Art of Inspiration

    Have any of you ever been asked who your inspiration is ?

    Everyone of us have a role model or some of us have more than one. We are inspired
by many people around us. We are inspired by the way they act, the way they carry themselves,
their personality,etc… But have you ever wondered why we are inspired by them?

    Each of us have our own character and uniqueness. Yet, we get inspired by something
that we see in others. Why is that?

    I believe the answer is very simple. Inspiration means excitation and what are we
excited about? We are excited about something we love. We are inspired by others when they
do something that we love. We get inspired by their actions and do the things they do…
Now the real question here is still not answered, why do we get inspired?

    We get inspired because we already have the same principles that inspired us. We
just don't follow them. When someone we love does something interesting, we tend to get
inspired and do it. Inspiration is not something we learn to do from someone else but something
that we already are but just failed to see it, something we already know but failed to do.

    Research shows that inspiration can be captured,activated and manipulated. But how long
do you think a manipulation can work unless and until it is something that we already love.
When we find inspiration we are transcendent of our more animalistic and self-serving concerns
and limitations. As psychologists, Todd M. Thrash and Andrew J. Elliott note,​

“The heights of human motivation spring from the beauty and goodness that precede us and awaken us to better possibilities.”

    So, when you get inspired by someone remember you are just becoming more of
what you already are…

    I know what you're thinking what about when we get inspired by bad things, right!!!
Like I said when you get inspired you just become more of what you already
are…The same thing goes for a bad thing. Everyone has a good side and a bad side, it is the
path that we choose that makes us who we are.

    Did you know inspiration is actually around us at all times. We just fail to notice it at all
times. It can be anything from a quote that you read to an iconic movie that inspires a great
number of people. It is amazing how anything can be a source of inspiration.

    For instance, consider a small piece of candy. A candy is a sweet, what could possibly be
inspiring about it. Nothing, right. Well, if that's what you think then you're wrong. Try yelling at
someone with a piece of candy in your mouth. I'm not saying it's impossible but it sure is a
disturbance. When the candy is in your mouth you find it difficult to speak and not just that it's
sweet which reminds us to be sweet and nice to people. See, it's just a piece of candy but can
be inspiring right.

    Everyone is aware of the story of Robert the Bruce and the spider. It's just a small
insect that we don't even pay attention to, but if Robert the Bruce was not inspired by the spider
he would've never got Scotland back. And to this very day, the victory and independence of
Scotland is traced to a spider that kept trying again and again to spin it's web in a cave and
inspired the king of Scotland, Robert the Bruce.

    Inspiration can come in any form. But whatever it is that inspires you, implement it in your
life in your own way. As William Ernest Henley quotes in Invictus,​

" I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."

    I guess what I'm trying to say is that, get inspired by the good in others and
implement it in your ways. Become more of who you already are.
Get inspired, but never become the person who inspired you. He is great in his own
way. Implement the inspiration you found in him in your own way. Be more of yourself and if
possible try to inspire others too… 

 
 by : Sheryl Rajakumar

To contact : sherylrajakumar@gmail.com