Inspiration vs Motivation
Although inspiration & motivation seem similar…
The two are very different.
Before talking about the differences, let’s talk about the similarity.
‘What is the similarity bro?’
It’s motion.
The beauty of inspiration and motivation is that it leads to motion.
Only if done correctly.
But HOW the motion is created differs completely.
Understanding the ins & outs of motivation vs inspiration will give you an edge in the emotional intelligence world.
You’ll see which one powers you up.
You’ll see which one puts YOU in motion.
Different strokes for different folks.
I get it.
Let’s enhance our emotional awareness by building our emotional literacy.
The Main Difference Between Motivation vs Inspiration
-Motivation is when you are getting charged up from an external stimulus.
-Inspiration is when you are getting charged up from an internal stimulus.
‘So the main difference is between external & internal?
That’s correct.
This is where motivational speakers are different from inspirational speakers.
A motivational speaker comes in with the INTENT to have the audience feeling charged up.
They want to make sure they take the audience from one state to an altered state.
Inspirational speakers are different.
‘How so?’
They pretty much share their story. If you feel inspired, cool.
If you don’t, all good.
Their intent was not to have you feeling charged up. It was to share their story.
So motivation happens from our external sources.
Inspiration happens from our internal sources.
But we can still delve deeper into this.
So let’s do it.
The Power of Motivation
Motivational speakers have a lot of power.
They are able to spark change not only with their words…
But with their personalities.
Every now and then, we humans get caught in a rut.
Things are not working out.
We are feeling depressed, in rock bottom, or feel that we are lacking a purpose.
Motivation from an external source can help out tremendously as long as we comprehend the message.
The keyword is comprehend.
We don’t just want to feel momentary pleasure & go about our day.
But we want to COMPREHEND the message.
Internalize the message on our being level.
The motivation from other parties should charge us up into motion.
We don’t just want to feel good & leave it at that.
We want to feel powerful & take purposeful action.
Motivation engages our emotions & has the power to engage our imagination too.
Emotions AND imagination?
Sound familiar?
It should. Those are the 2 staples of the subconscious mind.
The right motivational talk/s at the right stage of your life can change the trajectory of your life.
The Power of Inspiration
Earlier, I said that inspirational speakers are not trying to make you feel charged up.
If that happens, great.
But that was not their primary intent.
‘So why do I feel so charged up for?’
Because you RESONATED with their story.
Let’s say a speaker is talking about how he overcame shyness.
He is sharing his story.
And since you are shy, you are able to see YOURSELF in THEIR story.
From beginning to end…
This leads you to feel charged up to do something about your shyness.
If you understand that inspiration comes from within, then you’ll notice how powerful inspiration is.
There are multiple things to inspire you in all facets of your life.
Even inanimate objects.
‘Inanimate?’
Yea.
In my home back in West Palm…
There is a tree that I planted when I was a little kid.
During the time, it was a small little plant with branches & leaves.
Nothing special.
But over time, it has grown into a powerful tree.
One of the biggest trees in my back yard.
That tree inspires me, because it showcased how something great can be born thru something small.
All it takes is time.
If you were lecturing me about trees before I planted that particular tree… then it wouldn’t have resonated with me.
But since I saw my personal tree grow in real-time…
There was a strong resonation.
What Does This All Mean for You?
What this all means for you is that motivation and inspiration are 2 acts to leverage when you feel stuck.
To get yourself back in motion.
The truth is…
Theory is good.
But theory without motion is pointless.
That’s like sitting in a parked car & turning the steering wheel.
You’re focused on the direction, but there is no motion!
Motion allows the theory to make much more sense.
Whether you get the spark of motion from motivation or inspiration.
And who knows, both.
Listening to a motivational talk in the morning to get your day started & staying inspired throughout the day is a powerful combo.
But the point is to find out what works for you.
Understanding the difference between motivation & inspiration also allows you to build your social skills as well.
Some people find motivational videos corny.
All good.
For them, you can let your action do the talking when they are in a rut.
Some people need a quick boost but are not that introspective.
For them, you can give them a motivational talk to encourage.
Encourage is a way to give someone courage.
Powerful.
Inspiration vs motivation can seep into many elements of your life.
Especially when you know how to spot different social and emotional contexts.
An Object in Motion Stays in Motion!
Motion is powerful.
And from motion, you’ll gain insights that allow you to control that motion.
To control the flow of your movements.
Ultimately though, inspiration & motivation are 2 powerful tools in the emotional intelligence world.
Our emotions have fluxes.
And when we know how to extract meaning from those fluxes, we feel a level of power.
Social intelligence & emotional intelligence is a game of controlling our energy.
And one of the best ways to control the energy is by building our vocabulary of the energies that we possess.
Words are the truest perception programmers out there.
You understand what motivation means.
You understand what inspiration means.
Which one is right for you?
Or is it both?
It’s time to get up & get going.
The human in motion plus momentum is hard to stop.
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– ArmaniTalks 
