I have been cleaning closets and drawers at home lately (an appropriate task for the spring weather we've been enjoying). While cleaning through my belongings, I came across cards, notes, gifts, photos and other items that brought back a flood of memories, some of them difficult, some of them wonderful. All in all, I feel fortunate, blessed, and lucky because of the people I have known. Some are still in my life, and some have passed through, or passed on. Some of them know very well who they are, and some probably have no idea that their brief contact with me affected me so deeply.

I am always thrilled when someone tells me how something I said, did, taught, or wrote helped them in some way. Sometimes something that I considered "small" meant a lot to someone, enough so that they remember it years later. It is thrilling to discover this. And the inspiration goes both ways. An attorney and client working on a legal case always learn from each other. I know that there are many, many clients who have inspired me over the years. They have caused me to learn more, do more, and sometimes to "stop being a lawyer" for just a minute and look at things in a whole new way.

Not only can adult human beings be inspiring, children, pets and nature have a lot to contribute.

Inspiration, if you listen to it, leads to creativity. And creativity helps us solve problems, survive financially, excel in the business world, let go of situations we've outgrown, stay healthy and enjoy life. Who or what inspires you?