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The phrase “finding meaning and purpose” comes up pretty consistently when psychologists talk about things that promote longevity and overall happiness. If we want to be inspired about life we need to feel like there is some meaning and purpose to it.
Inspiration can take many different forms and come from many different sources. Sometimes we have to just get out of our rut to see it. (That’s why I posted on Day 14 “Go Somewhere.” The act of changing your environment helps to be re-inspired about life and about the world again.)
Getting Inspired By Others
So where can you find inspiration when your enthusiasm is flagging? One way is to find someone who knows how to do something you think is kind of “cool.” If you watch a person who enjoys what they are doing that alone that might inspire you to try it yourself. Or, it can re-kindle enthusiasm about something you tried in the past. Maybe once upon a time you sketched, played an instrument, knit, wrote a journal, took up weightlifting, swimming, tried learning a new language, etc. Maybe it’s time to revisit those things.
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Another way to get inspired is to help someone else learn how to do something. That could include anything from mentoring a young person in a skill you have, helping a person who is going through a difficult patch that you have been through, or even helping a friend set up their wi-fi system. In my experience, teaching or sharing with clients and then watching as they “own” that knowledge is one of the most fulfilling things I can imagine. That’s also why I love interviewing experts. What I learn eventually gets incorporated into my own basket of knowledge to share.
Learning new things is a very tangible way to stay inspired. And it also adds to your self-confidence bank.
Write It Down
How else can you find inspiration? Keeping a journal is a great and very enlightening way. Two of my favorite books, Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, and her Right to Write enabled me to change career directions in my 50s. Cameron describes what she calls “morning pages” – writing your thoughts down in stream-of-consciousness form, without premeditation or censoring. That daily practice of just letting it all spill out on the page inspired me to do things I had never tried before. One of those things was writing. And I landed a regular editorial spot in a local magazine by doing so.
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But when it came to trying a bigger project, my first book, I needed a formula to frame that work. So years ago a friend, Hank Olguin, taught me a terrific method for starting a new project. It utilizes a similar process. Whenever he had to inspire the staff at this public relations firm he took out a white board, gathered everyone together, and had them throw out their ideas and suggestions about how to do the project. Nobody was allowed to comment or say, “that idea sucks.” He wrote every comment on a sticky note and pasted it on the white board. Then the group looked for something valuable in every idea, and then put the ideas in a workable order.
These processes of throwing ideas out and then ordering them engage both the right and left brain. Often, when we feel overwhelmed or uninspired, it’s because one side of our brain has taken over. We need both creativity and an orderly process to bring things to fruition.
Inspiring Material
One of my favorite things to do is to read a little bit from an inspirational book right before I go to bed. It seems to disengage me from the day’s responsibilities, concerns, and pressures. It also sets me up for more peaceful sleep. Sometimes I just open to any page and something jumps out that speaks to an issue I had been thinking about. A lot of people have told me they have had this same experience.
Inspirational reading material can be spiritual or mundane, religious, or funny. And you can also find a lot of inspiration from podcasts, YouTube videos, or films. As for books, in addition to religious texts and spiritual books, I asked my readers for some that they would recommend. Here are just a few. (I would love to know of any you have found inspiring.)
I think we could all use a little more inspiration these days. 
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Andrea’s books and new video series:
