So you want to live a better life? Ask yourself this question: Are the outcomes you imagine based on true inspiration? Or are they mirages in the distance, appearing only to deceive you for a few moments, only to disintegrate as quickly as they arose? And what exactly is that elusive quality that we call “inspiration?”
Perhaps the most important thing to know is that inspiration is closely tied to the emotions. In fact, it is inextricably intertwined with them, so much so, that they cannot be separated. Inspiration is that which makes you feel positive emotions: Excitement, anticipation, love, and above all, peace of mind. Inspiration is spiritual. It is a moving towards. Something draws you towards it and you cannot explain why. It is mysterious.
Trying to escape from a negative life-situation is certainly not inspiration. To dream of escaping a job, a relationship, some economic conundrum or some other external circumstance is a feeling more akin to being stuck in an elevator and wanting to get out than it is to inspiration as I mean it. A desire to eliminate some form of suffering is certainly not inspiration. It’s a claustrophobic feeling. You feel trapped and want out.
One way to explain real inspiration would be to say that following your passion creates within you a feeling of inner peace, whereas escapism can only lead to a temporary feeling of relief. Inspiration is internal and not external. Being an emotion, it springs from within. It has nothing to do with objects, money, careers, etc…
A good place to begin to engage this topic would be to realize that in order to live an inspired, passionate life, you have to enter a process of personal evolution. You have to see yourself as a unique creation, as an individual capable of self-awareness self-directed action. You are your life’s work. Your “accomplishments” are actually quite meaningless if you don’t engage your spirit. How many celebrities have we seen who (seemingly) have everything but in fact have nothing?
After floating aimlessly in my life for some time, I discovered a powerful tool that could help me find my passion. That tool is education. I began to educate myself about everything that interested me: Music, biology, health, nutrition, relationships and many other subjects. Instead of watching yet another tv show, or some “newscast” full of deceiving, bought-and-paid-for politicians, I would pick a subject and study it.
Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the more we learn, the more truths we realize; the more truths we realize, the closer we come to our own self-realization and the more effective we become in our daily lives. I give two very important examples:
First of all, how many people enter into relationships with no real understanding of what a healthy relationship is and how it works? What is the most enlightened way to relate to a partner? How can our communication be more effective? How can we reach deeper levels of understanding of other people?
The answer is that most people enter into relationships blindly. Does this make sense? No, it doesn’t. It’s like writing the driving exam without studying the rules of the road. And yet, people do it, over and over and over again!
Secondly, how many people are educated about their own bodies and biological functioning, on the effects of different foods and on the way that those foods impact their health, their lives and their energy levels? Unfortunately, not many. Different foods affect different people in different ways; there is no one-size-fits-all nutritional approach. There is no magic pill to better health. But eating on auto-pilot, driving blindly, is part of the reason so many people feel so much malaise in today’s “western” societies.
The good news is that there is plenty of good, quality information available for people who are willing to put in the effort to educate themselves on any topic. Personally, my life began to improve dramatically when I made the decision to educate myself in as many areas of life as possible, including things about which I had no previous knowledge.
Here is one of the best ways to find your inspiration: Don’t watch TV, study a book; learn something, question your own beliefs, go into yourself. Then apply what you’ve learned, test it and see what happens. Try something new. Go on a trip. Break your routine.
I believe that many people are unhappy because they never actually give themselves the opportunity to follow their inspiration. They are too busy surviving and trudging through their daily, boring routines. They tend to conform to a bunch of sterile societal norms and “ought to’s” and consequently to become entangled in an insidious routine which becomes more and more a trap with every passing day. Finance, relationships, health, almost all aspects of their lives just roll down the hill out of their control, or, worse, driven by the negative influence of those around them. Often, these things can go into a downward spiral that seems to have no end. Until we make a decision to educate ourselves and to change the direction of our own lives by working on ourselves and our character.
Earlier today, as I walked in front of a supermarket, I found myself unwittingly walking towards a lottery outlet, my left hand reaching into my pocket to see how much spare change I had to waste on a false hope. Luckily, I caught myself, and thought: doesn’t the false hope that the lottery will give me complete financial freedom also take me away from my true inspiration? So I dropped the coins in my pocket, turned around and headed home.
In the end, if you want happiness, you have to take action.
Konstantin.
