How to be Inspired Today

How does one feel more inspired everyday? Inspiration is the stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Inspiration comes from the Latin, inspirare which means “To breathe, to blow into …the Spirit is within.” If you want to feel and be inspired today, here are five suggestions:

1. Movies and music have always been a great source of inspiration. I recall that a key contributor reporting to me told me he was going after his dream to be a radio sports announcer after seeing the movie, “Field of Dreams.” The movie, “Forrest Gump” continues to be a source of inspiration for me. I’d recommend obtaining “The 100 Greatest Movies of All-time” by the American Film Institute. Be aware as well that some movies and music can un-inspire you, so watch a classic movie tonight.

2. Dare to dream…BIG. Only 5% of Americans have goals in writing according to numerous studies, so it’s no surprise that most people don’t feel or act inspired. When you have a worthwhile, meaningful goal, objective or outcome written down that you’re striving towards, your inspiration will increase. If you have goals, remember what Michaelangelo said: “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it." Stretch yourself today, because we use 10% or less of our mental potential.

3. Contrast, and “count your blessing, not your troubles.” In 25 years of working in personal development, I’ve noticed that when I or my clients have the opportunity to contrast their problems with other people’s problems, they quickly come to realize that “I have it better than I thought.” We take so much for granted, and tend to focus on the negative vs. the positive, which is a human tendency that must constantly be battled. One way to accomplish this is before you go to sleep tonight, count all of your blessings, and count none of your “troubles.” It’s also a great way to start off the morning, too. What are you thankful for? An attitude of gratitude lifts the spirit to more consistent inspiration.

4. One of the primary and best ways to be more consistently inspired is to attend church. A report from the Dallas Morning News: those who regularly attend worship service experience reduced amounts of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, and out-of-wedlock births compared to those who do not attend regular worship service. In addition, they are happier, healthier, have a lower rate of depression, higher level of self-esteem, less divorce, and yes - better sex. They also earn an average of $1100 a month more than those who do not regularly attend worship service. If you already attend church, tithe or give-away five percent of your income – I promise, you’ll be inspired.

5. The greatest source of hope for the future (beyond God and church) and inspiration today is growing personally in our skills, knowledge and attitudes: personal development. If one feels as if they are stagnated or slipping backwards, that person rarely feels inspired, stimulated to high levels of achievement. On the other hand, when you and others notice that you’re growing as a person, changing some of your destructive habits, changing your thinking and attitudes, you feel more of a sense of hope – and that hope is inspirational, knowing that a better day is soon coming because you are becoming a better you! It’s almost guaranteed; remember, patience is a form of action.

Follow these five suggestions for how to become more consistently inspired – feeling, thinking and acting like you have unusual energy, drive, perseverance and calm expectancy of near-term results – and you’ll know for certain that you are headed in the right direction in life. Trust that still, small voice that says, “This might work, and I’ll try it.” Mark Twain said it best:, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”