I don’t love to workout, even though I’m thoroughly convinced that it is crucial for my longevity both mentally and physically. I love my daily walks. I love my daily stretching. I love my daily meditation and quiet morning time for reading and journaling. But, I do not love weight training. At all. Not one little bit.
But last week, I experienced an interesting moment. I looked at my schedule the night before, and, based on my appointments, selected the best time for my workout and set my alarm accordingly. I promised myself as I went to bed that, even though I hated it, I would get it done tomorrow, come hell or high water. When I awoke, I lamented how much earlier I had needed to get up just to get in a workout I really, really didn’t want to do. As the predetermined time got closer and closer, I watched the clock, and my tension mounted. I felt the excuses start to arise, and I shoved them down with my sheer will, remembering the promise I had made to myself. When it was time, I begrudgingly suited up and looked over my list of exercises with the feeling that I just wanted to hurry up and get it over with so I could get about my day with the things I did enjoy or needed to get done.
But, as I settled into the first set of exercises, I reached over and turned on my Inspirational Spotify Playlist and cranked up the volume. Maybe this will help, I thought to myself. As I began to squat, lunge, crunch, and lift barbells, I found I was doing so to the beat of some of my most favorite uplifting songs. I found myself dancing around to the music between sets of sit-ups and planks, smiling and even laughing at some of the lyrics to favorite musicals I love. Before I knew it, I was enjoying myself. And then I felt the familiar surge of endorphins that signals that euphoric feeling known as a runner’s high. Suddenly, I didn’t want to stop! I was in the flow, feeling aligned with my goals and life vision, and very, very alive!
In a word, I felt inspired, not only at that moment but throughout the remainder of the day. More importantly, that night I set my alarm to do it again the following day. The next morning when I awoke and thought about my workout, I had a new feeling of inspiration. I found myself looking forward, not to the workout itself (I still hate that!), but to the feeling of flow and the fun and that juicy, tingling runner’s high.
Intention, motivation, and inspiration are very different things. Intention was setting my alarm to go off earlier than usual. Motivation was what got me to the starting line but was coming from a desire to avoid a negative consequence (aging, losing muscle tone, being unfit). Inspiration was the feeling of knowing internally that everything in that moment was right and aligned. It happens when you experience a lack of any internal resistance and achieve that intoxicating feeling of flow.
I’d felt it before in my life many times—unwrapping the blanket of my newborn son and staring at his tiny naked perfection when we were all alone together after his birth; walking down the aisle at my wedding toward the man I loved, flanked on all sides by all the people that mattered the most to me; keynoting a huge event and feeling a sudden, deep connection with the audience and following my instincts to veer off from my slideshow and speak to them straight from my heart, landing the perfect words at the perfect time. I had felt it recently, writing the preface and conclusion chapters of my upcoming book one night where the words flowed like water off my fingertips and time seemed suspended. I feel it often (though not always) in my daily prayer and meditation practice.
I love this quote from Abraham Hicks which says, “Inspiration comes forth from within. It’s what the light burning within is about, as opposed to motivation, which is doing something because, if you don’t do it, there will be negative repercussions.” Inspiration is having a clear picture of what I’m seeking and allowing an internal, spiritual force come into play and guide me effortlessly and pleasantly toward that outcome.
This week, consider how you could transform something that requires you to summon heavy motivation to accomplish it into a more inspirational experience. To do that, we only need to connect with a deeper part of ourselves, work on removing or suspending any internal resistance, and allow ourselves to fall into the deliciousness of what our internal guidance system is communicating to us. That voice or flow will always lead us to the most inspirational places, for the most amazing experiences, and always for the greatest good for ourselves and others.
“Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force.”
~ Lao Tzu
