There are two sides to inspiration. One side is the thing or person doing the inspiring. The other side includes those who allow themselves to be inspired. When I say, “the other side of inspiration,” I’m referring to the latter.
In a recent post, I talked about the ease of inspiring others. It simply involves doing what we love. The hardest part is for others to receive that inspiration.
For sure, there is no lack of inspiration in the world. So why do people suffer from inertia when it comes to following their dreams, or even lack the vision to dream in the first place? How do we allow ourselves to be inspired?
Here are a few ideas:
- Acknowledge that someone else may know more than you, and that you might learn something from that person.
- Pay attention. Instead of complaining about challenges or less-than-ideal circumstances, look for evidence that dreams similar to yours have come true.
- Never compare yourself to others. We are like snowflakes — all our individual circumstances are unique, and our personal histories influence our direction in life. It would be expecting too much to be able to mirror someone else’s success because that success came within the context of that individual’s entire personal history.
- Don’t believe in luck. It may happen, but don’t be bitter if it doesn’t happen to you. Luck is chance, and it’s nothing personal. When you see others living their dreams, recognize that it’s probably not luck but hard work that got them there. Admire that hard work.
- There is no room for jealousy. It will only blind you from inspiration.
I just talked about being inspired by other people. Of course, nature and spirituality can also be sources of inspiration. I chose to focus on people because I’m fascinated by how we interact with others on a daily basis. I could probably come up with more ideas. However, I’m interested in hearing yours.**
**I probably don’t have many readers yet (this blog is new), so maybe I won’t hear your ideas any time soon. But the good thing about blogs is that you can open the posts years later and still comment on them. So even if it takes years to hear from you, my mind will still be open…
Carl is a former engineer who applies rational thought to the often subjective nature of traditional healing. He practices acupuncture in San Diego, CA.