the spirit moves someone en · X
Etymology
Reflecting the senses of spirit as enthusiasm, as energy or will ( ≈ notion), or as mood (compare in the mood); sometimes also taken to be a reference to the Holy Spirit.
Meanings
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One desires or decides on something.
'I may possibly say a few words,' said Psmith carelessly, 'if the spirit moves me. Who am I that I should deny people a simple pleasure?'
1910, P. G. Wodehouse, Psmith in the City:Don't just think about the content of your publication whenever the spirit moves you. Think content FIRST. Then think about HOW you can present all that good CONTENT with some contemporary design strategies.
1984, Military Media Review, volume 11, number 4, page 18:Let me say that we are open at this point for questions and let's have an interchange as the spirit moves you with respect to bringing out whatever points you are interested in.
1963, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs, Winning the Cold War: The U.S. Ideological Offensive, page 218:If the spirit moves me, I can stand in the center of the room. If the spirit moves me in another direction, I can stand in any one of the four corners and in this way bring myself into contact with two walls at the same time.
2016, Emmanuelle Peraldo, Literature and Geography, page 224: