Why you need to pursue inspiration

Inspiration

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word inspiration is derived from a Latin word, ispiratus. It means drawing air into the lungs, it is an action taken during breathing.

Over the years, the meaning of the word has evolved and nowadays it is inclined more to being a definition of providing a spur, encouragement, an upliftment or a mental stimulation to act towards something.
Such progression of the word could be a result of the metaphoric translations of the process of  mental stimulation.
Inhalation can be viewed as 'giving life' to an individual as one takes in oxygen to breathe in the process. It is then compared to mental stimulation which is a way of giving life to ideas or the creative art within an individual that may be buried in doubt or stifled by a lack of confidence to take action.

Why everyone needs inspiration

It is almost impossible to imagine pursuing a vision that does not face any obstacles that will challenge its existence into the real world.

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchhill 

Whenever a dream is stumbling in uncertainty and hopelessness, inspiration can boost energy and  rekindle the flame of hope.

A dream by definition is a sequence of imaginations by the mind during sleep. These are non tangible and have no effect of the physical reality. Putting a fantasy dream into reality is like successfully mixing two immiscible liquids. Making happen something you never thought possible.

Now, the word 'dream' is also used as a synonym for 'ambition.' This shows that ambition is like a fantasy to some extent.

Allow me to give an example. An ambition can start at a very tender age (eg 6years), when you neither have capital or the aid to fulfill it. Factually speaking it can be equated to a fantasy because imagination is all that the six year old has. However, as the years go by and effort is put into it, the fantasy slowly turns into something realistic.

Imagine back in the day before the invention of aeroplanes, who could have thought that the fantasy of one day soaring in the air like a bird was possible.
You can imagine the amount of negative feedback the Wright brothers must have received from skeptics.

An ambition is only truly understood by the one who bears it.

Ambition is like a seed buried in the ground. As a seed, its almost impossible to see a giant tree in it. The tree can be a million times the size and weight of a seed. Only the one who bears a seed knows what he or she is carrying and it is up to that person to see his/ her seed grow to its potential.

The seed can grow to become a huge tree ONLY if it is nourished.

Determination and desire to turn this dream into reality can act as nourishment for the seed (ambition) to grow.

However, sometimes challenges and negative feedback can outweigh determination. This is the point at which people give up on their dreams. At this point, the vision looks like it was probably a mistake, overzealousness or an act of being over ambitious.

Giving up is when your vision is no longer enough to  inspire you.

For such derailing challenges, everyone needs inspiration. Inspiration is an external source of strength that adds some life into you to keep pushing towards a goal. It is like having another person water your seed for you when your own water reservoir is running dry. 
 Whenever you give up on a dream it is a lack of inspiration when the dream takes an unexpected turn from the direction you want.


There are many forms of inspiration, most commonly:

• Quotations
• Life stories of people who faced similar challenges or those who experienced such torrid time but still sailed through.
• Lifestyles of different individuals and how they tackle their problems.

An audio book for more:

Common figures of inspiration

Mahatma Gandhi

1869 - 1948

A civil rights activist who led the Indian Independence Movement against British colonialists through non violent campaigns and protests.

Mother Teresa

1910 - 1997

Missionary recognized for her works of charity. 

Nelson Mandela

1918 - 2013

First black president of South Africa and an anti-apartheid advocate who called for reconciliation of all races without resorting to violence.

Martin Luther King Jr

1929 -1968

A civil rights activist who stood for change through non violent methods and delivered the famous "I have a dream" speech during the march on Washington (1963).