HERO MAINTENANCE: Inspiration

Heroes are the bright lights of the world, the lamps in dark places.  Being positive & upbeat is often enough to make a difference in the lives of those around you.  

Now, when I say "being positive" I'm not talking about the fake face of positivity we plaster on to meet the world. "Fired Up Buddy!"  "Yeah, I just had a fight with my wife & my car broke down! Life is Good!"  "It took me a half-hour to get out of bed because I'd rather shoot my self then face another day at this office but I'm excited!" "Awesome! Couldn't be better! I haven't made a sale in 2 months! Business is booming! Fired Up!" 

I'm talking about deep down, honest to goodness, positive belief structure.  The true "can do" attitude.  The mindset that sees not limitations but opportunities, not walls but the buildings blocks of future success, not set backs but adventures!  This way of being cannot be faked & speaking all Fired Up! to convince everyone else you are positive doesn't work either.  It's in the core of you.  A true, positive outlook is often something others can feel without you saying a word.  One person described it as "What walks in the room before you do."     

Now, have you ever tried to be this sort of positive all the time?  I'm sure you have.  I am also sure you've come to realize how taxing this way of being can be, especially in our American culture.  Cynicism is the way of humor in our culture.  Speaking an inspiring word to someone can often get you the "stink-eye" look from them.  When everything around you is critical & down-turned it's way to easy to be critical of everything yourself.

  

Then there's Life, that unrelenting wench of bad circumstances who likes to trip you up, kick you when you're down & laugh while she's doing it.  Oh the pangs of circumstance!  How can you keep yourself positive in such environments?  How do you keep your light burning bright?

You can't.  At least not by yourself.  

Every human has their limitations.  Every rock solid hero needs to be inspired & rejuvenated.  I don't care how amazing the hero is, they are not a perpetual motion machine that never runs out of juice.  We need inspiration.  A definition for Inspiration found on Dictionary.com is: 

     World English Dictionary

      inspiration  (ˌɪnspɪˈreɪʃən) — n

1. stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity
2. the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused
3. someone or something that causes this state 
4. an idea or action resulting from such a state 
5. the act or process of inhaling; breathing in 

Solid inspiration is not just warm fuzzies & cute kittens, it moves you!  It wakes up thoughts & stimulates activity!  It is the gasoline of your engine.  With out it, you stop.  Find things that inspire you everyday so you don't stop in the tasks you hope to accomplish.  Maybe it's music, a file of YouTube vids, a selection of writings & poetry that moves you.  Whatever gives you that breathe of fresh air, hold on to it like a lifeline.  Remember, you cannot inspire others if you are down & out yourself.  To make the analogy that life is an airplane you need to get your breathing mask on before you can help anyone else with theirs. 

This video I saw on Facebook has so inspired me: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=535184355831 Maybe it can be an inspiration to you too.  It's never too late to start again.  It's never to late to get up one more time.  No matter who tells you you are done, it's not over until you give up.