If all great leaders are great listeners (and they are), it is equally true that all great writers are great readers. And our best writing will be done from the overflow of a head and heart full of inspiration.
When I was a kid, I occasionally got to go on an emergency call with my Grandfather, who was a volunteer Fire Chief. One of the trucks they had at the Fire Department was a pumper truck that could literally empty out an entire pond if necessary to save a house. It didn’t use your average garden hose!
But what happens when the well (or pond) is dry? When we aren’t being inspired, we will soon run out of any ability to inspire others. So reading is essential to good writing. And so is hearing music, observing nature, and just being around other human beings.
My favorite fountains from which to drink are my daily Bible reading time, my own library of books (about 500 volumes, both modern and classic), and the many blogs to which I subscribe. I also love to browse bookstores and visit new places. Out of the overflow of all of this, I keep writing.
Do you keep the fountain flowing, so to speak? If so, how? What fills you up so that you can pour out into others through your blog?
photo credit: Lori Greig
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I love the way you put your thoughts into blog posts such as this. Very well said.
Inspiration is all around me. Like you said, reading plays a big part in it for me as well. Although I don’t read as many books now as I used to, reading many blogs daily keeps my fountain flowing.
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Thanks so much for that. Glad you were inspired!
Great points. Blog authors who are able to look around and find inspiration for new posts in everyday life are generally the most successful.
Those who simply rely on the news stream have a more difficult time of really captivating their readers.
Agreed. Nature itself is pretty awesome.