Hello, and congratulations on picking up this workbook!
To me, that means that you’re ready to jump-start your life by way of inspiration—and, lucky for you, that’s my favorite topic. My name is Ashly Perez, and I’m a TV writer, an artist, and an all-around creative. Perhaps you’ve read my first book,
Read This for Inspiration, and you’re ready to take this next step in discovering the inspirations in your life. Or maybe you have no idea what the heck I’m talking about, and you just want daily doses of motivation. Either way, I’m glad you’re here because, no matter who you are, this is the workbook for you! Before I tell you what this workbook is, let me first tell you what it’s not.
1. IT’S NOT HOMEWORK. This is not another task to add to your ever-growing to-do list. It’s not meant to stress you out or add pressure to your day.
2. IT’S NOT THE BE-ALL AND END-ALL ON INSPIRATION. Think of this as another tool on your journey to discovering what brings meaning and joy to your life.
3. IT’S NOT MINE, IT’S YOURS. This is your space to use however you see fit. Inspiration, as you’ll find out, isn’t just one thing—it’s whatever works for you. Flip through this workbook, and do ten pages, one page, or all of them at once—whatever makes you happy. There’s no wrong way to use it, as long as it’s working for you!
All right, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about what exactly this workbook is and why I wrote it.
Write This for Inspiration is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a guide to finding the inspirations that are already present in your life and discovering new ways to find joy and motivation. It’s part journal, part workbook, and all safe space to take a minute and reflect on where you are in your life and where you want to go. It is not meant for any particular job or profession, nor is it geared toward a particular type of person—because, frankly, there isn’t anyone in the world who couldn’t use a little inspiration now and then. It’s an antidote to stagnancy and a seed of change. The root of the word “inspiration” comes from the Latin
inspirare, which means “to breathe into.” Inspiration breathes life into tired routines, shakes the sleeping self, and imbues us with energy. Does that sound like something you’re looking for? Great, me too! Shall we?
When it comes to finding inspiration, the “why” part is easy—it’s the “how” part that can get a little tricky. We’ve been taught to sit around and wait for inspiration to strike. That only the lucky feel energized. But that, my friends, is a big lie. Inspiration is not a waiting game, and it’s not a lottery of luck. Instead, it requires active participation, because, in reality, inspiration is all around us, just waiting to be noticed. Mary Oliver put it best in her short poem “Instructions for Living a Life,” in which she advised, “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” To me, that is the key to inspiration: not waiting for it to strike, but rather paying attention to the inspiration that already abounds. This workbook is an active guide to helping you pay attention. It is a space for you to acknowledge and respond to all the possibilities that are already in front of you. Your life deserves to be “breathed into.” You deserve to be inspired.
Copyright © 2021 by Ashly Perez. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
