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Welcome to the second installment of “How To Create Personal Change,” part of the “On Being a Writer” series (though you don’t have to be a writer to relate).
As I mentioned last week, there were three steps that helped me get to a jumping-off point for my life change. The first was support. The second, which we’ll discuss today, is inspiration.
Inspiration
There are inevitable ups and downs to any big change, and having support and staying optimistic are crucial. The people and groups cheerleading your change will help some, but they can’t be there all the time. So it helps to find ways to keep your feet headed in the right direction.
Discover what comforts you on those challenging days. The self-doubt, the questioning, and the fear that inevitably creeps in are simply layers of your old self peeling off. It’s part of the process of bursting out of your cocoon. Think of yourself as a butterfly.
A big move or career shift is as much an inner journey as an outer one.
One of my inspirations is watching YouTube videos from Abraham and Esther Hicks. I’m passionate about Law of Attraction and find the clips instructional and easy to understand. (If you listen, don’t worry about where the information comes from.) I still listen to at least one every day.
Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul, Pema Chodron’s Start Where You Are, and The Dalai Lama (he still occasionally holds live teachings that air on Facebook and his website) – have also helped me on my path.
Oprah, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu – I’m not getting close to scratching the surface of people you could draw strength from. I’ve attended Tony Robbins’ “Date With Destiny” – six days with five thousand people I wouldn’t have otherwise met. Not really my cup of tea, but he’s helped so many.
Who inspires you? I was so blown away by Bruce Springsteen that I landed in the Southwest on a solo road trip two days after I walked out of his Broadway show. I needed time with myself to absorb what I’d experienced.
I love trying anything new that helps me see things from another angle. I’ve experienced Landmark, still study Tibetan Buddhism, have been Rolfed, met with psychics and channelers, road trip solo, and on and on. What inspires you?
The joy is in the journey, not the destination.
Your inspiration doesn’t have to be spiritual. Music, art, a beautiful sunset, a walk in the desert, a warm bath in candlelight, running marathons – discover anything that opens your heart. Work on loving yourself on the inside to help build the strength to step into the unknown.
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Why Inspiration is Important
Making significant changes in midlife or later can be much more complicated than in our teens and twenties. I packed two suitcases and moved to London for a few years in my twenties – and didn’t think twice about it.
Moving to New Mexico in my late fifties took a couple years of research and angst before I could actually do it. Still, I never regretted the move, not for a second.
The Dalai Lama was twenty-three when he fled Tibet due to the Chinese invasion. He had an entire country on his shoulders as he dodged an army and climbed on foot through the Himalayas to safety. That makes my move to New Mexico a joyride.
Countless people are currently questioning what they find important and are making huge shifts. A friend recently sent me a link to an article in The Guardian about individuals who walked away from their former lives and wrote books about their experiences. There are even new book genres called “radical reinvention” and “life change.”
May you build the life you want.
Next week I’ll close out with the third tool to creating a life change – Being Still. If you missed the first two posts, you can catch up with “On Being a Writer” and “How To Create Massive Change: Part One – Support.”
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