How to Be Inspired (6-2-24)

Conversations with Cinthia

Today Cinthia discusses motivation and inspiration, two concepts that are related but not identical. She uses a variety of quotes and offers a number of questions to ask ourselves as we examine our own ongoing motivation and inspiration. The first was the following by Thomas Carlyle: “Let him who would be moved to convince others be first moved to convince himself.” You cannot motivate others if you are not motivated by your own mission or vision. Motivation and inspiration are contagious, as are negativity, skepticism, and cynicism.

The relationship between motivation and inspiration is somewhat cyclical; Cinthia says, “We motivate to inspire and inspire to motivate.” Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic, but it culminates in an inner drive to do something and behave in a certain way; it is what moves us from desire to will. Inspiration makes us want to do something or gives us an idea about what to do. Both are important, and both can be helped by resources from the outside. But, as Cinthia emphasized, at the end of the day the best motivation and inspiration are the ones we have internalized, the ones that now come from inside of us.

As an example, Cinthia described her own passion for therapy, which was her life’s work for decades, and its related services, such as the life coaching and pastoral counseling she now offers. Cinthia explained that, although she initially did not want to be a therapist, she has come to believe in the process so strongly that no one now needs to coerce or talk her into doing it; she has seen it work so well and so often for so many that she is self-motivated to help others through these methods. She also noted that her engagement in this broadcast/podcast is intrinsically motivated. Because she has come to believe in these things so strongly, her deep belief overrides her aversion to having to “sell” things like counseling, psychoeducation, and other passions. She reports having learned the following: “I can’t produce or sustain outside of me what is not inside of me,” and, “The outside emanates from the inside; we work from the inside out.”

So how do we take responsibility for our own motivation and inspiration? External resources (like this show!) can certainly help, but, in the long run, adults need to take responsibility for their own motivation and inspiration instead of just waiting for the world to inspire and motivate them. This is especially important for those who lead since motivating and inspiring others can be part of the job.

So here are some questions to consider:

-What is the purpose of your life? If you have listened to the show for long, you will know that Cinthia regularly encourages asking your Creator why you were made since He did, in fact, make you uniquely for a reason. Because you were created by God, you have intrinsic value regardless of your actions, and no one else can fulfill the unique purpose for which you were made. Are you clear on your life mission and the gifts only you can give?

-Are the things you are doing aligned with your life mission and values? Are you able to explain why you are doing what you are doing? Do you have passion and desire for what you are doing? What are you trying to accomplish through it? Remember what Charles Hummel said: “The need itself is not the call.” You cannot meet all the world’s needs. What is your piece to address? (Such passion can exist at different levels, by the way. You may not have passion for your current job but have great passion to take care of your family, and the paycheck from this job may do that. While it is great to seek out ways to eventually move into a job about which you are more passionate and which gives you greater enjoyment, motivation and inspiration do not necessarily have to wait until every task in your life is one you find exciting.)

-Are your ways of promoting what you believe simple and authentic to you? It is okay if people do not like your ideas; sometimes this helps you screen out unrealistic or less-than-optimal ideas, while other times it is important to move forward despite the opinions of others. Are you communicating your ideas in ways that flow naturally from your own passion, or does it feel forced? Telling your own story is not the same as selling, but it often helps people understand the value we see in particular methods or ideas. On a related note, are you willing to receive feedback, and do you know how to sort the feedback you will embrace and the feedback you will ignore?

-What motivates you? What demotivates you? Often extrinsic motivation does not “stick” as well as intrinsic motivation does, but knowing what internal and external resources are inspirational and motivational to you means you can take ownership of both.

-If you are a leader, do you know your people? Are you committed to them, and can they tell this from your actions? What are their needs and gifts?

-What is the story of your life? How are you managing the pain and struggles it involves? Do you exercise good boundaries, good self-care, not taking others’ feelings too personally, forgiveness, and letting the relational process cause you to mature and deepen? Do you struggle with perfectionism and control, or are you like the starfish that, when it loses a leg, grows a new one?

-On what do you rest your faith? Is it something that is bigger than you are? Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” People are too mistake-making for the pressure that comes with getting all our motivation from one another. Your faith is far too valuable to be guarded by another person. What is the foundation of your life?

-What is your kryptonite? Are you sabotaging yourself with habits and behaviors that are unhelpful, or is the good in your life being the enemy of the best? How do you talk to yourself in your head? Are you caring for yourself well enough to keep from having to think about yourself all the time? How do you interact with others? (Remember, sometimes it’s better to be in relationship than to be right. It’s one thing to know what is important enough that you will not compromise it; it is another thing to be obnoxious about proving yourself right all the time.)

-Am I having fun? Not every task in life can be fun, but some things should be.

Adults cannot depend on the external world to meet their internal needs. Adults have to own the task of motivating and inspiring themselves, including the task of selecting the external resources that help with this. Adults who interact with children have to help children create internal worlds in which they can live safely and well, and adults cannot do this well without having learned to do it for themselves. How is your internal world? What motivates you? What inspires you? How will you incorporate these things more helpfully into your life?