On a dreary Monday morning, even the sun says to bug off. It sleeps in—unlike the millions of other worker bees who continue on into their morning commute. Each drone slowly coming down from their weekend high.

Today I woke up at 8:30 AM.  Not at all missing my nine-to-five, I took advantage of my time and put it to use by spooning garlic fried rice and egg into my mouth.  Strong cup of coffee, a must. The garlic breath, could have done without.

Usually the coffee does it for me. I get jittery. I feel my insides churning ( TMI?).  Today though, I looked out the window and stared at the overcast sky like it was a hairy wart on a gorgeous woman’s cheek. I knew it was just one tiny flaw on the face of life, but I couldn’t help but feel its gray clouds surrounding me. The blob of laziness wanted to eat me, digest my productivity until about 3 or 4 PM.

So I decided to do what any other philosophical genius would. I Googled “Inspiration.”

What do you do when you don’t know the answers to your homework? Google it. How do I get to the nearest liquor store when my bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere? (True Story) Google it. What do I do when the day is about as promising as a box of fiber oats? Google it—whatever “it” may be.

It might seem desperate but don’t make too much of what it really is. I promise you: life is not as bad as it seems. But seeing how the Internet has taken so much of my time with its viral YouTube videos (rap parodies, sneezing pandas, laughing babies, etc.)  I think I deserved something in return.

“Inspiration Software, Inc.”

“Free 30 Day Trials | Inspiration.com”

“Inspiration  – Comprehend. Create. Communicate. Achieve More.”

I was pretty overwhelmed. I mean, I would have loved a free 30-day trial of Inspiration but instead of playing favorites, I perused the whole gamut of inspirational  findings.

I started with the scientific approach:

“Inspiration may refer to: Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production; Biblical inspiration, the doctrine in Judeo-Christian theology …” – Wikipedia.

After a generalized idea of what I was looking for, I moved on to visual aesthetics. People jumping toward the sky, glowing orbs of light, and Photoshopped graphic quotes. By far, the best image I came across was the smiling face of once-American Idol hopeful, William Hung.

After my dose of inspirational eye-candy, I checked out the news. The first story on the Google page was about Rory McIlroy who, if you don’t know, is the charming 22-year-old from Northern Ireland who won the 2011 U.S. Open on Sunday. He has nice eyes.

Then of course, there are the “Inspirational Quotes.” Save me the Walt Whitman, I found one or two worthy of my mental lockbox:

“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice.”

–       Cherokee Expression

“If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.”

–       David Carradine

I caught myself listening to “You’re the Inspiration” by Chicago a couple times.  There may be some motivational videos you might enjoy, ones that I purposely missed because I was still partaking in my own mid-day Karaoke session.

I ended my digital retreat by browsing the “Shopping” category, through which I had found the ultimate motivational pick-me-up: Young Jeezy – The Inspiration: Thug Motivation CD.

After my thirty minutes or so of research, I learned a vital lesson:  Google can suck sometimes, and the “search for inspiration” was not its strong point. Although, by the time I was done, I did notice the overcast clear up a little. Sun light peaked through the leaves on the tree outside my window.

Maybe the all-knowing internet was trying to teach me a lesson. You might not instantly find  inspiration when you search for it, but the process itself might teach you a thing or two. Like how a 22-year-old golfer can crash and burn in one tournament, then make a record-breaking win in the next. Or how you should “be the poem” if you can’t be “the poet,” whatever that might mean.

Today I googled “Inspiration,” and unknowingly came up with a blog–not to mention,  a really cool picture of William Hung.

– Abet Speaks