Inspiration can be defined as the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
It’s said that Salvador Dali found inspiration for his famous painting The Persistence of Memory by seeing melting Camembert cheese melting after sitting in the sun in 1931. One of my favorite songs, Yesterday by Paul McCartney, had original lyrics that were inspired by scrambled eggs. Of course, Chicago also had the hit You’re the Inspiration (a middle school dance staple during my awkward teen years)!
I find inspiration in many places and a various times. For me, music is a constant inspiration and method to decompress after a week at work. However, I also find myself getting inspiration from beautiful scenes I see (yes, nature is important) and even the interactions I have with people in my organization.
The topic of inspiration spilled over during a conversation I had last week about intrinsic motivation and finding the individual things that make us all tick. As an experiment, I asked a few people I work with a question.
What inspires you?
This has proven to be a powerful question and it is not one that those I have asked it to have been asked before. It’s brought some great stories to the forefront and even prompted one of those I asked to share how she was inspired to become a teacher. That connection is something I will treasure knowing.
So, this week my challenge for you is simple. Ask someone what inspires him or her and cherish learning something new about someone. Who knows, you may find a new inspiration from an answer you hear.
