What do you think about motivation and inspiration? I hear the words tossed around as if they were the same. Do you believe they are? Some people will even say that one is more important than the other. Let’s take a look at what the Merriam-Webster dictionary tells us.
motivation – noun mo·ti·va·tion ˌmō-tə-ˈvā-shən
- the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something : the act or process of motivating someone
- the condition of being eager to act or work
- the condition of being motivated
- a force or influence that causes someone to do something
inspiration – noun in·spi·ra·tion ˌin(t)-spə-ˈrā-shən, -(ˌ)spi-
- something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create
- a force or influence that inspires someone
- a person, place, experience, etc., that makes someone want to do or create something
- a good idea
I believe motivation and inspiration are totally different. Take a look at the video I shot for you today and you will hear my perspective. Let’s see how close you and I are on the meaning of the two words.
Dr. Wayne Dyer’s quote that I talked about came out of an interview within the Family Circle article, “The Seven Secrets of Joy.” The part about motivation and inspiration actually started with the discussion about intention. Click here and read the whole article to get the context of what he means in the quote below.
“Motivation is when you get hold of an idea and don’t let go of it until you make it a reality. Inspiration is the reverse—when an idea gets hold of you and you feel compelled to let that impulse or energy carry you along.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer
Jim Connolly posted on his blog (JimsMarketingBlog.com) in September of 2014 that he believed we could be inspired at will. That we were in control of our own inspiration. Have you ever thought of inspiration being “self-made?” He takes insights from Steve Jobs and Picasso to create his article “What is Inspiration.” Interesting read. You can check it out here.
You know that I always have to come back around to the “let’s do the work” part. I thought this quote, also found in the same article on Jim’s blog, was perfect to bring us around to action.
“As well as inspiring ourselves to create, we also need to motivate ourselves to put what we have created into action. It’s one thing to have a great idea sketched out on paper – it’s something else to actually use that idea.” – from Jim Connolly’s blog
So which is better? As far as I can tell, neither is better. They are equally important means to take you to the next level or to where you desire to be. Push or pull. Either force will move you forward. Isn’t that what is important?
I hope you found some value in what we talked about today. If so, please share this with your friends and on social media. Tell your friends about my blog and invite them over. It would be great to meet them.
By the way, they (and you, if you haven’t already) can check out my page on Facebook. If you find information there that is helpful, I would appreciate a push on that “like” button at the top of the page. Spread the word. Thanks!
That wraps it up for today.
Remember this: Dream big. Believe in yourself. Do the work. Whatever it takes. No matter what. Ok?
See you next time,
Deb Bennett