INSPIRATION

Submitted by ub on

Besides my friends, along with personal and professional life experiences, my loving, supportive family is a regular form of inspiration. Life is often full of tedious tasks, but it is much easier to shoulder those tasks when we know it will make the people we love happy or comfortable. Appreciation, gratitude, as well as encouragement can serve as fuel to keep my fire burning when the going is difficult.

Individual inspiration is found all around us if we take the time to stop, look, and truly appreciate everything, even in difficult moments. Mindfulness is centered around living in the moment to find daily inspiration in so many places.

When was the last time you watched a sunrise? I take a few minutes to set aside any distractions and bask in the wonder and beauty of daybreak and nightfall and truly appreciate the wonder of life.

AchievementsPast achievements can serve as a reminder and a springboard for what you can accomplish in your present and future. Nothing worthwhile is easy. There are so many things that started as just small ideas that were built on over time. Reflection can be an important reminder that there are still great things ahead for you in your life. Achieving small goals regularly is a fantastic way to build momentum toward larger successes. It can be hard to navigate through the work that goes into building anything great, whether that be something as simple as a quiet life or as major as a career change. Regularly making progress can keep you motivated and moving forward.

There are times when we hear or read just a snippet of speech that resonates so deeply that we feel compelled to keep it with us. Maybe it was a truth written by a philosopher from days long gone, or maybe it was something a grandparent used to say to us regularly that became a part of us. Inspirational quotes can give us great, actionable truths that we can go back and draw upon at any time.

Great orators have long compelled and moved people toward action. The beauty of the internet is that you can tap into speeches, lectures, podcasts, and videos to capture a bit of that inspiration for yourself. Not only are there deep messages to contemplate, but one can feel the force and weight of a speaker’s passion and conviction. They might even compel you to write and give your inspirational speech.

Where would we be without art? It doesn’t matter if it is a traditional painting done in a classical style or a modern piece that thumbed its nose at traditional conventions at just the right time and place. Art has helped instill emotions and inspire since humanity was living in caves. Make art. Appreciate art!

When I need to get pumped up or in the right mental space?! Music is an excellent way to shift one’s mood and slip into another perspective, amp up one’s energy, or simply lose oneself in the beats. Music is an essential part of so many peoples’ lives, whether they are making or consuming it.

Poetry can resonate deep in one’s soul when the poet is in tune with our own emotions and perspectives. There is so much to be said about the human experience and expressing emotions in a way that can either help the writer process them or resonate deeply with the reader. The emotions of the poet can move us to our progress and action. Embrace it.

Nature is an obvious choice. There are so many places to find inspiration in nature that we could probably create a list of just those. But, beyond the sunrise and sunset, there is also the peaceful solitude of time in the forest, watching wild animals scamper and play, seeing the beauty of flowers blooming, or listening to the sounds of water lapping at a shore.

Who doesn’t love a good laugh? Sharing a laugh with friends or coworkers can help relieve stress, facilitate joy, and provide energy for tackling more difficult projects. Laughter can make somber and painful situations much easier to overcome because you know there will be joy that follows whatever challenges you face. Laugh often, laugh daily.

Spirituality, meditation, prayer, and contemplation can all be a quiet source of peace and inspiration. The ability to practice faith in the face of adversity or difficulty can help us find peace and strength in our overall journey. Studies have shown that it doesn’t matter what you believe, but that believers are often happier and more driven than those who are not.

Goals are important. They are building blocks to success. Setting small goals that you can readily attain not only provides a bit of a dopamine boost from the celebration, but they provides tangible evidence that things are progressing as planned as you tick them off. Just be sure to break large goals down into smaller ones, or you might find that they overwhelm and stifle inspiration instead.

A mantra or affirmation can serve as not only a grounding tool but a source of inspiration. You may want to sit down and write a brief statement that you can repeat to yourself when you feel like you are getting burned out or you’re facing a difficult challenge. An affirmation that you’re on the right path and a valuable person can help shift your perspective.

It is a well-supported scientific fact that regular exercise provides great benefits to a person’s mental and physical well-being. Get out there and exercise! A little bit of work for your body can reap great rewards day by day. It’s small, incremental changes that lead to much greater gains over a long period.

Kindness is an easily accessible source of inspiration. The trick is to practice kindness with no expectation of what you will get out of the situation. Not everyone will appreciate that, and some people will be suspicious that you are working an angle, but you can practice kindness and take solace in the fact that you put something positive into the world.

Change leads us to new things, allows us to become new and better people, and spurs us on to ever-greater growth. Embrace the process of change and learn to love the daily journey that comes with it. In doing so, you can be your own inspirational story and uplift yourself in the process.