This morning I felt a strong affinity for the big birch at the side of the pool. It was magnificent in its early June garb although I have to confess I love it in any of its many seasons. The tree is my friend and it nourishes me in many ways, not the least of which is the courage and inspiration I feel from it. I have watched it grow for almost twenty years. It's limbs have been ravaged by sapsuckers, yet it continues it's struggle to survive, and in the process brings dignity and grace as the reigning monarch over the pool.

I am naming it Encouragement as a recognition of all it does for me. What (or who) are your primary sources of inspiration? In what ways do you acknowledge them? Consciously recognizing them helps us to connect to our core values, which then allows us to "pay it forward", and be an encouragement to others.