Last week I went to the cinema and watched The Greatest Showman, firstly, it is such an incredibe film, if you have not seen it – you must! During the movie I went through such heightened states of emotions; tears, laughter, joy, but mainly I found myself being inspired by what I saw on screen. It got me thinking, how can I take these feelings of inspiration and bottle them to use at a time that I need them? How can I find my inspiration when I don’t want to get off the couch because I’m watching reruns of Friends?
The answer is; recognising what motivates you, what gets your heart pounding and wanting to head to the gym, read that book and generally get stuff done! I believe there are many sorts of inspiration and each of us connects with something different, check out this list and find what works for you, this list is not exhaustive, anything in life could inspire you, make sure you notice what it is. Find the sound, quote or person that gets inside your soul and shouts, “Let’s do this!”
“Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you see can inspire you.” — Grace Coddington
MUSIC
This one is pretty self explanatory, most of us have a playlist that we use at the gym for a workout. Why not take it one step further and create a playlist that you listen to each morning to get you in the mood for your day? There are studies that show our heart rate tends to sync to the tempo of music, keep that in mind when creating your playlist. Anything too fast will increase your heart rate and if you are trying to relax, this isn’t the best choice. Avoid tunes that you assosciate with negative times in your life and most importantly, each time you hear a piece of music that makes your heart sing, place it in a playlist for the times you need inspiration and a smiling soul.
MOVIES/ VIDEOS
As per my initial example of The Greatest Showman, sometimes we watch something that really speaks to us. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a film, if you are searching for inspiration, then Ted Talks may be what you need. Ted Talks are inspirational and educational videos, usually less than 20 minutes each by a massive range of expert speakers on almost any topic that you could think of! You can even make playlists of your most inpiring Talks. Sometimes, a short video we see on social media can motivate us, facebook has an option to save a post so that you can access that video when you need inspiration. It’s time to get watching!
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” — Earl Nightingale
BOOKS
I love reading, almost any genre. However, I love motivational books, I am currently reading Brendon Burchards book, High Performance Habits, and it inspires me in all areas of my life. This is an example of a Personal Development book to inspire you, I often reference inspiring books similar to this one in my blogs so keep an eye out. However, I also become inspired by educational books or biographys that open my eyes and mind to a whole bunch of things that I never knew about, and that feeling inspires me to research those subjects more. What are your favourite books to read that inspire you to make your dreams happen?
PODCASTS
Living in London with no car and taking the tube to work… podcasts are my best friend. I love that you can download them to your phone because I do not have access to wi-fi on the underground! My all time favourite podcast is by Lewis Howes, if you are not already listening to his inspirational podcasts, then subscribe to him on itunes. Every Friday he releases a 5 minute podcast that is specifically created to inspire you. It is quick, easy and does the job. Just like every other option I have listed here, there are podcasts for any topic that you could desire, find what speaks to you and make a habit of listening to it.
“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” — Robin Sharma
NATURE
Nothing soothes a tired soul, like a mindful walk in nature. If you are feeling burnt out, uninspired and a little tired of adulting, then get outside. It may seem like an effort to even get outside, but I promise you that the fresh air, sunshine, and sounds of nature will be the soul food you require. Make a routine of getting outside regularly, it is very easy to fall into the habit of leaving the house, getting in the car, going to work in an office and returning home with little interaction with the outside world. Take a moment to feel the sun on your face, plan a weekend at the beach and feel the sand between your toes. Sometimes, we don’t need any of the distractions listed here to inspire us, maybe we need to return to nature to find the space for inspiration in our mind.
QUOTES
Who doesn’t love a quote? If you are looking for regular inspiring quotes, make sure you follow my instagram page @healthymindhealthybody_life, I post regular quotes that I find inspiring and hopefully they will speak to you also. I’ve scattered a few quotes that really spoke to me throughout this article, I hope you’ve enjoyed them! There are SO many quotes online; google or pinterest search ‘quotes’ and find your favourites, frame them, put them on post it notes, write them in your diary. Surround yourself with positive words that inspire you.
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Henry David Thoreau
PEOPLE
This one’s my favourite. Who inspires you most in this world? It could be anyone, an entrepeneur, an actor/ actress, a friend, a child or a partner. Now, why do they inspire you? If it is someone you don’t know, maybe you are inspired by work they do and want to replicate it. If the person who inspires you is someone you know, it may not be because they motivate you, perhaps you are inspired to be your best self FOR THEM. Find the person that inspires you to get out of bed each day, remember every morning that they are your source of inspiration and allow that love for them to motivate you to succeed.
If you have been inspired and liked what you have read here today, please share on social media. My goal is to spread joy and inspiration. Please subscribe with your email address below the comment section so my next blog is delivered directly to your inbox. I would love to hear from you in the comments, what inspires you?
Love and Light
Lauren x
Everything you’ve listed inspires me and God 🙂 More specifically, christian music (Casting Crowns, Mercy Me) TV (This is Us) Reading (Karen Kingsbury, Pricilla Shirer) and Oprah 🙂 I love the beach and my favorite quotes are, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game” and “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s learning to dance in the rain”