There are six great stimulants for open questions. Rudyard Kipling, in a quaintly old-fashioned British way, called them his six serving men:

I KEEP six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

The 5 words beginning with "Wh" offer us a great structure for exploring "inspiration".

The last one, "How", offers us a path to what I call, "Inspiraction".

"Inspiration" is such a great word. Literally, it means to in-spire – to breathe in. In my experience this is the opposite of what happens for me. When I am inspired I usually stop breathing for a moment – something makes me catch my breath. I hold my breath and I lean in to gather more from the source of inspiration. I get the point of the word though!

Add a "c" to inspiration, as if to create the future, and you get "Inspiraction" – which is inspired-action or action-on-inspiration!

Let's get inspired to inspiraction...

What inspires you? This could be a work of art, a quotation, or a song...

Who inspires you? Who are the people who give you goosebumps!

Where inspires you? Where are the locations that make your heart sing?

When inspires you? What events in life, days of the week, or even times of the day inspire you? When are you at your most inspired?

Why inspires you? Not great English but a great concept: what's your "Why" in life – why do you do what you do? Why are you here?

And then "Inspiraction"...

How can you deliberately turn on the state of being inspired?

One of the answers sits beneath the above list of "Wh" questions. Sitting below your threshold of consciousness is the very operating system of your mind: association.

By just thinking about your sources of inspiration now, you will tap into the feelings of inspiration associated with those magical moments, what matters and the significant people in your life.

You could, of course, create a physical inspiration board – a set of pictures and other reminders of your sources of inspiration. With a little practice, just looking at this inspiration board will be enough to trigger a heightened sense of readiness to be inspired anew!

Lex

A Moodscope member.