Daily Inspirations — The Small Things That Keep Us Going
Updated: 5 days ago
Living far away from many of my loved ones, and after the passing of my parents and dear brothers, keeping myself motivated has become a compass in my life.
Somehow, it happens naturally.
Perhaps because over the years my life has become a kind of cabinet of curiosities—filled with small, meaningful things that have become powerful incentives for living.
They shape what I call the art of loving life.
Loving my children.
Caring for my pets.
Preparing and providing food.
Walking in nature every day.
Honoring my family and my ancestors.
Music and silence.
Creating.
Working.
And absorbing as much of the magic and beauty of nature as I possibly can.
These are the things that keep me going.
I am no longer searching for one enormous revelation that will suddenly give everything meaning.
Instead, I am learning to recognize the daily miracles.
The tiny reminders that bring us back to ourselves.
When I begin to lose my way, I feed my cats.
A reminder that someone loves me and needs me.
I set up my altar. I light incense. I chant. I pray.
A reminder that the universe keeps moving—and so do my dreams and my faith in myself.
I prepare healthy food for my dogs.
My pack reminds me that there are so many more animals I would love to save, but at least I have started.
I call my sister or my brother.
A reminder that someone far away loves me and wants me healthy.
I walk in nature.
A reminder that I am part of nature, and that honoring Mother Earth is also a way of honoring myself.
I work, create, and try to enjoy the journey.
A reminder that I genuinely love what I do.
I karaoke with my son—old songs and new ones.
And somehow, through the music, the past and the present meet.
I remember who I was.
I experience who I am now.
And I trust that better times will come.
These ordinary moments have become some of my greatest teachers.
They remind me that inspiration does not always arrive as a brilliant idea, a life-changing opportunity, or an enormous revelation.
Sometimes inspiration has four paws.
Sometimes it is a familiar voice on the telephone.
Sometimes it smells like incense.
Sometimes it is a song we have heard a thousand times.
Sometimes it is preparing food for someone we love.
Sometimes it is the wind, a tree, the ocean, or simply putting one foot in front of the other on a familiar trail.
Maybe the small things are not small at all.
Maybe they are the rituals that quietly hold our lives together.
And when I am fully present in these actions, something inside me begins to soften.
I let go.
I remember.
I heal.
And I find my way back to myself.
What are the small things that keep me going?
What does my own “cabinet of curiosities” contain?
Which people, animals, places, rituals, sounds, foods, memories, or experiences remind me that I am alive?
What do I instinctively reach for when I need comfort or inspiration?
What daily rituals connect me to the people I love—even those who are far away or no longer physically here?
Where do I find beauty on an ordinary day?
What responsibilities in my life are also expressions of love?
When was the last time I allowed myself to be completely present in something simple?
What small miracle have I perhaps stopped noticing?
And finally:
What brings me back to myself when I begin to lose my way?
Until next week, may you continue walking your path with presence and love.
Gabriela
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