Belief, meet Inspiration.
Belief — it’s the bedrock of our goals. It sets the tone, and informs how we think, and what we do. By believing something will happen, we set ourselves on the path towards achieving it.
Inspiration is that super sexy hand that reaches out to pick you up and rocket you into space. Inspiration surges through your system, propelling you upwards towards new ideas and dreams. Up on high, you can see all the possibilities — your dream fulfilled, your life expanded.
Both states of mind are powerful, but they are most powerful when they work together. Belief is grounding. It exists in the realm of what is possible. When combined with inspiration, the ground becomes a magic carpet which lifts you to a higher level. When we believe in that inspirational thing, we become more motivated. We double down on our action plans, we celebrate the wins (even the tiny ones), we take big risks. The possibilities become infinite.
Here are three things you can do to introduce belief and inspiration into your day.
Set a positive intent.
We cannot achieve anything if we don’t believe in it. Believe that you will have a good experience today. Set your intent for the most positive experience imaginable — there’s no room for worries here.
Use Past Experiences
Recall a story about a time when the stars aligned for you. If you’re working with a team, consider breaking up in pairs or smaller groups. Recalling a happy memory increases positive emotions and achieves a mood regulation effect, likely by activating the brain reward circuit¹. Fill your mind with love and connection, goal getting and happiness. This is the essence of inspiration. Glean from these memories the common themes that you want to weave into your experience today.
Let imagination take hold
Bring out that magic carpet and invite yourself, or your team, to step on and take a ride. The magic carpet is the unexpected experience that everyone longs for. It’s the Jetson’s (or if you’re of a younger generation, Rick and Morty’s) ability to commute in flying vehicles.
Give yourself, or your team, permission to do something different. Get silly, and encourage outrageous ideas. Set the tone by changing the physical environment. Large tech companies have all sorts of wacky, colorful, crazy meeting rooms, and there’s a reason for it. Placing somebody in a novel environment can stimulate novel thinking². You might not have the budget of a tech giant, but you can achieve a similar effect. Try changing the format of the room, or bringing something different into the space whether it be colors, props, or games. Plan for magic to occur and it will.
Belief + inspiration is the recipe for excitement and success. Bring them together today and you will step out into your day in full living color.
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Footnotes
- Chen, C., Takahashi, T., & Yang, S. (2015). Remembrance of happy things past: positive autobiographical memories are intrinsically rewarding and valuable, but not in depression. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 222. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00222
- Monica Hoyos Flight. (2013). Plasticity: The benefits of a novel environment. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14, 306–307. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3485
