THANK you to the yuppie who held the elevator open for me as I rushed into the hallway screaming “Up! Up!”. You saved me from being late for a meeting. Thank you to the security guard who greeted me with a cheery “Good morning, Ma’am!” You reminded me to start my morning with a smile. Thank you to the taho vendor who carefully placed my plastic cup of taho in a little bag. You helped keep the liquid from spilling all over my hand. Thank you to the guy at the ATM for helping pick up the coins that fell from my purse. Thank you to these and more random saints that I’ve encountered. Those little acts of yours had a great impact on me and my day.

Amazing how little things can lead to something big. The “Pay It Forward” concept is quite familiar to a lot of us now; it’s like chain mail without the irritation. Beverly Keaton Smith over at Embrace Your Gifts and Soar! writes about ARK: Acts of Random Kindness, the term inspired by the movie Evan Almighty. Ms. Smith shares tips on how to bring ARK into your life.

And remember, when an ARK does come docking into your life, don’t forget to say thank you. Now, go and build yours.

INSPIRATION begets creation.

A pond of water lilies and a Japanese bridge in his garden inspired Claude Monet’s beautiful Water Lilies series. It is said he even built a studio in his garden so he could continue to paint the water lilies rain or shine.

In the early ’70s, a rocker took a break from a concert his band was giving in Rizal Park. He entered the comfort room and minutes later, came out with what was to be an anthem of a generation. Pepe Smith had just written “Ang Himig Natin.”

The best creative spark comes when you’re most inspired. When that positive force begins to move you, you cannot help but pick up a pen and begin to write, to pick up your guitar and strum a tune, to grab a blank canvas and start preparing your palette. The moment inspiration strikes you to create — ah, this is one of the simplest yet most thrilling experiences one can have.

An article from the DailyOM talks about being “Compelled to Create.” The piece shares how muses inspire our creativity, how to identify our muses and how to embrace them. Do check it out and be inspired.