“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”
I’m not sure who said it first, but I find myself echoing its sentiment whenever I talk about the inspiration that makes us better.
In my opinion, no matter what your definition of better is, it takes a challenge to get you there–a moment or a thing that inspires you.
It takes something that confronts your current position and encourages you to move past it.
Whether it’s an unexpected event, someone’s story, a Sunday morning sermon, a quote, or the last thing we pinned on Pinterest–they all do it. And they make us want to take action and apply their philosophies or teachings to our lives.
By looking at my own experiences, I’ve found four ways positive inspiration does that:
1. We Change Perspective
Sometimes inspiration makes us look at things from a different point of view. It makes us rethink the way we do things, and possibly see the error of our ways.
2. We Do a New Thing
When we get inspired in a positive way, it can give us the desire to move out of our comfort zone and do something we’ve never done before. It can be as simple as adding to our routine and trying a new workout, or as significant as choosing to live by faith.
3. We Do the Hard Thing
The process of growing and learning can be hard sometimes. And it can require us to do some hard things. We may need to acknowledge problems in relationships, admit our wrongs, have the conversations we’ve avoided for years, or show a little more grace and love to the people in our lives.
4. We Do Something Creative
Inspiration can often spur creativity, and the desire to keep pursuing our craft. It makes us want to write our next poem or story, take on a do-it-yourself project…just create and make a work of art.
There’s no limit to the way inspiration can challenge us. We may feel the push to do one of these things, or all four. It all depends on the situation and the surrounding circumstances.
Was there ever a time you were really inspired? How did you take action to apply that inspiration to your life? Is there anything else you would add to that list?
This is Day 20 of the series, 31 Days of Inspired Living. Join me through the month of October as I write about what I think it looks like to find the inspiration that makes us better. I’ll also offer some encouragement for your journey. In case you missed a day, you can find previous posts in the series here.
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