Where is the inspiration?

"I look at my environment and wonder where the fire went...." These are words from a song by Lauryn Hill. I often find myself asking this same question as it seems like all most people want to do is have fun. I too like to have fun, but I lack the inspiration that would push me past that point. Is it that our culture is so programmed by the television and music that we lack our own identity? Can we not separate reality from entertainment? It seems like there is no reality when it come to entertainment anymore. To some the fastest way to success is to exploit themselves and to me this is a sad state of mind to be in. As I consider the actions and mindsets of women within my age group, I become discourage feeling alone. When I watch these reality shows and certain movies portraying how women are today, not once do I feel inspired or motivated. Instead I feel drained and ashamed. I don't think that we are all like that and there are some of us that set our sites higher and strive to become better mothers, wives, and woman. Not to put anyone down because I am no one to judge, but I'd love to see the other side. I guess more of a balance. I would love to see the Maya Angelos and Oprah Winfreys of our time rise up, but instead the opposite comes. I guess there will always be this and that, but sometimes I feel like I'm at a terrible buffet and I just have to choose from what is there and I leave malnourished. It's true that the majority of people are the same and sometimes I feel if I don't want to be lonely I better get with the program. But I choose more, I won't let myself fall any further down and I will strive to become better no matter who follows. As I get older I see more depression, desperation, low self-esteem, and lack of identity among the women now. And I just want to tell them that you don't have to follow the crowd, you don't have to be less than what you were born to be. You are beautiful inside and out and you can do anything. I believe everything we ever would need to succeed and help other to succeed is within us. It's not something we have to pray or wish for. We just have to access it. I think we all have a dream in our hearts that will inspire and motivate each other if we can just fulfill it. It's easy to get lost in the world today because it seems like everyone is giving up and settling for less. My heart goes out to all the women in the world who want to be better but can't find the light. I need to tell you sisters that it is in you. It's not about passing judgement or being better than the next woman. It's about being at your best because we all all best when we are ourselves, we are only missing the mark when we are not true to our heart, mind, and spirit. It's not about being the most beautiful woman or having the best body or the most money, because all those things can be gone as fast as you can blink you eye. It's really not important and if that's your motivation than you are doing yourself and everyone in the world an injustice. If the people around you are stopping you from being at your best then you may need to consider changing your company. Why live your life without purpose? Don't strive to obtain the wrong things that are just traps anyway. To answer my own question, where is the inspiration, it is on the inside of all of us, but it is our choice if we want to expose it. Don't get caught up in the illusion that temporary things are real. What is real is our spirits and hearts and our ability to reach our highest potential. If you haven't made a difference in someone else's life than that tells you on what level you are operating on. If you are in search of other women that can inspire you and motivate you to take your life to another level, then you are not alone, I feel the same. I found that I can't wait around for that to come, it has to start with me. And if you need that in your life to move past the things that hold you down, then it has to start with you. I am a woman and the reason I feel so strongly that we all need other women to look up to and pull from is because we are the ones that influence each other. Sometimes we are the ones holding each other back. If we want more from the men we have to be more as women. I see our women and our daughters going down a terrible path and I would like to see a change. We can be whatever we want. If you want to be a speaker, writer, entrepreneur or anything, you can do it. Don't let our society set the standards for your life. We can rise above it. We don't have to compete with each other, after all what is the prize. Usually when I compete I win a prize, but there is no prize. Jealousy and envy can be out of the picture if we just each focus on being the best we are and don't worry about the next woman. We can uplift one another and be genuine friends to one another and push each other to higher heights. Just know we all have a purpose and it is so grand that we probably can't even imagine it, but we first have to find out who we are. That doesn't happen by mimicking what we see on TV or hear on the radio or by what someone else wants us to be. Lets get it together ladies. Peace and love....