Word that means to be inspired

Inspiration can sometimes seem to be entirely out of our control. You can’t command your brain to come up with a great idea or an ideal solution to a problem, just as much as you can’t simply decide to feel creative one afternoon.

Feeling inspired in life and at work is an important part of sustaining motivation, and a lack of inspiration might be a clue that something else is going wrong. But while inspiration might be elusive at times, there are still plenty of strategies we can use to encourage it to strike more often. 

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Let’s take a closer look at the concept of inspiration, where it comes from, and how it can benefit people in their daily lives. We’ll also share a few of our favorite inspirational quotes. But first, let’s try to define the word itself.

What is the definition of inspiration?

Inspiration can mean a few different things. It can describe the process of being overcome by a spontaneous urge to do something creative or important—that eureka moment when the way forward becomes suddenly obvious to you. Or it can describe the act of imparting that motivation to somebody else through your words and actions.

Coming from the Latin inspirare, meaning “to breathe into,” the word inspiration was originally used in a divine context to mean a kind of mystical animating force, a profound idea or truth revealed to an unsuspecting person. This is why inspiration is often said to “strike” out of nowhere, as though the feeling itself were a bolt of lightning from a heavenly muse. 

But inspiration can also refer to the source of these new ideas, an intangible well of potent creativity that we can tap into with a little practice. This is the type of inspiration you can set out to find, rather than waiting for it to pop into your head as you’re lying awake in bed at 3 a.m.

Benefits of inspiration

Though research into the psychology of inspiration is relatively thin, most agree that inspiration is not a supernatural force. In everyday usage, “inspiration” is a broad label we apply to any number of unrelated mental processes. And far from anything as mysterious as divine intervention, the sensation of being inspired is generally understood to come from somewhere within ourselves. 

The benefits of inspiration, however, are well understood by most people. Feeling inspired in your day-to-day life can play a key role in unlocking creativity, increasing productivity, and boosting happiness. People who regularly feel inspired at home and at work tend to be more engaged, more confident, and more motivated to solve problems and create new things.

Why is inspiration so important in life and work?

The peculiar feeling of being suddenly inspired by a new idea can seem random and unpredictable. But a sense of inspiration has been theorized to be the result of our minds processing new information in the context of things we already know, a lot like discovering a single jigsaw piece that connects two completed parts of a picture. 

That means it’s possible to encourage inspiration through your intentional actions, rather than waiting around for it to happen spontaneously. For example, learning more about subjects unrelated to your area of expertise, while maintaining a curious attitude and an open mind, can help you increase the chances of recognizing patterns and links between seemingly disconnected concepts.

This happens to be why the notion of sudden inspiration is a persistent theme in popular mathematics. Mythologized discoveries don’t appear out of nowhere, but nearly always stem from brilliant minds connecting two disparate branches of math in previously inconceivable ways. To quote G.H. Hardy in A Mathematician’s Apology: “A mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.”

No matter which field you are in, inspiration can kickstart our inherent ability to visualize a tricky problem from a novel perspective, or to think outside the box. The more flexible your style of thinking, the more receptive you are to inspiration and the better equipped you’ll be to counter unexpected problems with innovative solutions.

How to help yourself get inspired

• Listen to music. When you’re focusing too hard on a problem or dilemma, it’s easy to fall into a repetitive mental routine of running through a list of the same potential solutions over and over again, and realizing that none of them will work. As a tool, the right music can help your mind disengage from these unhelpful loops and spot new ideas you might have otherwise overlooked.
• Read a book. Literature is the most valuable source of knowledge we have, but as well as being stores of information, great books can also prompt us to think about situations from the perspective of another person or culture. The simple act of approaching a narrative from another angle is a form of empathetic thinking that can trigger moments of inspiration.
• Get physical activity. Some studies have found that healthy and happy people experience inspiration more readily than those who feel anxious or stressed. Exercise is known to improve physical and mental health, and in addition to offering some space to clear your mind and process your thoughts, physical activity can help trigger the creative process.
• Speak to people. Open-mindedness, honesty, and a willingness to share and listen to new perspectives can all play an important role when seeking out inspiration. Studies into where ideas come from have suggested that new ideas can be influenced by our social environments. That is to say, new ideas might be our subconscious minds remixing our friends’ ideas into something new, so strike up a conversation.
• Watch a movie. Whether it’s an epic that leaves you feeling overwhelmed by the weight of your own emotional response, or it’s just Bridesmaids for the seventh time, watching a movie can place you in a focused state of mind and act as a starting point for the creative process.

Inspirational quotes

The best inspirational quotes are short nuggets of wisdom that inspire you to think about the world or yourself in a new way. Here are a few of our favorites:

“​​You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” —Maya Angelou

“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” —Coco Chanel

“The grass is greener where you water it.” —Neil Barringham

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” —Kurt Vonnegut

“If you don’t turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else’s story.” —Terry Pratchett

“When money, rather than innovation or value, is your competitive advantage, that’s when things get boring and stagnant, and monopolies take root.” —Hank Green

Steve Hogarty is a writer and journalist based in London. He is the travel editor of City AM newspaper and the deputy editor of City AM Magazine, where his work focuses on technology, travel, and entertainment.

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Here at keepinspiring.me, it’s our job to inspire, motivate, and instill a deep burning passion within you to do better and be better. And one of the most frequent questions we get is: What is the meaning of inspiration?

Well, we’ve thought it over and have come up with an answer to help you discover what inspiration means to you.

Definition of Inspiration

Now, if you Google “definition of inspiration,” some dictionary sites will give you something like this:

• “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially something creative.” Source: Oxforddictionaries.com
• “A feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something, which gives you new and creative ideas.” Source: Collinsdictionary.com
• “An inspiring or animating action or influence.” Source: Dictionary.com
• “A divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.” Source: Merriam-Webster.com
• “The excitement of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.” Source: Thefreedictionary.com

Here at Keepinspiring.me, we define inspiration as follows: Inspiration is when you feel a deep-rooted passion and motivation to do something.

We are all inspired by different things and in different ways. Yet, inspiration is all around you and can appear at a moment’s notice.

For example:

• You may see a young man helping an elderly woman with her groceries and get inspired to help others.
• You may see your good friend order Mexican food in Spanish and get inspired to learn a new language.
• You may read an inspirational quote and get inspired to finish your work/school project.

The trick is to learn how to tap into this inspiration that’s constantly around you all the time…

How to Discover Inspiration

Now, to help you discover your inspiration, we’ve broken things down into these five easy-to-follow steps:

Step 1. Observe your surroundings

To become inspired, you need to observe your surroundings. As we mentioned before, opportunities to become inspired are happening all the time; you just need to be aware of them. So, try observing your surroundings instead of texting with your friend on the phone or checking Facebook. Look around, watch what other people are doing, and get involved.

Step 2. Tap into your emotions

You’ll also need to tap into your emotions about how you see things happening. If something makes you feel good, motivated, and inspired, then do it.

Step 3. Take action

The moment you feel inspired, take action immediately. Don’t wait a minute, day, or week to get started. If you feel inspired to learn something, sign up for a class right away. Email someone who can help you get started if you feel inspired to do something.

Step 4. Start small

If you’re just starting to tap into your inspiration, start small. Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and Eisenstein didn’t change the world in a day. They made small changes and slowly built on them.

Step 5. Keep it up

Inspiration looks and feels a little different for everyone. It’s when that inner flame kicks in, and you feel that passion and motivation to do something. And if you start doing something and that flame burns out, don’t worry; keep trying and revisit that initial thought and feeling when you were first inspired.

Examples Of Inspiration

Inspiration can mentally stimulate us and translate into both productivity and creativity in our daily lives. But what inspires you? Below are a few examples of inspiration you can use as sources for your own.

People

As human beings, we tend to model ourselves after others as we are commonly inspired by people’s bravery, kindness, creativity, and other amazing traits. Some people are inspired by those with a higher social status, while others are inspired and influenced by famous people, close friends, or family members.

An Example: Teachers change lives and inspire their students each day. When a student is inspired by their teacher or an inspiring person, they can accomplish great things and gain the motivation they need to move forward in a positive direction toward their goals.

Elon Musk, for example, was encouraged and inspired by Richard Feynman, a famous American theoretical physicist who gave lectures and wrote books on physics. Elon Musk also grew up around engineering and science.

Art and Culture

Many are also inspired by talented artists and the visual expression of culture and artistic inspiration. When we turn to art and culture for design inspiration or a new idea, it allows us to travel to different perspectives and experience something we may not have experienced prior. Art and culture can inspire creativity and innovative thinking.

An Example: When we walk our favorite art exhibits or admire culture and artwork in general, the right side of our brain takes what it sees and expands on that.

When we stare into a painting of a forest, our brain can envision us actually doing this. This allows creative people to look beyond the painting’s frame and imagine what else is out there.

A great example of this was Steve Jobs. He had dropped out of college and made a pilgrimage through India, hoping to find enlightenment and divine guidance. However, the Japanese path of Zen Buddhism ultimately awakened his sensibilities. He looked at Zen culture as a deep influence.

Nature

Nature can also inspire people as it reflects our natural environment. Spending more time in nature allows us to experience a sense of awe and astonishment. We are no longer pressured by time and take things in stride. Nature also provides lessons we can learn from.

An Example: When in nature, human beings are guided by divine inspiration. Breathe through your nose and out of your mouth. Experience the sun shining on you and discover how bright the day really is.

Velcro was actually invented by someone who was inspired by nature. The inspiration for Velcro came from the thistle’s hooked barbs. George de Mestral was a swiss engineer who noticed how the barbs stuck to his clothing and dog in 1948. After studying this, he discovered how an interlocking system could be used to design Velcro.

Music

Music is considered pure and unadulterated inspiration and can influence our emotions, ideas, creativity, and energy. Music has the most effect on people ready to listen to it. Listening carefully and paying attention to the composition can inspire people while healing their bodies. Inspiring music also spurs intellectual activity.

An Example: Russian abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky was heavily inspired by music. He began playing the violin at a young age and revealed just how much music had inspired him in a performance of Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Andy Warhol, a pop artist, was also heavily inspired and influenced by music. He was a fan of The Velvet Underground between 1965 and 1967. He even provided them with artwork they would use on their album covers.

What Does It Mean To Be Inspiring?

So, what does it mean to be inspiring? Well, it ultimately means different things to different people, as you can see from our examples of inspiration above. To be inspired is easy. When we try to inspire others, we realize the dedication required.

Inspiring others means becoming a positive role model for someone and requires you to remain committed to a cause you are passionate about.

Traits Of Inspirational People

What are some of the common traits inspirational people share? Well, to begin with, they are amazing storytellers and have a vision they are eager to share. They not only talk about what is important but also act on it and work hard to overcome obstacles.

Those who inspire others are often innovative and more forward-thinking people. They are dedicated to inspiring others and are admired for being authentic and real. An inspiring leader is driven by value and a sense of purpose and responsibility. They crave positive change and offer encouragement to others.

How To Be A Positive Influence And Inspire Others

Ready to be a great leader and offer a positive influence to others? You just need an easy and actionable tip to get started:

• Always have a positive attitude
• Lead by example
• Express confidence
• Be happy and live happily
• Encourage creativity
• Be knowledgeable
• Don’t preach; lead by example
• Offer words of encouragement

A motivational speaker is considered an inspiring person and someone many aspire to be. Their words have a positive impact on others, and in some instances, on society as a whole.

Inspiration and You

Now that you’ve seen our take, do you have a new meaning of inspiration for yourself? Do you have the tools and traits needed to inspire others and help them find their better selves?

As always, definitions and explanations only get us so far. The best thing to do is put them in practice inn your own life. You never know where you’ll find inspiration until it strikes!