Find Inspiration

Find Inspiration

What is the point or purpose behind what you are trying to accomplish or achieve??Many know Simon Sinek for his books and talks about discovering your why or finding your purpose. When faced with a challenging goal or task, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or discouraged. It is in these moments that finding inspiration and purpose can be crucial to staying motivated and pushing through obstacles. Without a strong sense of purpose and inspiration, the road to achieving a difficult goal can feel daunting and even impossible.

In a previous chapter of this book I discussed how and why I found that consistency was more powerful and more important than motivation. This is especially true for long-term tasks, goals and projects. For me, without a doubt consistency is more important over time. However, even within these enduring goals, which in my case was a year-long goal, there were individual days where consistency got me to the base on the Incline, it got me to show up, but it took motivation to get me to the top.

There were many days that I wanted to quit a quarter of the way up, half-way or even three-fourths of the way up the Incline. I wanted to turn around and go back home. I didn’t because I relied on inspiration and motivation. I had to tap into intrinsic motivation, which is often more powerful than external motivators like rewards or recognition (plus, there were no external motivators).

My inspiration and how I practices it was really a form of self-talk which I discussed previously. When I did not feel motivated but needed motivation, I would usually think about and picture one of three people in my head. I found that visualizing certain people and their remarkable achievements helped me stay motivated during the toughest moments of my Incline challenge.

The first person who I would often think about was Tyler. Tyler was a Paralympic sit-skier silver medalist that I met several years ago. In general, he is a pretty awesome guy and just what he achieves on a daily basis is inspirational. However, after I met him, I discovered that in 2013 he scaled the Manitou Incline ON HIS HANDS! So, when I am feeling down and out and sorry for myself and wanting to quit, I think about Tyler.

Next, is Rachel. Rachel is a friend I made while on the Incline. For a period of time, she held the record for most ascents in a year by female (over one thousand). I would see her almost every time I went because she was always there. There were many days where she did twelve Incline summits within a 24-hour period. That was inspiring, but where she really tipped the scales for me was when she became pregnant and continued (with her doctor’s blessing) to do the Incline. The last time I saw her, she had done over 475 Incline summits while pregnant. You can see in the photograph that she is holding up eight fingers; showing that she is eight months pregnant. Her baby has done the Incline more times than I have. If she can continue to do the Incline while pregnant, what do I have to complain about??Inspiring!

Last, but certainly not least, my inspiration is my wife, Allison. She has done the Incline several times but it really isn’t her thing. She inspires me because of her fierce resilience and positive attitude in the face of adversity. In defiance of a terminal cancer diagnosis, she did not wilt and give up but instead pushed harder. While enduring nearly twenty surgeries over her lifetime, she educated herself, changed her life and has assisted countless others since the diagnosis in 2015. If she can endure the continuous, momentous fact of cancer, then I can certainly endure through a temporary discomfort of my ultimately trivial Incline challenge.

These three people in my head help me stay focused, motivated but more importantly maintain proper perspective. They serve as my inspiration.

Psalm 57:2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

Proverbs 20:5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.

Hebrews 12:1 therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Personal Reflection:

Do you know your why, your purpose, behind what you are trying to achieve?

Who or what for you serves as inspiration when you require a little extra motivation?

What is it about that person that serves as motivation?

For more Life Lessons like this, check out my book, “Lessons from the Incline” available here:?https://lnkd.in/gwma-ptF