The Journey to Finding Inspiration Continues…
We all go through discouraging moments in our lives where we sometimes feel like we have failed or are no longer on the right track, but it doesn’t have to be like this. You may find yourself drained of creativity and inspiration, unable to come up with new ideas or feeling like you aren’t good enough to succeed. It can be extremely frustrating to try and find motivation when you don’t feel inspired, but it’s not impossible.
Part Two of this Blog series will present three more changes outlined in this article that will help you break out of the cycle of un-inspiration and get you back on track to achieving your life goals. With a shift in mindset, a clearer understanding of the comparison trap, and knowledge that being wrong isn’t all bad, you will be able to tap into your true potential and power through the obstacles in front of you. You can and will reach any goal with ease.
#1: Be Mindful of Your Mind
It all starts with your mindset. Being mindful of your thoughts is the key to unlocking your inspiration. You must Identify Your Negative Self-Talk! Negative self-talk is a common barrier to finding inspiration. You might say things like, “I can’t do that,” or “I’m not good enough.” These thoughts can be a self-fulfilling prophecy and make it hard to get motivated.
To combat negative self-talk, try identifying when it happens. Notice when you’re being critical of yourself and write it down. Once you’re aware of these thoughts, you can start to reframe them. Reframing Your Negative Thoughts. Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, focus on what you can.
Try turning your negative thoughts into positive affirmations. For example, instead of saying “I can’t do that,” say “I may not be able to do it yet, but I’ll keep practicing.” Identifying Your Negative Self-Talk is so important to overcoming the self-imposed obstacles you have created in your own mind. Negative self-talk can lead to a lack of inspiration and hinder progress towards achieving success.
It is essential to identify and understand the types of negative self-talk to overcome them. Here are some common types of negative self-talk that you can recognize:
- Filtering: This is when we focus solely on the negative parts of our lives, ignoring the positive aspects.
- Polarized thinking: This is the black and white thinking that makes us feel like we either have to be perfect or we’ve completely failed.
- Overgeneralization: This is when a single negative event is taken as evidence that everything is going wrong.
- Personalization: This is when we take things personally, even when they have nothing to do with us.
By identifying these types of negative self-talk, we can start to reframe our thoughts in a more positive light. Once we’ve identified our negative self-talk, the next step is to reframe our thoughts in a positive way. Here are some tips on how to reframe negative self-talk:
- Recognize the negative thought: You can’t reframe a thought if you don’t know it’s there. Take note of when negative self-talk pops up and jot it down.
- Challenge the thought: Ask yourself whether the negative thought is true or not. Is there evidence to support it? Try to come up with other explanations for what might be happening instead.
- Reframe the thought: Once you’ve challenged the negative thought, try to reframe it in a more positive light. Instead of saying, “I’m not good enough,” try saying, “I am capable and able to learn.”
By actively reframing our negative thoughts, we can train our minds to focus on the positive aspects of our lives and find inspiration more easily. One of the most impactful changes you can make to find inspiration is to be mindful of your mind, especially when it comes to negative self-talk. We all have that little voice in our heads that can be either our biggest cheerleader or our harshest critic. Unfortunately, for many of us, that inner voice tends to be more of the latter.
If you want to find inspiration, it’s crucial to recognize and acknowledge your negative self-talk. Take some time to pay attention to the thoughts that come up when you’re feeling stuck or unmotivated. Are they positive and encouraging, or negative and self-defeating? Once you’ve identified your negative self-talk, the next step is to reframe those thoughts into something more positive and empowering. For example, instead of saying “I’m not good enough,” try reframing that thought into “I’m capable of learning and growing.”
The key is to reframe your negative thoughts into something that is both true and empowering. By doing so, you’ll begin to see yourself and your abilities in a more positive light, which can be a powerful source of inspiration.
#2: Stop Comparing
Comparing ourselves to others is a common habit that can quickly drain our inspiration and motivation. We often see what others are doing or achieving and feel like we’re not measuring up. However, this kind of comparison can be dangerous – it can make us feel inadequate and unmotivated. Here’s what you need to do to stop comparing and take control of your inspiration.
Take a Step Back and reflect for a moment. If you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, it’s time to step back and focus on your own journey. Remember, your path is your own, and we all have different speeds and ways of getting there. One of the best ways to stop comparing yourself to others is to take a break from social media, competition or any other external factors that may trigger your desire to compare yourself.
Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on what resonates with you- it could be something you’re good at or enjoy doing, or something that aligns with your interests and values. Finding inspiration in the right places can give you a clearer understanding of what you want, need, or have to offer. Once you identify what resonates with you, set realistic goals that are achievable and work towards them in your own pace.
When we’re feeling uninspired, it’s easy to get caught up in our constant need for productivity and progress. However, sometimes taking a step back can actually propel us forward in unexpected ways. Here are a few ways to take a break and refresh your mind:
- Take a Walk
- “Walking can be an incredible break from work and a great way to boost inspiration.” – Srinivas Rao
- Being outdoors and moving your body can help decrease stress levels and increase creativity.
- Try Meditation
- Meditation is a powerful tool for inspiring creativity because it allows you to simply listen to yourself.” – Gretchen Rubin
- Taking even just a few minutes to focus on your breath and clear your mind can help ease anxiety and allow new ideas to flow in.
- Read a Book
- “Reading great literature does help make you a better writer.” – Stephen King
- Reading can help you escape into new stories and perspectives, and can also improve your own writing and creativity.
One of the most significant obstacles to finding inspiration is not knowing what truly resonates with us. It is easy to be inspired by what other people are doing or by the latest trends, but it takes a lot more effort to determine what speaks to us personally. Here are some ways to find what resonates with you.
Take Time to Reflect: Taking the time to reflect and analyze our thoughts and feelings is essential to gaining insight into what truly motivates us. Through self-reflection, we can gain a deeper understanding of our values, interests, and goals.
Reflection is looking back, analyzing the past, and taking a valuable lesson forward in life.
Another way to find inspiration is to experiment with different things until we find what resonates with us. Trying out new hobbies or activities can be a great way to discover new interests and passions.
“It is only through trial and error that we learn what works and what doesn’t.”
Finding people who inspire and motivate us can be a powerful motivator in itself. Surrounding ourselves with positive influences can help us find additional sources of inspiration in our daily lives.
Surround yourself with those who believe in you, lift you higher and help you reach your full potential.”
#3: Fight Your Ego-driven Need to Always Be Right
Your ego can be a powerful force that drives you to be the best and feel superior to others. However, it can also be a hindrance to finding your inspiration. Your ego-driven need to always be right can stop you from exploring new ideas and perspectives. Here’s how to fight it:
Understand Your Ego. The first step to fighting your ego-driven need to always be right is to understand your ego. Your ego is the voice in your head that tells you that you’re better than others, and that your opinions and beliefs are more valid than anyone else’s. It’s important to acknowledge that everyone has an ego, and that it’s not always helpful.
Once you understand your ego, it’s time to focus on what you can control. You can’t control other people’s opinions or beliefs, but you can control how you react to them. Instead of trying to prove that you’re right, focus on listening and learning. Be open to new ideas and perspectives, and try to see things from a different point of view.
In today’s world, we often get carried away by our egos – this voice in our head that tells us that we are always right, and everyone else is wrong. It’s important to understand that our egos can get in the way of finding inspiration and growing in life. In this section, we’ll explore how you can fight the ego-driven need to always be right and create space for inspiration in your life.
Identify Your Ego: The first step in understanding your ego is to identify it. It’s important to remember that we all have an ego, but it’s up to us to recognize it and keep it in check. You can do this by paying attention to your thoughts and actions. When you find yourself thinking or acting in a way that serves your ego, ask yourself why you’re doing it. Are you trying to prove something to yourself or someone else? By being mindful of your ego, you can start to understand where it’s coming from and how it might be getting in the way of your inspiration.
Focus on What You Can Control: When our ego is in control, we often focus on things that are outside of our control. It’s easy to get caught up in what other people are doing or saying, but the truth is, we can’t control anyone else’s actions or thoughts. Instead, focus on what you can control – your thoughts, feelings, and actions. When you do this, you create space for inspiration and growth. As author Ryan Holiday said, “Ego is the enemy of what you want and of what you have: Of mastering a craft. Of real creative insight. Of working well with others. Of building loyalty and support. Of longevity.”
Focus on What You Can Control: Life is full of ups and downs, but if there’s one thing we can control it’s our mindset. In order to maintain a positive state of mind, we need to be aware of our thoughts and feelings. It’s natural to have negative self-talk that can put a damper on our day-to-day routine. In this section, I’ll be discussing how to identify your negative self-talk and provide you with helpful tips to reframe your negative thoughts.
Identifying Your Negative Self-Talk: The first step in changing your mindset is to know and recognize your negative self-talk. This includes thoughts that hold you back, feelings of doubt and unbelief, and a general sense of lethargy. Be mindful of those times when you find yourself engaging in negative self-talk. Write down those negative thoughts and ask yourself if they are true or not.
Reframing Your Negative Thoughts : Once you’ve identified your negative self-talk, it’s time to reframe those thoughts. Reframing means looking at a situation from a different perspective. Try asking yourself questions like “What can I learn from this situation?” or “How can I turn this into a positive experience?” By doing so, you shift your focus from the negative to the positive, which helps in building a more optimistic outlook.
Take a Step Back : Another change that can impact your mindset is to stop comparing yourself to others. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others, but it’s important to take a step back and focus on your own journey. Everyone has their own unique story, and comparing yourself to others only leads to feelings of doubt and inadequacy.
Find What Resonates with You : Instead of comparing yourself to others, find inspiration from people that resonate with you. This could be someone in your life or a public figure that you admire. Look to their journey, learn from their ups and downs, and use their story to motivate you to keep going.
Understand Your Ego : In order to make lasting changes, we need to understand our ego-driven mindset. Our ego is our sense of self, and it can often get in the way of our personal growth. By recognizing our ego and choosing to let go of our need to be right all the time, we create room for true growth and development.
Focus on What You Can Control : Finally, focus on what you can control. Life is full of uncertainties and things that are out of our control. But this is true for everyone, not just you! You alone control your own journey and ultimately your destiny.
Conclusion
If you want to be more Inspired, you need to change some things about your approach towards becoming inspired. These three changes will help you find your Inspiration. First, be mindful of your mind. When you’re looking for Inspiration, you need to focus on your thoughts and not on what other people are doing. You need to be able to trust your own abilities and not be afraid to experiment.
Second, stop comparing what you have versus what everyone else has. When you’re comparing your life/abilities/possessions to others, you’re preventing yourself from finding your Inspiration. You need to be willing to experiment and take risks.
Third, fight your ego driven need to always be right. When you’re trying to find Inspiration, you need to be willing to make mistakes. You need to be willing to be open to feedback and change your ideas based on that feedback.
5 Comments