January 2014 – Inspiration

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

Becoming an inspirational person requires acknowledgment of your own talents, skills, and worth in this world. Being inspirational is about living from your heart, so no matter how many people you meet in your life; each of them will come away thinking about your verve for life, your energy, and your faith in their ability to be great too.

Inspiration is the fuel in the tank for getting things done. It happens everywhere. People use inspiration to begin projects, and to finish them. Inspiration helps people write, paint, sing, dance, and get their creative juices flowing. Being inspired increases our sense of well-being; we know that all is right in the world for that moment.

Connecting with others and truly and deeply listening to them allows us to be more inspired and inspirational. At our deepest level, human beings have a desire to connect with others. Actively nurture the part of yourself that relates and connects with others. Truly understating and relating to others is our best vehicle for inspiring one another.

The world needs people who are committed to being inspired and inspiring others. Here are some suggestions on how you can be a source of inspiration:

1. Show compassion for others. Relate to them in ways that have them feel loved and accepted.

2. When someone can’t see a clear path to a solution, guide them to clarity. Encourage action.

3. Take action yourself, in bold and beautiful ways. Be an example of a can-do attitude.

4. Be available for people when they reach out to you.

5. Be vulnerable. People love to know you’ve been through something similar and have come out the other side.

6. Listen intently, and repeat what you heard.

7. Follow your heart. Take the heart-driven path instead of the ambition-driven path.

8. Be different. Avoid status quo.

9. Find beauty in everything.

10. Lead with love, asking yourself “What would love do here?”

11. We love stories about someone overcoming huge odds. Become a storyteller.

12. Exercise self-love, with self care.

13. Do what you say you will do, every single time.

14. Do things that scare you.

15. Get to know other cultures, and live a diverse life.

16. Slow down and be present with people.

17. Give unconditionally.

18. Lay your ego down when it really matters.

19. Do nice things for people without them knowing you did it.

20. Surround yourself with people who inspire YOU.

21. Follow your passion.

22. Wake up and serve, in whatever way possible for you.

23. Do the right thing.

24. Forgive fast and fully.

25. Suspend judgment.

26. Empower yourself and others.

27. Say what’s true. People respect direct truth.

28. Live your faith through action.

29. Use discipline.

30. Live every day as if it were your last.

The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Taylor

Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

I Believe In Me: A Book Of Affirmations By Connie Brown

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.

Inspiration in the Workplace

You’re an artist.

Just because you go into an office every day, or because you sit at a desk or share a cubicle or were relegated to the back of a converted supply closet, it doesn’t detract from that reality.

So, maybe you’re not an artist in the traditional sense, but your job requires creativity. You are often innovating and generating big ideas to inspire people. It’s on you to come up with something where nothing once was. That sounds like artistry to me.

Perhaps you’re the Picasso of publicity, the Sartre of social media, the Kierkegaard of corporate copy. You’re an artist, and artists need good, old-fashioned inspiration—the kind that makes you toss the covers aside and go tearing into your day the moment that alarm goes off. Heck, once you’re really inspired, who even needs an alarm clock?

But where does inspiration come from?

Many famous painters and writers had muses; some people are inspired by places. For Ernest Hemingway, it was the sea and Paris. Georgia O’Keeffe was inspired by the New Mexico desert. Many of us peer out our windows and see other buildings. Depending on where you’re working, that may not be all that inspiring.

If you can’t rely on the landscape or a muse, you’re probably not alone. Inspiration is no less important to us corporate creatives. Though I can’t tell you exactly where to find yours, I’ll share a few of mine, and perhaps you’ll be inspired to look elsewhere for your inspiration sources.

Here are five unlikely sources of inspiration that I draw upon:

1. Rising before the rest of the world wakes up: The best mornings are those when I wake up insanely early, make it to the gym and back home, eat a good breakfast and get ready for my day before most people have even hit the snooze button. It gives me a mental edge that will last at least until right after lunch—when I start yawning and wondering why the hell I got up so early.

2. Fear: Poverty isn’t imminent in my world, and I think I owe that in large part to my healthy fear of it. It seems non-artistic to allow my fear of being penniless serve as inspiration for doing great work, but if it helps me knock out great copy or try extra hard, so be it.

3. Tesla electric vehicles: It isn’t often you find a pure, absolute, undisputable truth in your life, but someday I will own a Tesla automobile. They’re beautiful, incredible cars, and I know the harder I work, the more likely it will be that I can afford one. Simple, electric inspiration. If a material possession can serve as your driving force, set that goal.

4. Things that withstand the test of time: Most of us would like our work to leave a lasting impression. I’m always so impressed with work that holds up over time—whether it’s a centuries-old painting, classic literature, or the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Our art might never win a Pulitzer, but we can create lasting impressions and campaigns that are remembered. Especially with social media, there are so many opportunities to do something no one has ever done; it’s an exciting time to be doing what we do.

5. Working with passionate people: I’ve realized after several years in the professional world that it’s a luxury to work with passionate people. When I’m surrounded by peers who love what they’re doing and want to do great work together, I get rabidly inspired. On the opposite end of the spectrum are dispassionate, disgruntled creatures who just make things difficult for the rest of us. I’ve witnessed collaboration at its best, and that victorious feeling that comes after a great brainstorming session inspires me to keep striving for it.

(Kevin Allen, N.p., Web. 24 May 2013.<http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/5_sources_of_workplace_inspiration_14541.aspx#>.)

The above information on Inspiration was taken from Ragan’s PR Daily click here to check it out online.