Inspiration: The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something.
I have been told more times than once that I am inspiring. Although I am very grateful and blessed that some people think that, it does make me think how does that happen? I don’t believe people are necessarily born inspired. Just like anything else you want in life, I believe inspiration needs to be cultivated. Inspiring people need to be inspired too, as I could not even begin to try and inspire people from an empty cup. My goal and what I strive to do is LIVE inspired.
So what’s the big deal? and why should we strive to live inspired? I am SO glad you asked because there actually is some science behind it. I’m going to get a little brainy for a second but stay with me, I promise it will make sense.
Every single human being alive has something called a (RAS) Reticular Activating System. This put very simply, is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that helps our brain filter out unnecessary information so that the information that we need to know gets through.
According to an article written by Jaimer Tuarez “the human brain can process up to 11 million bits of information per second. This is the natural processing capacity of the brain, including the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind. However, the conscious mind has a very limited capacity and it can handle anything from 40 to 120 bits of information in a second.” WOW, right?
I love the way Ed Mylett sums it up in his brilliant book called The Power of One More(I highly recommend it), he says this ” Let’s say you want to buy a blue van. Immediately you start seeing blue vans everywhere. It could be three lanes over on a freeway, when your out running errands, or dropping your kids off at school. Guess what? Those blue vans were always there, you just never noticed them before. But now you see them because they have become part of your RAS. They have been filtered into your conscience since they have become important to you.”
How does this affect you? and apply to inspiration you ask?
Well, the more inspiring avenues you allow into your life, books, podcast, interviews, people you follow on social media, what you listen to, the people you choose to spend time with, the more inspiration you will notice as this becomes more important to you. Your brain is wired that way! How amazing is that?
Inspiring people AND things are ALL around you. They always have been. When you have cultivated the right mindset, literally everything can inspire you. The beauty of the colors in the sky, the sharpness of green on trees in your neighborhood, the way the sunlight dances off your wall in late afternoon, a stranger holding a door open for you, a hug from a loved one, a kind word spoken to you, you speaking kind words, doing a random act of kindness, a random compliment given or received, and on and on. AND when you allow all the little and big things to inspire you, you will also become inspiring, very naturally.
All of this information begs me to ask ARE YOU INSPIRED?
Are you being intentional about what you allow to become important in your life?
I have SO many friends right now that could use a little inspiration, and if you are one of them, I am so happy you are here. I want to share a few things that I have read and or watched lately that have really inspired me, and help me to keep this mindset.
The first one is an interview with Ed Mylett and Colin O’Brady. This guy is a total powerhouse of a human and has broken 10 world records. Click this link to watch on youtube for free. He is hilarious, and SO inspiring. He also just released a book called the 12 hour walk(he talks about it in the interview), that I haven’t even read yet but am inspired to start planning my own 12 hour walk very soon. You will not regret it. click link to watch. https://youtu.be/mq-BuvmOI8Q and if you want to also order his book you can get on amazon by clicking this link https://amzn.to/3Ddgqir Anything really with Ed Mylett is inspiring including his book The Power Of One More which I quoted above, and you can purchase that here https://amzn.to/3gw5PpJ
My second recommendation is Matthew McConaughey’s book Green Lights. This was a super easy read and brilliantly put together as a memoir of his life and journals. I was laughing on the airplane reading it and highly recommend it. I loved his realness, vulnerability, and candor. You can purchase on amazon here https://amzn.to/3zmt9x5
My third recommendation is another book, Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. This man’s life and how he has conquered his mind in fitness and pain is unreal and just reading his stories has me running farther than I have in years. He is still inspiring me months later to not quit and to silence my inner bitch(his words) when I want to. You can purchase his book here https://amzn.to/3yXJ1Wo
My last recommendation (for now) is a book called The 15 Invaluable Laws Of Growth by John C. Maxwell. I am only halfway through it but you guys, I have SO many things highlighted and earmarked. This is SUCH a great, important, inspiring book. I Highly recommend. You can check it out and purchase here https://amzn.to/3eT3JzO
There are also SO many free resources available to you when you are looking and your eyes are open, and if you are feeling stuck at the moment just google inspiring speeches or quotes. There is INSPIRATION ALL AROUND YOU! I hope this has helped you to see that.
BIG LOVE, Shauna XO
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. IT DOES” William James
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