Are You Looking for Inspiration in All the Wrong Places?

Regardless of what you do in life, one of the most difficult things to do is muster up the courage and inspiration to get out there and do something. You don’t have to do great things that change the world. In fact, doing anything is better than staying idle and scrolling through social media or sitting in front of a television. Inspiration and motivation are two incredibly important factors that can change the way we perceive life, but how exactly do we look for inspiration?

The most common answer would be to look at people that you aspire to be. For example, if you want to become the greatest heavyweight boxer, then you’d typically look to the giants such as Mike Tyson. With accolades to back up their fame, it’s inevitable that an up-and-coming boxer would idolize people like Tyson to seek inspiration and motivation.

However, we’d like to take a different approach. We actually think that idolizing people and looking into the past isn’t the most effective way to search for inspiration.

The problem with having an idol

Idols tend to be people that we hold in high regard. Perhaps it’s someone legendary in the industry that we want to become a part of, or maybe it’s a historical figure that set the foundation for the thing that you want to do. Whatever the case is, it’s important to remember that times can change, different rules can apply and there’s only so much that an idol can do for you, especially if you have no way of actually speaking to them or contacting them.

While it’s important to respect their influence on your life, we don’t think that your decisions and motivations should be solely rooted in their existence.

The right place to look for inspiration

Instead, we suggest that you look for inspiration in the places where you least expect it.

For example, a teacher or coach might not have the same accolades, but don’t forget that even the most prized boxers and athletes had coaches at their side. This can apply to virtually everything. For example, learning about stage productions from industry veterans like Travis Preston can be a life-changing experience. Not only are you getting a masterclass from someone who is willing to teach it, but you get to experience the behind-the-scenes planning and thinking that goes into stage productions.

Another great place to look for inspiration is actually at people who are around the same level as you. For instance, having a rival in a sport can be a fantastic way to push yourself and constantly strive to achieve better things. While you can always set a famous athlete as your benchmark, we believe that there are three types of people that you should get to know; those who are below your level, those who are at your level, and those who are above your level.

In short, inspiration is a lot more involved than just looking at your idols. Look at the people around you and you’ll come to realize that inspiration is all around you–it’s not just in the stars.

Feature photo by Shane Rounce