"The Web has changed the world." My good friend Kent says this often, usually when he’s able to use his master-level internet shopping skills to find the car part I need quickly, easily, and at a fraction of retail.

The Web makes so much possible, and one of the most helpful aspects of a connected life is the access to real inspiration. Here are some of the very best places to turn online for daily inspiration. Some – like these Twitter feeds – can follow you all day by being sent to your phone via text message each time they update, infusing inspiration into your day.

Twitter

There are many active Twitter feeds that post only inspirational content:

  • @JackCanfield, author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, tweets quotes and links of an inspirational nature.
  • @RuthReichl has been a food writer for over 40 years and posts pictures of beautiful food, recipes, and other food-related content that will make you hungry!
  • @AgainstSuicide is a young woman who tweets against bullying and in favor of optimism and hope.

Tumblr

One of the best sources for personalized inspiration is Tumblr. Tumblr is a social network that has been around for several years, and it’s populated by a lot of very creative young people. Absolutely anything that you find enjoyable or interesting can be found in many forms on Tumblr . Art and literature, science and technology, music and fashion – all are represented there. From Star Trek and Harry Potter to weight loss and fitness, from every religious faith and spiritual path to social justice in its many faces, other people who share your passions are on Tumblr sharing insight and information, and there are hundreds of thousands of Tumblr blogs that focus on only one passion. By following Tumblrs that share your passion, you can curate content specific to your own interests. Tumblr is where Facebook was a few years ago—it hasn't quite taken over the world yet, but it’s well on its way.

These are just a few of the most inspiring Tumblrs to follow:

It’s been nearly 575 years since Gutenberg changed the world with his printing press. The knowledge available in books, previously held only by the Roman Catholic Church and various monarchs, was suddenly available to many more people than ever before, as books became available for purchase by everyone who could find a way to afford them. Benjamin Franklin took Gutenberg’s invention and democratized its power with his creation of the first public libraries. As the public libraries spread across America, the wisdom of the world was available to all, even those who couldn't afford to buy books.

Now the Web is taking democratization even deeper. It allows us to take the content and power of the world’s wisdom and expand on it, putting it all at our fingertips. Now we can explore it through both reading and the more participatory ways that the internet makes so easy. If you look in the right places, you can keep your mind and spirit fed with inspiration every day, and with the internet’s spread to mobile devices you can make the inspiration follow you around and reach out to you. Next week, I’ll share some of the most powerful inspirational content the internet offers: inspiration specifically for creative people. The Web is full of resources for people who want to be more creative in their daily life or to pursue any branch of the creative arts, as a hobby or more. I’ll showcase some of the best resources next week.