The Art of Inspiration

What exactly is inspiration? We often talk about being inspired—inspired to do something, a feeling of inspiration: “I felt inspired.” We speak about inspiring people: “She’s an inspiring speaker.”nnThe word inspire comes from the word spirit, the Latin spîritus, meaning breath, which was derived from the verb spîrâre ‘breathe’. In the Augustan period, it gradually began to take over as the word for soul. nnFor me, inspiration is something that touches me deep within my soul. I feel it. It’s a connection with something bigger than myself. And I like it. Most people do. nIs it possible to be inspired all the time—to stay in touch with something higher than ourselves, to be motivated, enthusiastic—connected? I believe it is. nnInspiring PeoplenAn important key to being inspired is to associate with people who are inspiring. They’re the kind of people you just feel better being around. You feel more stimulated—more alive. An inspiring person is someone who helps us see and believe in our highest good—someone who helps draw out the very best that’s within us. nConversely, we also want to stay away from people who bring us down.nnAn inspirational person empowers us to stay motivated and excited about our dreams. They’re someone with a vision for a better world. They challenge us to dig deep and encourage us through the tough times. nnInspiring people are good role models. They model excellence and give us something to which to aspire. They share themselves. They’re authentic.nnStimulating Ideas and RemindersnIn addition to people, good books, tapes and movies can provide impetus for our inspiration. They stimulate our thinking. What we read isn’t as important as what the reading causes us to think. We feed our bodies every day—hopefully with good fuel. We need to feed our minds every day as well. Anything that reminds us of who we are and what we’re capable of becoming is a valuable tool indeed.nnStaying focused on our dreams and our commitment to them is key to staying inspired. Affirmations can be very helpful here.nnMusicnMusic can touch us at a vibratory level in ways that can stimulate and tap the imagination. Music can get us out of our head and more into our heart. Find the music that moves your soul and play it—often.nnOur EnvironmentnWhere we live, work and play can have a significant influence upon our level of inspiration. The visual, auditory, kinesthetic and even olfactory effect of our surroundings can dramatically impact our ability to operate at our best. It’s hard to be inspired when our personal environment is depressing. Clean up and spruce up your personal space and see what a difference it makes. nnSolitudenTime alone is critical to tapping into our divinity. Most of us are human doings instead of human beings. Too much emphasis is placed on doing things and not enough on pondering the metaphysical mustiness—to tapping into divine ideas.nnIt matters not what you call it—meditation, prayer or solitude—communing with our Higher Power is essential to bringing out our full potential.nnI wish for you to realize your full and divine potential. I wish for you to live a life of excellence—a life of excitement and joy. I wish for you to be inspired and inspiring.