“Inspiration does not exist for the lazy, the no-passionate, the idle. It only exists for the hard-working, the diligent, the zealous and determined. Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.”
–Pablo Picasso
Not being an artist in the traditional sense, I mentally combine the word “inspiration” with “fortune” to gain the most meaning from Picasso’s quote. The last sentence conjures the image of a Muse, some undefined human-like wraith, pausing at my shoulder with her head cocked in curiosity as she observes. If she finds me prepared for the wonderful fortunes she carries, I receive them. But if I’m not ready or willing or able she continues on to her next charge, carrying my fortunes until I’m primed to receive them.
The key words for me are passion, zeal, determination, and diligence. All of them create the image of working hard, but in fact you wouldn’t feel as though you were working at all because you would love it so much. In this position you would find good fortune all around you in various forms. Whether it be expert guidance or a golden opportunity, you probably won’t even recognize it as fortune until later.
The real challenge is to find your passion! I found mine in Arizona. It’s kind of silly and cheesy, but it was a cornerstone moment in life to be living my dream at the BTCA National Specialty. I realized exactly what I wanted and with that clarity a plan formed, almost without effort, to snatch those desires from the realm of dreams and transform them into reality.
The dream: I want to spend my days with Wally, eventually campaign him myself, and immerse myself in the dog fancy. To do that I need to initiate a career change; get a more dog-friendly and travel-friendly vehicle; and work on Wally mentally and physically to prepare him for the circuit. What was once seemingly impossible to figure out is suddenly bright, shiny, and achievable. Now I know what people like Jen Gresham are talking about!
Little Brown Dog Blog 