I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how I can inspire others. Not only readers of my blog but everyone around me.  Unfortunately, no prophet is accepted in his hometown and most times it’s hard to inspire those closest to you because they not only know your strengths, but also your flaws.  I think it would be easier for me to inspire someone who doesn’t know me as supposed to a close friend or family member.  Through my presentation I could choose to only display my greatest qualities and hide my defects.

Yesterday, as I was trying to make something out of my thoughts, I came across a couple of instruments that have encouraged me to write this post and at the same time make me feel the essence of pathetic fallacy in a rainy and gloomy spring day in Toronto.  The first one was a tweet.  Amy, travel blogger at The Wherever Writer, tweeted one of Hemmingway’s famous quotes: “in order to write about life, first you must live it”.   Afterwards, I came across a blog titled “Chronicles of a Travel Addict” and as usual I went straight into the author’s “About” page.  The author, Cristina Owen, writes about her “former” life , and how she was in a situation where everything and anything was falling apart.  In her own words: “I had committed to live in a place that brought me no joy, doomed to marry a penniless and possessive man-boy who ultimately made me miserable. As a former wanderer of the world, each day was the equivalent of spiritual suicide.” She was fortunate enough, however, to have finally awaken to reality.  Shortly after reading part of her blog I got a sudden urge to go out on my balcony and shout at the top of my lungs, “You see? It is possible!  And if I can’t motivate you then maybe she will!”

I want to help others awake to reality and to enjoy life.  I want them to see the world through a new set of glasses and what better way to do that if not by traveling?  I’ve finally realized that this is not only my passion but my mission.  I am fully aware that not everyone can travel to exotic places or as often as wished.  We all go through our busy times; times of chasing chips, but traveling can be just a walk beyond your front door.  Getting out and experiencing your local city can be just what you need.  It will give you priceless memories and experiences, and a new outlook on life. One of my best memories is from six years ago when I was riding my bike around my new neighborhood.  One afternoon I came across this parkette and decided to explore it only to find that behind it existed a wide creek nested in the woods.  I was thrilled!  It made me feel as if I had uncovered a part of my neighborhood that no one else knew about.

With this post I want to personally thank every travel writer and blogger that, through their own niche, inspire and engage others to not only live – but as Cristina Owen put it – “to become alive”.

Do you have an inspirational story?  If so I would love to read about it.