I Can Do That!!

Inspiration/Motivation and Hope/Belief

Motivation and Inspiration

Recently Danielle LaPorte of WHITE HOT TRUTH, wrote an article titled “the difference between motivation + inspiration.”.  Danielle is someone who inspires me.  Like she did when I re-read her post.  Anyone who has known me for a while, knows that this is a distinction that I make often. MOTIVATION doesn’t work for me.  It feels like pushing.  I hear phrases in my head like “cracking the whip” and that doesn’t feel particularly inspiring.”  LaPorte says

We seem to need motivation to get stuff done. Typically there’s a lot of “measuring” that happens in the realm of motivation. Check lists and goal posts and markers and such. There is often a fear of loss involved. We are on duty.

A fear of loss” — ok, red flag!  FEAR and LOSS! Not words or feelings that get me moving.

When I was dancing in my 20s, taking class every day, doing shows several times a year – criticism, or fear never motivated me . Instead, I was inspired by watching the other dancers or our amazing directors Eddie or Kathy Gasper dance!   Hearing appreciation in the applause from the audience, the encouragement of the other dancers, that was inspiring!

the guys of the Original Red River Dance and Performing Company dance to UPTOWN DOWNTOWN

Inspiration. It is magnetic and progressive. Its reasoning cannot always be reasoned — I just gotta do it. It busts you outta shouldsville into the unfenced field of freedom and possibility.

Inspiration is a completely different force of creativity. – Danielle LaPorte

This is what people – all people – long for. To share a creative journey. To know you have raving fans who’ll give you the support and encouragement you need.  Who BELIEVE in you.  It makes all the difference.

Hope and Belief

Just like inspiration and motivation are similar but oh, so different.  So are HOPE and BELIEF.

They may seem like the mean the same thing, but they don’t!  I find the word hope a bit wimpy.

Take, for instance, the two declarations:

“I hope I get new clients” vs.  “I believe I will get new clients”

Big difference!

I would never dream of taking away someone’s hope.  But turning hope into belief can make a world of difference.  I live to be a catalyst helping people turn that hope into belief – belief in themselves, in possibility, in others, in their dreams.

When you believe thoughts have power, then chosing the right ones can change  your life! As Mike Dooley says, “thoughts become things, choose the good ones!”