Be Your Own Inspiration

Lately I’ve been getting quite a bit of feedback from peers and friends saying that they look up to me in some way. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it— who wouldn’t? But it’s causing me to step back and really look at why.

The past several months, I have made numerous changes in my life, from my eating habits, to my study habits, to my goals and to my social settings. These changes have (mostly) been beneficial and good for me. I have made strides in my life, becoming more of who I really am and figuring out what I really want. I think it’s called “growing up,” but I still like to read Harry Potter and eat Cheetos sometimes, so I’m still trying to figure that one out.

For me, I have made these changes because I want to, that simple. I have found what I want and I have figured out who I want to be, at least for now (I tend to change my mind like I change outfits, which is often) and I know what I need to do in order to attain it.

The fact that my life is inspiring some people around me is the biggest compliment I have ever received. I haven’t started any awesome programs, traveled anywhere particularly profound or won any awards, but I am making goals and following through on them. If that allows me to inspire even just one person, that will be enough.

Inspiration comes from many different places. I get inspiration from articles, books, art, beautiful places, music, conversations with others, Pinterest (had to throw that one in there) and many other outlets. But what I have found to be the most “inspirational inspiration,” is myself.

I encourage you to be inspired by different people and ideas, by different paintings and different songs, but at the end of the day, you are all you have.

You want to get a 3.0? Work on getting a 3.0. You want to start waking up at 6 a.m. every day to go to the gym? Start waking up at 6 a.m. every day and going to the gym.

Be your own inspiration.  Make a change for even just one month, if only for the reason that at the end of those four or so weeks you can look back at what you’ve done and say “I’m actually really proud of myself.” Because once you realize that you can make any change you want and do anything you want, once you realize how capable you truly are, then you will be unstoppable.

That being said, don’t set yourself up for failure either. Make sure your goals are attainable and your to do lists aren’t too insane (this might just be a personal problem). However, there are quite a few hours in a day and what you choose to do with those hours is entirely up to you. Next time you look at your schedule and goals with doubt, just think, “I got this.” Chances are, you do.