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Inspiration for the Spirit

A lovely place to wander for poetry and inspiration to soothe the soul

  • A Beast and an Anxious Person Walk Into a Bar

    Every time I see that great Eleanor Roosevelt quote "Do something every day that scares you," my ... Read more

    A Beast and an Anxious Person Walk Into a Bar
  • Pretty

    Feeling pretty has never been a priority in my life. Feeling smart, talented, adventurous, capable, ... Read more

    Pretty
  • Breaking the Surface

    I think you should get to have your true authentic healed whole self and buns of steel, but ... Read more

    Breaking the Surface
  • Slow Down to Savor Life

    I've been known to tell people that I'm so busy, I don't have time to breathe. It might be an ... Read more

    Slow Down to Savor Life
  • Villanova Commencement Speech

    People don’t talk about the soul very much anymore. It’s so much easier to write a resume than to ... Read more

    Villanova Commencement Speech
  • Ten Tips for a Happier Life

    When will you be happy? Will you be happy when you find the perfect partner, save up enough to take ... Read more

    Ten Tips for a Happier Life
  • Mount Holyoke Commencement Speech

    The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the ... Read more

    Mount Holyoke Commencement Speech
  • Let Us Commence

    The secret to success is simple—ignore your parents expectations, give money to the ACLU, and find ... Read more

    Let Us Commence
  • Mala from Heaven

    As the world crumbles, I string together beads of faith. If our lives are made up of a string of a ... Read more

    Mala from Heaven
  • On Aging

    I was at a wedding Saturday with a lot of women in their 20s and 30s in sexy dresses, their youthful ... Read more

    On Aging
Reflections Poetry Writing Inspiration Love Food for Thought Body, Mind &  Spirit
Welcome to Inspiration for the Spirit!

Random Reflections—One Woman’s Personal Journey

cup of tea

What Do You Say to a Naked Man?

Today I received a letter from my ex-husband. It came as quite a surprise. It’s been over five years since I last heard from him, and he was the last person I ever expected to hear from again. Yet, there he was, baring all … Read more

“Whoever said revenge is sweet never tasted the yumminess of forgetaboutit.” —Karen Salmansohn

peace

Baby Boy Blue

buildings in Oaxaca

An Awakening

Singing in the Rain

daisy and a heart

My Miracle Heart

Learning to Fly Solo

More Random Reflections

Poems on Life, Living, and Love

A Birthday Gift

A Familiar Taste

A Love Poem

mother holding baby

A Missing Child

A Pocketful of Spring

More Poems
EMBRACE THE LOVE
Home is where the heart is, and at my home on the web
—Inspiration for the Spirit—
you will find a heart on every page. Let each heart be a reminder to keep your heart open, embrace each new day and the people you know, and live life to the fullest . . . doing things always in the spirit of love.
Patricia

Thought-Provoking Essays

75 Life Lessons Learned

A Beast and an Anxious Person Walk Into a Bar

A Father Remembered

A Heart’s Breath

Breaking the Surface

More Essays

Endless Inspiration

love string

Love ♥ The Greatest Gift

Mandalas and More

Native Voices

Petals of Sunshine

Positive Reinforcement

Videos to Inspire and Motivate

More Inspiration

Quotes, Proverbs, and Other Words of Wisdom

advice

Advice and Encouragement

Aging

Autumn Blessings

change

Change

Courage and Strength

More Quotes
heart stamp
 Welcome
Inspiration for the Spirit is all about love—not only romantic love, but also love for our fellow man, loving life and its many wonders and, most importantly, the love of self that comes when you are truly content with the person you are ... Read more
hands up
“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” —Buddha
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The Poetry Pages

My Poems
Guest Poets
Selected Poems
Classic Poets
Classic Love Poems
Zen Poetry, Haiku, and Wisdom

Most Recent Posts

Tentra Nepalese Totem

by Patricia Petro

Peaceful Thoughts

by Patricia Petro

Something About Circles

by Patricia Petro

A Beast and an Anxious Person Walk Into a Bar

by Karen Sandstrom

The Fabric of My Life

by Peggy Bird

The Simplicity of Tea

When I drink tea, there is only me, and the tea. The rest of the world dissolves. There are no worries about the future. No dwelling on past mistakes. ... Read more

The Language of Flowers

During the Victorian era, people often gave each other flowers and used the "language of flowers" (sometimes called floriography) to express feelings ... Read more

My Miracle Heart: A True Story

daisy and a heart

When my ex-husband and I parted ways, I was angry. Our marriage had not been good for a lot of reasons. And though I was relieved the ordeal was ... Read more

Native American Wisdom

Native American chiefs

We, the great mass of the people, think only of the love we have for our land; we do love the land where we were brought up. We will never let our ... Read more

Beginnings

"Messenger" mandala by Caroline Hofstede It had been a pivotal year for me. A bad breakup early on had left me feeling fragile and fragmented and looking inward for answers ... Read more

Sign My Guestbook

guestook

One of the first things you discover when you put an inspirational website online, is that a lot of people will write to you. ... Read more

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