To get at the
real core of change, we need to look at inspiration. I believe that
inspiration has to come from a deeper place in order to carry us
through the tough times. Deep inspiration comes from wanting something
that lasts; it comes to fruition as we begin to see ourselves
completing that task. Encouragement can come from others, but when it
gets right down to it, encouragement has to be from within and it has
to be believable. You need to trust your own instincts and listen to
your own heart. These two things will get you farther than any type of
peer or family approval.
Do you want to
know how you can actually believe in yourself? To begin, think back
over your years and really take a look at what you’ve accomplished.
Can you objectively view your past endeavors and see how each helped
you arrive at who you are today? Can you see every action—even your
‘mistakes’—as something other than trivial? As you contemplate
your vast undertakings, you need to see the value of everything
you’ve done to get you to this point in your life. When you actually
realize that you are special
and that you are worth
something, your attitude and demeanor will change.
One very
important step on your road to inspiring yourself to greatness is to
change your self-talk. How many times do you say things to yourself
that you’d never, ever say to another human being? How many times a
day do you call yourself an idiot? What about telling yourself how
stupid you are? Is ‘ugly’ another word you call yourself? How
about fat?
I know someone
who is beautiful on the outside as well as on the inside, yet she
refuses to look at herself in the mirror. She tells me that she only
looks at herself long enough in the morning to put on her makeup and
then she only looks at her skin and eyes. She thinks she’s ugly.
Where did she get this feeling? I suppose someone a long time ago must
have said something to her—but she’s repeated that phrase over in
her head so many times that now she really and truly believes it.
It’s a bold-face lie. I told her so. Each time I see her, I try to
say something positive to her about herself. It takes a lot of
positive thoughts to undo one negative. Negatives are just easier to
accept and believe. Sad, but true.
Inspiration
really does need to come from within. Even as I was trying to write
this article, I just couldn’t find the inspiration, until today.
I’ve been thinking about it for over two weeks and I’ve actually
sat down several times to put something on paper and nothing came.
Sometimes inspiration takes patience. I’ve never thought of that
before—but I can see how that works.
Motivation is
another one of those things that comes from the inside. Although
motivation and inspiration are similar, I feel motivation is more
active. Incentive, driving force, enthusiasm, and inspiration are all
close synonyms for motivation. However, I believe that you can get
motivated because you’ve
become inspired. Whether it is divine inspiration or simply a passing
thought, this sense of inspiration needs to be acted on—and that
takes motivation.
So: what
motivates you? What gets you enthused? What’s driving you?
When I get up
in the morning, I hear a little voice in my head saying: “Gotta
go make the donuts!” (This may only be funny to those folks who
remember the old television commercial.) I guess you’d say that’s
my driving force.
After I get
out of bed, I start thinking about my day and then I get enthused. I
love what I do so I get excited about what each day will bring. If
someone I work with actually discovers that she’s stronger, more
flexible, or better balanced, then that’s a win in my book. If
someone tells me she was able to shop at Costco for two hours and
didn’t feel tired, that’s my motivation. If I see a woman change
from a shrinking violet to a self-assured, full-blooming iris, I get
enthused. What encourages you?
I put the word
exasperation in the title of
this article because many of us often relate to feelings of
exasperation rather than get excited about motivation and inspiration.
Ask yourself: what makes you mad? What gets you frustrated? What
irritates you? I bet you have a list of answers a mile long to these
questions. Now, ask yourself again: was it easier to answer these last
three questions than the earlier ones about motivation and enthusiasm?
It may be a sad commentary on our society that most everyone has a
pet-peeve, an axe to grind, or an annoyance list, but finds it hard to
know what really motivates or inspires them.
We all have
positive, pleasurable things that we’ve been blessed with; most
often the trick is simply to acknowledge those things so that we can
appreciate them. This may also inspire us to change the unpleasant
situations, environments, or attitudes we carry so that we can open
ourselves to have a little fun and be more enthusiastic in our lives.
You might also find that you can be a motivator to someone that needs
you. Helping someone to overcome a challenge can be terrifically
inspiring and motivating. You might even enjoy the outcome as much as
the person you were supporting!
If
you are still unsure about what inspires or motivates you, here is a
very simple yet incredibly powerful way to begin the process of
self-discovery. It may sound silly on the surface, but it is something
that will change your life. Now—right now—go to the mirror, look
yourself in the eyes, and say “I love you.” It’s amazing how
very hard this task is for some people. If it’s hard for you right
now, what does that tell you about your relationship with yourself?
Would you like that to change? If so, practice this simple act until
it becomes natural—until you really know that you mean it. See if
that doesn’t begin the deeper process of inspiration from within!
Bonnie
Murphy owns a Personalized Fitness Training Studio where she
transforms mature bodies through exercise and food coaching. She’s
located in Anchorage at 15th & C. Phone: 907.229.7652;
Web site: www.bfitandwell.com;
Email:
bonnie@bfitandwell.com
