Can You Inspire Others If You Can’t Inspire Yourself?

Consider your ability to empower those around you in times of limbo… is it really doable?

I was chatting with my editor recently about inspiration — how to get it, what happens when it seems to be lost, and if one can actually be re-inspired just by the help of a “how-to” list. And furthermore, we pondered this: can you inspire others if you can’t inspire yourself? Well, to be quite honest, we decided a quick and positively packaged “guide to inspiration” seemed trivial because, when one loses their inspiration — their creative drive —  a band-aid, if you will, just doesn’t fit the bill. Feeling uninspired is a difficult emotion to endure, not to be taken lightly. It is a door — er, excuse me: hole — that can lead to poor decisions, negativity and, sometimes, depression, affecting your work flow, output, and attitude. And not to mention, personal and working relationships.

Non-inspiration is not a one-man show — it affects the people around you. And if you are in a position to inspire others (at work, school, home or friend groups), are you truly motivating them if you can’t find your own fire?

In lieu of a guide or a super cute step-by-step chart, we simply want to throw something out there for your consideration. Where is your inspiration right now? Do you feel inspired? Is work inspiring you? How about the people around you? Are you trying to inspire others? Are you doing a good job? Are you fueling your own inspiration? What is standing in your way? Are you giving enough time to YOU?

I’ll leave you with something Carrie said as we were emailing… “Funny you should consider inspiring others outside of yourself as a subject,” she wrote. “I was just talking to someone the other day about this, and how it seems that those who are fixated on helping others — and even doing a good job of it — are often not that good at helping themselves. I wonder how much you can really inspire someone when the spark isn’t lit inside of you for YOU?”

+How about you? We would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. 

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