An inspired life literally means a life so outstanding or brilliant that it is suggestive of supernatural or divine inspiration. But that may seem as though such a life would be reserved for saints or prophets, and that’s not the case. Many individuals are imbued with such energy and purpose, what we think of them as living inspired lives.
There are two sides to living an inspired life. Those who live their lives as though infused by an extraordinary inspiration, are often seen to inspire others. The magical energy they exude seems to be endemic, driving others to achieve more.
Qualities of Inspired Living
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau, American author and philosopher.
What are the qualities that are the hallmarks of an inspired life? Many qualities are associated with people living inspired lives, but a few stand out as particularly fundamental to a life of excellence. These are the qualities that are expressed in your actions in everyday life.
Honesty and Conviction. An inspired life is one based on a genuine and rational self-belief. In other words, be yourself and believe in yourself. Seek and follow the truth.
Love and Compassion. A life that is self-centered is less meaningful than one filled with empathy and compassion for for the less fortunate. Finding your true vocation and passionately pursuing your goals are essential features of an inspired life.
Courage. You need to have the courage to follow your dreams and to dare to think outside the box. Inspired living means defeating your fears, and persevering in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Efficiency. Inspired living requires you to apply yourself in an efficient and optimal way, because there is much to do. The Latin phrase, “carpe diem” (seize the day), says it all.
Inspiration and reflection. Inspired living means that you continuously seek inspiration, and find yourself inspiring others. Reflect on and appreciate the wonderful world around us.
Being a Gardener of the Mind
“I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden.” – John Erskine, American author
Your mind is in control of your life. You can compare your mind to a garden. If you seed your mind with positive, inspiring thoughts, you will bear beautiful flowers and fruit-bearing trees. On the other hand, if you don’t care for your garden, by ridding yourself of bad habits and living a healthy life, the weeds, in the form of negativity or self-defeating thinking, will take over your garden.
Tending to your garden is not a one-off exercise, but a continuous activity you do throughout your life. By cultivating a healthy mind and body, educating yourself through reading, exercising mindfulness, and seeking the truth, you pamper the soil in your garden. Conversely, poor habits, self-centered living, and thoughts of bitterness and malevolence, will allow the weeds to take over your garden.
By focusing on your dream or goal, and turning your plans into action, the seeds you have planted, will turn into fully grown plants, to inspire others that pass by. You will find your inspiration and purpose in life, in a well-tended garden of the mind.
Relying on the Intuitive Mind
“During [these] periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give so much joy and delight.” – Fritjof Capra, physicist.
Some call it your subconscious. Others refer to is as your intuitive mind. We are often so occupied with our conscious self that we forget that our thoughts and deeds are often the expression of our hidden subconscious mind. Somehow our brains stores the inputs it receives in inaccessible crevices, that is inaccessible through conscious means. But these subconscious memories informs our conscious in ways we often cannot explain.
We should feed our intuitive mind, by reading widely and exploring the world we live in. We should be open to the possibility of finding inspiration, or perhaps a solution to a vexing problem, through the workings of our intuitive mind. Think of the anecdotal tale of August Kekule, the nineteenth century chemist, who discovered the molecular structure of benzene after day-dreaming of a snake catching its own tail.
So, next time you have a seemingly insoluble problem, take a break from it, and let your intuitive mind go to work. Who knows, your conscious may just mysteriously unravel the puzzle after a few days. Relying on your intuitive mind to find inspiration may not be such an absurd idea as you may believe.
Filling the Creative Well
”The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” – Picasso
Creative people need inspiration for their works. They make a living by constantly producing writing, music, works of art, or other original content. We can imagine their work to come from the springs of their minds. They have to keep filling the creative well from where their inspiration comes.
Sometimes the creative well runs dry. For instance, an author may experience what is known as “writer’s block”. Then the creative well needs to be refilled. We can do this by reading great literature of spending time with smart or wise people. Or learning new skills, such as playing a musical instrument, or a new craft. We could move to a different environment and be inspired by our new surroundings.
There is much that we can learn from the continuous search for inspiration that creative people have to do, to keep producing works that are unique and worthwhile. Here are a few quotes that shed light on the creative process.
“Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the most. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.” – William Faulkner
“Art is not a handicraft. It is the transmission of a feeling which the artist has experienced.” – Leo Tolstoy. All artistic work expresses feeling and emotions.
“Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you.” – Marsha Norman. Your dreams can be a fertile source of ideas for creative works.
“Free writing. One of the best ways to get unstuck if you’re uninspired. Just start writing. Anything. It doesn’t matter. Don’t edit, don’t pause, don’t think. Just write and let it flow.” – Leo Babauta.
“Serendipity is the art of making an unsought finding.” – Pek Van Andel. Do not be afraid to tread the unbeaten path, the road less taken. Follow your instincts. Art is not a determinate discipline.
Seeking Inspiration
“The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it.” – Anon
When you feel your life has lost meaning and direction, and you need some inspiration or ideas to revive the sense of purpose in your life, you should take a break from the routine. Here are some ideas for seeking inspiration away from the daily grind.
Treat yourself. Take time off and treat yourself to an outing out with friends, family or a love interest. Take in a movie or visit your favorite restaurant. Or do a day trip to one your favorite scenic spots or go on a hiking trail, if you’re a nature lover. Attend a sporting event to be inspired by individuals excelling on the field or on the track.
Meeting people. Visit a festival or craft market gathering and talk to the vendors and visitors. Your curiosity and questions will be rewarded with a host of new ideas and often inspirational stories. Or attend a presentation or play, and be sure to take them up on any invitation to meet members of the audience afterwards.
Step into awe inspiring buildings. Step inside a Gothic church, a temple, or even a museum hall. Not all of us live close to such exalted architectural achievements, but if you do get the opportunity, they can be an awe inspiring display of past human achievement.
Go for a workout. A fit and healthy body will give you the energy to maintain your work schedule. Regular exercise will get the blood flow going, resulting in stronger muscles, increased endurance, and importantly, heightened alertness and improved brain function.
Read an autobiography. Another source of inspiration is the biographies of famous or successful people. Or watch documentaries on the lives or stories of famous people. Whether it be about musicians, business people, politicians, scientists, or philanthropists, such biographical material never ceases to inspire.
Inspirational Works Online
“To speak and to speak well, are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.” – Ben Johnson, English dramatist, poet and actor
There is an immense quantity of inspiration works online, that you can find with a simple query on your favorite search engine. You can watch scores of successful authors share their stories with viewers, or musicians showing off their particular skills. Take a virtual step away from social media, and delve into the wealth of learning to be done online.
You’ll find audio, video and written works of motivational speakers, such as Dr Wayne Dyer, Deepal Chopra, Zig Ziglar and others online. They will provide you with the understanding and insights that will enrich your life. The more you absorb and learn, and above all put into practice, the more inspired you will become.
Inspiring Others
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
Whilst living an inspired life does not necessarily imply that you set out to inspire others. But the realization that you are inspiring others, can actually be a source of inspiration by itself.
Leadership by example always serve to inspire others. For example, if you wish to inspire your colleagues, you should be a role model for dynamic, efficient and honest work. Qualities such as perseverance and courage will empower you team to step out of their comfort zone too.
Coaching is another area in which you are called upon to guide, inspire and empower others. The attributes of a good coach can be include the leadership ability to obtain the commitment to a goal, in-depth knowledge of the field concerned, the ability to motivate people, knowing the individuals you’re coaching, effective communication skills, and consistency in your message.
If you’re seeking to inspire others, you should seek to emulate the example set by the successful leaders and coaches out there. Inspiring others can be a rewarding experience
The Inspirational Cascade
“No, it’s not a very good story—its author was too busy listening to other voices to listen as closely as he should have to the one coming from inside.” – Stephen King
When we listen to a motivational presentation or read an aspirational work, we feel uplifted and enlightened. It inspires us to greater achievement and to improve our lives. But what we don’t always realize is that the individual we’re listening to, or whose work we’re reading, has in turn been inspired by someone else. When we live inspired lives, we serve to inspire others. We become part of the inspirational cascade that is fundamental to the progress made by humankind over the centuries.
All scientific and social advances are the result of the cascade of innovation. By inspiring others, you do your share for the advancement and betterment of the world at large. In other words, by living an inspired life, you become an inspirational role model, setting in motion an inspirational cascade.
