The inspiration keeps me motivated and optimistic. These days, there are so many ways to be inspired. Self-help books, journals or enabling novels such as Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist are excellent, as are a myriad of digital sources of inspiration such as podcasts. Do not underestimate the power of a great inspirational film either. I find The Pursuit of Happyness, starring actor Will Smith, very edifying.
I have a special memory of a time when I felt completely lost in life. I just quit my job to start selling inspiring T-shirts. I had invested my own money, and to my dismay, it was not selling as well as I would like. I thought they were going to be sold in a few days. I had been reading all these business manuals, spending hours on fashion blogs and I felt I had all the knowledge I needed to run a successful company and bring something innovative to the fashion world. But my reality proved the opposite.
I was starting to lose confidence in myself and my abilities. I challenged my direction in life and, on top of that, my mother saw that I was struggling and said I had to find another job because I needed to earn money to live and to help at home. The stress was immense.
When you start to doubt your abilities, you can quickly fall into a sea of misery. You begin to feel all the lower vibratory states and this can be damaging.
I knew I had to do something. So I listened to various personal development audiobooks, picked up some more self-help books, streamed online videos and read articles, quotes, and blog posts. I even started speaking to entrepreneurial friends I’d met via social media.
I started learning about other people’s hardships and how they overcame them, even when the odds were against them. I started to feel inspired and my self-belief grew. These stories were demonstrating that my failure wasn’t final. Anyone who has accomplished anything great has faced big challenges or failures. But they’re only final if you quit.
Admittedly, my T-shirt business didn’t work out. But it sparked changes, ones that benefited me hugely. When you’re inspired, you find drive and you feel good about where you’re going and what’s possible in your life.
