"If today you become frightened, instead be inspired."

I keep one e-mail in my inbox at all times. My co-workers will find this odd, because they know me as the e-mail deleter queen. An inbox full of e-mails is a to do list. And so I try to get rid of an e-mail as fast as it's sent to me. I'll respond as soon as I can (even though it means that sometimes I'm not afforded the opportunity to really think through my response). If I no longer need the e-mail, it's deleted and placed in the trash, which I promptly recycle at least once a day. If I'm sitting next to my co-worker and see her inbox, I start to feel nauseous and not-so-kindly ask "do you know what folders are?". But there is one e-mail, with just a subject line, I cannot delete. It says, "If today you become frightened, instead be inspired." The source of the quote is somewhat cheesy, but I cannot let it go.

There are so many times when I'm frightened. When the phone rings with news about cancer. When I cannot get a hold of my husband while he is fishing and my mind goes to the worst possible scenario. When I get a call about my dad in the hospital. When I get an e-mail about a friend that is struggling through something about her life. When I hear student's stories about their less than perfect lives--yet they are at school every day working as hard and smart as they can. And so I think through all this scary, and bad stuff, I'm suppose to be inspired?

However, I think the quote is meant to inspire me to be brave. To be inspired to make a difference. To be inspired because it feels so much better than being frightened. And mostly to be inspired because then I can see the world through a different perspective- and that is beautiful.