Learning Daily While Expanding Your Mind

Inspiring someone and getting them to act are two different things. There is a case to be made that they are diametrically opposed to one another. When you’re inspired, you feel an overwhelming want to create, to try your hand at something that doesn’t already exist. To be “motivated” is to have an inclination to do something or to have a purpose for doing it.

Where is the distinction? It’s all in the delivery. Those who are inspired to take action do so without delay or resistance. However, when you inspire others, they can’t help but follow in your footsteps. When you’re inspired, you may take hold of the mission and push on. When you’re inspired, an idea just sort of gets hold of you.

Have you ever experienced an epiphany? You probably recall everything from the exact moment it struck to the inspiration behind it and the subsequent emotions you felt. Motivation is fleeting; once it’s gone, you could recall the resultant work, but not with the same level of specificity that inspiration does.

That is the most noticeable distinction, though. Fading motivation is a natural consequence of sustained effort. In many cases, it disappears far before the project’s completion. Motivating thoughts can change your life forever and open doors you never knew existed.

Inspiration is the urging of a coach who urges his team to “get up,” “hit harder,” and “run faster.” It’s the boost we need to overcome resistance at the outset or at the halfway point. It is not necessary to press or push in order to be inspired. To be inspired is to discover a viewpoint you had never considered before, a new angle on an old problem.

You can’t pass it on; inspiration isn’t something you can teach. Insightful moments, when our minds are clear and we are focused on something other than our lack of inspiration, are prime conditions for creative breakthroughs.

Inspiration is the source from which all creative endeavors spring, while motivation is what keeps the creative process moving forward till the end. When you’re struck by inspiration, your worldview may undergo a dramatic shift that lasts a lifetime.

Self-motivation exists separately from emotional investment. Inspiration is unadulterated zeal, as opposed to the more commonplace motivation. What inspires people is a thought, a plan, something they can’t let go of. Motivated individuals have a greater potential for success and influence.

Most people aren’t driven by the same things that drive one person to action. On the other hand, inspiration tends to rub off on others. Motivated individuals have a way of drawing out the enthusiasm and inspiration in others around them. Considering how simple it is to get carried away by a dream and mistake it for a vision, inspiration is the superior choice.