Beyond the hustle and bustle of the holidays and busy work
schedules this time of year presents many of us with the opportunity to think
of the different things and people that we appreciate and are thankful for. This
is great, as it helps to close out the year on a high note and can help to
inspire us. Sometimes, it’s not even the big things that people do, but the
small things that can truly inspire us and encourage us to be our best selves. We
just have to be open to these experiences and allow them to stimulate our
actions.
Take a moment to look around and to think about, the things
or people that inspire you. Can you think of a few? It is important to understand
what these things are and to not confuse them with what motivates you. The
difference is, inspiration is internal, whereas motivation is external. Think
of it as guidance versus being pushed, when doing something. If you understand
what you really want and surround yourself with the things that interest, stimulate,
and encourage you; inspiration, that internal compelling desire to do
something, may arise.
With the end of the year approaching and the holidays very
near, use this time to open yourself to inspiration so that you can take on the
challenges of the upcoming year with an inspired approach to life and your
career.
Identify what inspires you and how it inspires you.
·
Inspiration can come from anything and it can
come in a big wave or in small amounts. Whatever way it comes, it is an experience
that you have to be open to. By making the effort to surround yourself with the
things you like/love/have interest in, you increase your chances of being
inspired.
·
Experiences can inspire you in different ways. Keep
in mind that not all experiences will directly affect YOU. There are the events
that happen to other people, places and things that we have an emotional draw
to (that peak our interest in some way) that can inspire you as well. Think
about the things that have been the cause of some inspiration for you in the
past. What is the common theme among them? This theme can help you to define
what may inspire you.
·
Note that not all inspirational moments come
from your best emotional experiences, but it is the experience, nonetheless,
that create emotional response and guides your actions if you let it.
Allowing inspiration to affect your self-improvement.
·
Being open to inspiration and learning from your
experiences is one thing, but application of what you have learned and positive
internal influence from an experience is when you are truly inspired.
·
Failure is a part of our lives. We all experience
it at some point or another; hopefully we use it to grow. We just need to stay inspired,
get back up and improve. The openness that was brought up earlier is exactly
what we need to allow ourselves to be inspired; we can’t force it to happen.
Applying your inspiration toward your personal life and your
career.
·
Things that make you think and things that make you
feel are going to encourage inspiration. However, without the openness to them
and then the initiative to apply them to your goals, inspiration isn’t truly
happening.
·
Set your goals, be aware of the actions you need
to take to achieve those goals, then apply your inspirations to achieve those
goals.
·
The actions (creations) stimulated on by your desires
are the true inspiration.
Inspiration may come when it is least expected so be ready
to take advantage of those moments when it does happen and keep them in mind
for ways to apply them to your everyday life!