INSPIRE YOURSELF ON PURPOSE INSPIRATION FROM INSIDE OUT

[Pravin Kumar]

Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are:
(1) Remain calm and centered, even when everyone around you seems to have lost their mind. Act from your heart center with decisive clarity, rather than reacting to the mayhem around you from “off the top of your head.”
(2) Trust yourself, even when others don’t trust you. Understand that their mistrust is a reflection of them, not you.
(3) Respond from the depth of your being, rather than from the surface of the present interaction. If someone lies to you, it’s no excuse for you to lie to them. If they break their word, keep yours anyway. If someone is curt, insulting or hateful, it’s no excuse to reply in kind. The real mastery of this kind of interaction is to do it in such a way so that you do not come off as “holier than thou.”
Whenever you encounter someone who acts in a hypocritical manner, use the experience to remind yourself how much you dislike that trait, and resolve to eliminate it from your own psyche. The same principle applies to anything distasteful you see in another. Recognize it and set about to eliminate it from yourself.
The key to success in this attitude is firm dedication to your principles, grounded in the depth of your being, with a healthy dose of genuine humility.
(4) Recognize that humility is not something to arbitrarily “adopt” or “put on.” Instead, it is the natural result of the understanding that, deep inside, beyond our myriad differences, we are all the same. We are the same sense of being — “I am” — the essence of presence. This is the place where we all converge into the profound oneness.
(5) Dream big dreams, but don’t put off happiness until they come true.
(6) Think big thoughts, but remember that the realm of mental activity is just part of the package — just one of the many tools we have at our disposal. Balance your busy mind with awareness of how you feel, what you know in your heart, the data received from your senses, and your intuition about the vast, unnamed and uncounted realities that lie beyond the narrow reach of our five senses.
(7) Celebrate your successes, but not too long. Reflect on your failures, but not too long. If you choose to go over the top with your victory celebrations or your failure doldrums, do it with detachment. Win or lose, it’s all temporary. This too shall pass. When the calm, unruffled surface of the depths of your being remains the same, regardless of the current outer circumstances, you are demonstrating the wisdom of knowing the difference between the passing ripples in time and the permanent stillness accessible only in this present moment.
(8) Look beneath the surface to see everyone as souls immersed in their own unique journey toward self-remembrance, even when they misconstrue your intentions and demolish in moments what has taken years to build. Continue to be a builder in spite of them, even when you seem to be surrounded by sleeping beings bent on destruction.
(9) Realize that “sure-things” are rare — there are gambles in life. Sometimes the odds are in your favor, and sometimes they work against you. By recognizing the chances and probabilities, you can choose to play deliberately and intelligently. Assume the entire universe is conspiring in your favor to help manifest your dreams. (If you are not sure about this, do it anyway just because it makes for a more interesting game.) But, use your tool of reason to hedge your bets and make it that much easier for the universe to deliver in a timely manner. Whenever you do choose to play, do it with commitment and responsibility. It’s your choice, so temper your urge to brag about your winnings or to complain about your losses.
(10) Find that place inside that feels genuine, and live your life from that inner point. When it’s done right, crowds feel that you are one of them . . . royalty feels that you are one of them . . . and even the destitute feel that who you are is the same, even though your current experiences may be different.
(11) Live your life with integrity, from the inside out, so that even your best friends cannot hurt you . . . even your adversaries cannot hurt you. Recognize that all these interactions and experiences are fleeting and pass before the screen of who you really are. When you vow to not confuse what is happening to you with who you are, you are free.
(12) Live your life in such a way that people trust you and rely on you . . . but not too much. Instead, inspire them by your example to trust themselves and rely on themselves. Show them the freedom and satisfaction of living with integrity and independence.
These twelve reminders have the potential to make a profound difference in the world. Personally, I’m not there yet. There’s a plus element to such lofty goals — I know I can always do better. But the first step is recognizing them as good ideas, and then beginning from wherever I am right now to incorporate them into my life, the best I can in the moment.
For every person who is able to live their lives in ever-closer alignment with these principles of integrity, how many people notice? A dozen? A thousand? A little bit of light goes a long way in the darkness. It moves very quickly and it’s difficult to hide.
To change the world to a friendlier, happier and more peaceful place, first we must look within and do whatever is necessary to make ourselves friendlier, happier and more peaceful — regardless of outer circumstances. Circumstances happen to everyone — it’s how we respond to them that makes all the difference.
To inspire others, first we must inspire ourselves. To inspire ourselves, a good first step is to remember the spirit within and live our lives from there — from the inside out.