this list of inspiring things because boy howdy, I am surprised at how much I am LOVING that thing as we study it for Come Follow Me this year for church. I think one thing that has helped me love it even more is yet another podcast with Terryl Givins talking about “Wrestling with the Word.” They talk all about ancient scripture and whether to take it literally or symbolically and it’s just such a beautiful discussion of things that make you want to be better.

In that discussion they talk about why the Bible is a holy book. And I love that they explain it is part of a canon…to provide a basis for common conversation and community. We have this book of inspired discourse, and it creates the basis for our interactions and our struggles to understand ethics and morality and the divine will.

I love the analogy from a Jewish writer on the scriptures: “We know somewhere on temple mount was the actual temple, but we don’t know exactly where. So we take off our shoes and treat the whole mountain with reverence.”

Beautiful stuff.

The Art of Mattering

I don’t know how I came across this podcast, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since I listened.

I’ve always loved thinking about how one of the greatest human needs is to know what we matter. And this podcast explained it all so beautifully with such great stories to emphasize all the beauty.

A Movie That Moved Me: Hamnet

You guys! I may be too late recommending people see this in the movie theater (the cinematography is SO INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!) But I loved the story as well. The feelings. The emotions of motherhood and Mother Earth that it brought into my heart.

I had heard from trusted friends and my sisters that it was so good, so I invited a few of my favorite women to join me at the theater one evening. We all just sat there in that dark theater with tears streaming down our cheeks at the end.

A Song I Can’t Stop Thinking About

This song from the movie has honestly been in my heart ever since. “On the Nature of Daylight” has been with me through all my morning walks. Through my thoughts. I’ve always loved this song, but I love it even more now. So contemplative and full of emotion. And love.

Finding Inspiration in Nature

And if we’re talking about inspiration, let’s take a look at these birds. I was so fascinated with them on the pier one morning. From how their wings are folded up on the left below, to how they stretch out to take flight:

I was mesmerized. Isn’t this world an incredible place?? And all the creatures in it.

They create awe.

Oh there are so many things that inspire me if I just take the time to notice. And collect.

I’m always looking for new inspiration. Books, podcasts, music, or ideas — I’d love to hear what has inspired you lately.