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How To Ignite Your Inspiration

Inspiration is a well inside all of us that needs to be tended and filled up periodically if it is to continue to send us clear and innovative ideas.

The ability to find inspiration is vital to our work in today’s competitive environment, but it is just as important to our life and our total enjoyment of it.

To live inspired is to make the most out of your days and spread joy and engagement to all you meet. It is what makes you distinctive and sought-after. It is what keeps you happy and open to the world.

Here are ten great ways to fill up your inspiration well:

1. Draw or paint what you see outside the frame of your window. This idea came to me after seeing the amazing movie Maudie, the story of Nova Scotia’s gifted artist who brought joy and inspiration to the world just by painting what she could see from her kitchen window. She studied each season like a fresh tableau of ideas, and captured life’s changes all within a tiny pane of glass within her humble kitchen.
2. Schedule at least one afternoon a month solely for yourself. Make it as a meeting on your agenda, leave your workplace, and go for a walk in search of inspiration. (If you work for someone other than yourself, you may have to do this in an hour on a weekend, but the concept is the same.) Watch happy children playing in a city park and try to see the world through their eyes; watch a street artist create and drop a donation in his or her hat, or go see a classic movie. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you find yourself in a place of wonder.
3. Every six months, read the life story of someone you admire and try to figure out the sources for their inspiration. If they haven’t written their autobiography or there is no biography, at least research them on the Internet and study a work they created. Pick someone obscure enough that you don’t hear them referenced every day, but someone who blazed new trails in their lives.
4. Create a list of people who inspire you within your own close group of family and friends. What is it that you find inspiring about them, and how do they influence you? Be sure that your daily agenda reflects staying in touch regularly with your circle of inspiration.
5. Write your own bucket list. Everyone talks about it, but very few people actually do it. Then mark one item a priority and resolve now to make it happen within the next 12 months.
6. Attend a conference designed to motivate you and where you will have the chance to network with people in your industry. This may sound a lot like work, but getting away from your routine for a day and hearing different speakers and new stories is just what is needed to ignite your inspiration.
7. Take a child (your own or a niece, nephew or friend’s youngster) and go on an outing of their choice. A youngster of around 5-7 years of age will lead you to places you have long forgotten and where inspiration lives.
8. Make a cup of herbal tea, clear your agenda for 20 minutes, and watch one TED video on a subject that interests you.
9. Take a cooking class in a cuisine that is new to you, and immerse yourself in the experience you share with your classmates.
10. Write each morning in your journal for 10 minutes before your day starts. If you don’t know how to start, write about something that highlighted yesterday or that you are anticipating with delight today.

Paula Morand, CSP is a leadership building, revenue boosting, strategy expanding keynote speaker, author and visionary. This dreaming big and being bold leadership expert and brand strategist brings her vibrant energy, humor and wisdom to ignite individuals, organizations and communities to lead change, growth and bold impact. 23 years, 25,000+ clients, 34 countries, 13 books, former radio personality, 10x award winning entrepreneur and humorous emcee.

To check out Paula’s newest book, “Bold Courage: How Owning Your Awesome Changes Everything” go to Amazon http://ow.ly/i8yW307ix67

Speaking inquiries email bookings@paulamorand.com or call toll-free 1-888-502-6317.