In the process I’ve been doing with the HeartMath program I’ve described in other experiments – the biofeedback program that increases heart coherence – I’ve become increasingly aware of the importance of focusing awareness on sources of inspiration and beauty. As I’ve mentioned in other experiments, the psychological and spiritual food we give ourselves is just as important – if not more so – than the food we give our bodies. If we feed ourselves toxic foods lacking in nutrients, our bodies suffer. If we feed our psyches food that is toxic and activating, our psychological selves suffer.

I’ve noticed that when I focus my attention on things that inspire me, I feel more connected to myself and to the world, and calmer and more centered in general. Lately, I’ve been listening to music that inspires me, and have noticed that I feel a delicious kind of fullness and expansion even when I’m doing the stuff of everyday life.

Right now, I’m looking at some white lilies in a vase in front of me. They are fully open and there must be 10 large blossoms on two stalks. The vase is literally bursting with flowers. As I look at them, listen to music, and write to you, I’m as contented as I can imagine being. In this moment, right here, right now, I feel full and satisfied. Later, when I’m out and about and with people, I will likely carry this fullness with me, as I did yesterday and the day before that. And, because I’ve been focused on attending to what inspires me, I’ll be more likely to continue to see inspiration around me. This is both the gift and the downside of perception – we see what we expect to see; we orient where we’re focused.

And so, for this week, I invite you to notice what inspires you and to take some time to attend to these sources of inspiration. Notice what happens when you give yourself the gift of inspiring nourishment. Pay particular attention to your state of mind, to the ways you experience yourself and your world, when you’ve had some time to fill up with inspiration. And, it doesn’t matter what inspires you – it may be music, art, digging in the garden, hiking, working with clay, going to the park and talking with people, communing with a tree. It doesn’t matter what the source may be – the key here is to experience filling up with inspiration and noticing how that affects the rest of your day.

As with all the experiments, remember to leave judgment behind and enjoy having curiosity as your companion. You may discover new sources of inspiration you hadn’t even realized were available to you.