How to Be Inspired
Look for inspiration in nature., Look for historical sources of inspiration., Look for fictional and artistic sources of inspiration., Look for inspirational details in old, familiar things., Read motivational and self help literature.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for inspiration in nature.
Musicians, poets,painters, artists, and other highbrow intellectuals have long drawn upon nature's beauty as a source of inspiration, but, in truth, you don't have to be an egghead to be inspired by nature.
For instance, simply taking a short walk in a nearby park or a nature preserve can be a reinvigorating experience.
In addition to being a potentially inspiring experience, it feels great to get out into the wilderness and experience nature firsthand, so don't delay! As you walk through nature, try to take in the beautiful, minute details around you.
For instance, notice the simple, yet perfectly-crafted beauty of a flower or see the scenic quality of a creek flowing beside you.
The beauty of nature can be effortless, but it's never unremarkable. -
Step 2: Look for historical sources of inspiration.
If you ever feel like there's no way that you, an ordinary person, can achieve great things, know that history offers hundreds of real-life examples which prove this idea wrong.
Some of history's most inspirational stories are well-known, like those of Jesse Owens, Andrew Carnegie, Nicola Tesla, Mother Theresa, and so on, but countless more people who are less well-known had similarly huge impacts on history.
Below are just a few:
Frank Willis:
Security guard at the Watergate office building in Washington D.
C. in the 1970s whose discoveries sparked the famous Watergate political scandal.
Ziryab:
Persian slave in the 8th and 9th centuries who, upon becoming free, went on to become a master artist, scientist, and inventor.
Among his inventions: the three-course meal.
Nicola Tesla:
A great inventor, who sleep nearly 2 hours a day and work for his inventions for years and years.
He had registered nearly 278 patents of his own inventions.
Audie Murphy:
After being turned down by the Navy and Marine Corps, joined the Army during WWII and became one of the most decorated soldiers in history for his astounding courage in battle.
Candice Lightner:
Formed Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) after the hit-and-run death of her daughter at the hands of a drunk driver, which led to sweeping drunk driving reform in the United States. , While real life has more sources of inspiration than can ever be accessed, fictional stories created by humans can be just as inspiring.
Movies, books, songs, and other forms of art can tell inspirational stories and offer transformative new perspectives on age-old problems.
As an added bonus, these things are all fairly accessible today, especially compared to certain real-life sources of inspiration.
For instance, it's easy to download a new movie or song, but not so easy to start pursuing your secret mountain climber.
Below are just a few examples of the countless fictional and artistic sources of inspiration that exist today:
The Shawshank Redemption:
The classic uplifting tail of the relationship that develops between two prisoners over the decades.
The Brothers Karamazov:
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 19th century masterpiece tells a tale of love, death, family, evil, and redemption in czarist Russia.
A must-read.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow:
A simple yet beautiful song about the age-old hope that something better is waiting for you somewhere out there in the world.
This song has been covered by dozens of musicians, so many different versions exist.
Space Jam:
Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes team up to defeat basketball-playing space aliens.
It doesn't get much more inspirational than this. , Sometimes, inspiration is all around us, just waiting to be noticed.
If you're feeling particularly uninspired, try doing something you've done many times before or going somewhere you've been countless times while keeping a keen eye out for details you may not have noticed before.
Noticing a tiny new detail in something that you're intimately familiar with can lead you on a trail of discoveries that can give you a completely new understanding of the place or process you're revisiting.
As an example, let's say you visit a nature preserve near your home that you've been to dozens of times before.
This time, however, on your walk, you make an effort to venture off of the path you've taken so many times before and actively seek out new details.
By doing this, you may find something new, like, for instance, a massive ant colony located just off of the trail that you were previously unaware of. , It's definitely worth noting that many, many books, publications, and articles specifically detail the process of becoming motivated and inspired to achieve a goal or reach for the stars.
These sources can vary greatly in terms of length, credibility, and quality.
Some are written by Ph.Ds, while others are written by self-appointed experts.
Some have great, life-changing advice, while others are written primarily to make money for the author.
Some are comprehensive guides for how to live your whole life, while others detail only very specific aspects of life.
Only you will know which self-help resources are useful for you.
However, whenever possible, try only to research your choices.
You don't want to waste money on snake oil treatments or common sense advice packaged as profound insight, so only pay for self-help resources that are well-reviewed and verified by independent sources. -
Step 3: Look for fictional and artistic sources of inspiration.
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Step 4: Look for inspirational details in old
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Step 5: familiar things.
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Step 6: Read motivational and self help literature.
Detailed Guide
Musicians, poets,painters, artists, and other highbrow intellectuals have long drawn upon nature's beauty as a source of inspiration, but, in truth, you don't have to be an egghead to be inspired by nature.
For instance, simply taking a short walk in a nearby park or a nature preserve can be a reinvigorating experience.
In addition to being a potentially inspiring experience, it feels great to get out into the wilderness and experience nature firsthand, so don't delay! As you walk through nature, try to take in the beautiful, minute details around you.
For instance, notice the simple, yet perfectly-crafted beauty of a flower or see the scenic quality of a creek flowing beside you.
The beauty of nature can be effortless, but it's never unremarkable.
If you ever feel like there's no way that you, an ordinary person, can achieve great things, know that history offers hundreds of real-life examples which prove this idea wrong.
Some of history's most inspirational stories are well-known, like those of Jesse Owens, Andrew Carnegie, Nicola Tesla, Mother Theresa, and so on, but countless more people who are less well-known had similarly huge impacts on history.
Below are just a few:
Frank Willis:
Security guard at the Watergate office building in Washington D.
C. in the 1970s whose discoveries sparked the famous Watergate political scandal.
Ziryab:
Persian slave in the 8th and 9th centuries who, upon becoming free, went on to become a master artist, scientist, and inventor.
Among his inventions: the three-course meal.
Nicola Tesla:
A great inventor, who sleep nearly 2 hours a day and work for his inventions for years and years.
He had registered nearly 278 patents of his own inventions.
Audie Murphy:
After being turned down by the Navy and Marine Corps, joined the Army during WWII and became one of the most decorated soldiers in history for his astounding courage in battle.
Candice Lightner:
Formed Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) after the hit-and-run death of her daughter at the hands of a drunk driver, which led to sweeping drunk driving reform in the United States. , While real life has more sources of inspiration than can ever be accessed, fictional stories created by humans can be just as inspiring.
Movies, books, songs, and other forms of art can tell inspirational stories and offer transformative new perspectives on age-old problems.
As an added bonus, these things are all fairly accessible today, especially compared to certain real-life sources of inspiration.
For instance, it's easy to download a new movie or song, but not so easy to start pursuing your secret mountain climber.
Below are just a few examples of the countless fictional and artistic sources of inspiration that exist today:
The Shawshank Redemption:
The classic uplifting tail of the relationship that develops between two prisoners over the decades.
The Brothers Karamazov:
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 19th century masterpiece tells a tale of love, death, family, evil, and redemption in czarist Russia.
A must-read.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow:
A simple yet beautiful song about the age-old hope that something better is waiting for you somewhere out there in the world.
This song has been covered by dozens of musicians, so many different versions exist.
Space Jam:
Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes team up to defeat basketball-playing space aliens.
It doesn't get much more inspirational than this. , Sometimes, inspiration is all around us, just waiting to be noticed.
If you're feeling particularly uninspired, try doing something you've done many times before or going somewhere you've been countless times while keeping a keen eye out for details you may not have noticed before.
Noticing a tiny new detail in something that you're intimately familiar with can lead you on a trail of discoveries that can give you a completely new understanding of the place or process you're revisiting.
As an example, let's say you visit a nature preserve near your home that you've been to dozens of times before.
This time, however, on your walk, you make an effort to venture off of the path you've taken so many times before and actively seek out new details.
By doing this, you may find something new, like, for instance, a massive ant colony located just off of the trail that you were previously unaware of. , It's definitely worth noting that many, many books, publications, and articles specifically detail the process of becoming motivated and inspired to achieve a goal or reach for the stars.
These sources can vary greatly in terms of length, credibility, and quality.
Some are written by Ph.Ds, while others are written by self-appointed experts.
Some have great, life-changing advice, while others are written primarily to make money for the author.
Some are comprehensive guides for how to live your whole life, while others detail only very specific aspects of life.
Only you will know which self-help resources are useful for you.
However, whenever possible, try only to research your choices.
You don't want to waste money on snake oil treatments or common sense advice packaged as profound insight, so only pay for self-help resources that are well-reviewed and verified by independent sources.
About the Author
Bruce Hernandez
Bruce Hernandez specializes in lifestyle and practical guides and has been creating helpful content for over 12 years. Bruce is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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