DAY TWELVE: Need Some Inspiration?

Yesterday, I needed a bit of inspiration. The best kind - you know, the kind where someone else inspires you by their enthusiasm or performance. When I need a jolt of enthusiasm, I like to talk to my two nieces.

I have to listen fast, because they usually talk fast, but I'll tell you -  they are ENTHUSIASTIC. I learn about school, swimming, skiing, snow day, the budgie, the coach bus one of them got to ride on, their friends, how their February challenge is going. We usually exchange a bit of trash-talk, or at least some teasing. And after I get off the call, I feel inspired to keep on going myself.

Each of us have a few sources of inspiration that are probably within easy reach. But sometimes, we have to actually reach out and make contact with those who inspire us. That is today's challenge: don't wait - take the initiative to inspire yourself.

On one level, this might seem a bit simplistic. I would argue, though, that if we simply wait passively for inspiration to land in our lap, we might not be standing on that exact spot where the inspiration lightning strikes. My point is that we need to take an active role in seeking out inspiration.

Active role - good; passive role - not good.  Active - yes; passive - no.

If you find yourself short on inspiration, running low on enthusiasm, down to fumes in your motivation tank... GO AFTER IT YOURSELF! Talk to someone who is enthusiastic. Watch an expert do their thing. If you can, surround yourself with people who strive for excellence. It rubs off, AND (IMHO) it challenges you to raise your own bar of performance. You will try harder and perform better as you learn from these people about effort, performance, and motivation. I can't promise that you will always be more successful, or that you will accomplish every goal you set. But I am quite confident that enthusiasm is infectious, and observing somebody exerting a good effort is inspiring. And when we are inspired, we take our game to a whole new level.

Nearing the mid-point of our February challenge, do you need a bit of inspiration? I think you know what to do. Take the initiative. Look around yourself. Find the people who make an effort. Watch an expert at work. Let their enthusiasm rub off on you.