It is very easy to be laidback and fall back. Sometimes you do need that extra push to get out there and do whatever it is your doing to achieve your goal. That “extra push” could manifest in the form of a famous person, an ordinary person, an image, words, an event, a comment, it could be anything that spurs you to think and propels you to act. That “something” in today’s parlance is “Inspiration”.
Inspiration has in it the quality to enthuse you to create something extraordinary.
The word Inspiration has been redefined a number of times down the years. In earlier times, Inspiration meant the influence of a god, it finds its roots in the latin word “inspirare” which means “blow into, breathe upon” and figuratively the meaning was to excite or inflame. With time the word inspiration evolved to “affect, rouse, control or guide” under divine influence. Later, the word Inspiration meant the “act of inhaling” literally drawing air into the lungs.
Today, Inspiration translates as the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially creative.
So, being inspired clearly directs you to be creative and adds to you. You may be inspired to work for the betterment of society on reading about Baba Amte and stand for social causes on reading about Medha Patkar. On listening to the life story of Mozart , you may be inspired to write music or play an instrument. An art of work may inspire you, it could be the “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh or a drawing by a little child who with his imagination has created an image which triggers your creativity. The example of Helen Keller is remarkable on how she achieved so much in spite of her challenges of sight, speech and hearing.
Inspiration is truly about being open to draw in ideas to nourish your creativity and ability to take a step forward and put things into action. When you are inspired, you lead a more satisfying and fulfilling life. When you function from a point of inspiration, what you set out to do is done in a wonderful way and leaves you with a deep sense of fulfilment.
When I think of what has inspired me, it could be a sunset with a sunburst, a mother bird feeding her young, a bud blossoming, a child’s innocent smile, the movement of a slight breeze, words spoken impromptu by a passerby. I found inspiration at the most unexpected spaces and the most unexpected times. Inspiration, sometimes shows up as a sign of synchronicity.
At each step of the way, at the risk of sounding cliché, there are hurdles and obstacles that are unforeseen by us, and we falter with all the understanding and know-how. It takes us a while to find our feet and hold ground. It is at moments like these, an image, a symbol , a word, a passage, a ray of light, a stray gesture, a stranger’s comment; anything can inspire us to move, forward, go that extra mile and take the required steps.
The power of Inspiration lies more in how you perceive a thing and react to it. Everyone is not moved, motivated or inspired by the same thing. Certain people and certain incidents have a universal appeal and they have the power to inspire people to walk along the path in spite of the difficulties along the way.
Inspiration has a far reaching effect and the ability to make a shift at your very centre, your core, to stir you to think and act in a positive way.
When you hear life stories of people, you are inspired, when you hear about their hardships and how they overcame them, it does become a source of inspiration. At a parallel level, you can check for your own well being as to where you are at this particular moment in time.
The times when one needs inspiration the most is when one is totally down and out, it serves as a lifesaver to lift one from one mindset and literally change one’s thoughts and it is a trigger for you to put things into action. Inspiration, literally has the ability to move you.
As you cannot predict when you will be down and out and demotivated, it is a good idea to have a regular practice where you buoy yourself up, like a self pep talk, or a book you read that has inspirational stories. This could be a daily or weekly ritual. In the case of children, it is good to inculcate in them a habit of reading about great personalities and how they overcame their problems or seeing short motivational videos from time to time. In this manner, one avoids sliding to an all time low, and one’s head is above water.
When one is keen on bettering oneself or on a self improvement drive, one finds inspiration in places least expected, it could one is be a newspaper clipping, an advertisement jingle, a strain of music or just in a silent moment.
When one is stimulated with some ideas to create words or music you add to the ocean of creativity and each time a drop of inspiration comes your way, you add to the ocean.
On a final note, it would not be wrong to say that, one can actually pause, draw in the air into one’s lungs and let the inspiration flow.
Alternate Titles
- Inspiration is a breath of ideas, the birth of creativity
- Inspiration leads to Creation
- An Inspired Life, A Fulfilled Life
Tweets
- Inspiration has a far reaching effect and the ability to make a shift at your centre, to stir you to think and act in a positive way.
- Inspiration serves as a lifesaver to change one’s mindset and thoughts; it is a trigger for you to put things into action.
