To live an inspired life means making decisions based on intuition and excitement. It means letting the inspiration be the driving force and logic be what allows that inspiration to manifest into reality. It requires trust and a mindset that necessary logistics can be figured out. It’s what happens when you wake up one day and feel inspired to take a new route to work. If you’re talking to a friend and get an inspiration to film a documentary of her journey into a new career, you make it happen. It’s the opposite of what most people are taught, but the benefits of this lifestyle make the learning curve worth it.  

The payoff for living an inspired life is multifaceted. It is a personal development journey where you have an opportunity to know and experience yourself without limitations. With life less pre-planned, a sense of space emerges. It is then easier to appreciate the moment and live in a state of wonder. Synchronicities start appearing more often as well. 

The number one barrier between living inspired and living a normal, linear life is the mindset.  Most people see making decisions based on intuition as frivolous or impractical, yet some of the world’s greatest minds actually operated this way. Albert Einstein is famous for saying that “science is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Thomas Edison said the same thing, except he replaced science with genius. Notice that the inspiration part comes first.  “If you spot an opportunity and are really excited by it, throw yourself into it with everything you’ve got,” said Richard Branson, billionaire and owner of over 200 companies.

So how does one add room for inspiration into an already full life? The first step is to become aware of how inspiration feels in your body. The easiest way to do this is to remember a time when you felt amazing. Close your eyes and access a memory of a great vacation or a time when you first fell in love. Allow your body to participate in the memory, paying attention to how your chest feels and expands. Your shoulders will naturally go back and your breathing will be deeper. This is how it feels to be inspired.  

Here are some tips to make the transition into living an inspired life easier:

Have an open mind: Ask yourself what you would need to follow an inspiration and turn it into a reality. If your idea is to make a documentary, make a list of who you would need to contact to figure out the first steps to learn from another’s experience, purchase a camera or read to learn more about documentary filmmaking. If you allow yourself the space to explore, your excitement will guide you in the right direction from idea to completion.  

Let go of the outcome: At first, it may not be apparent how an inspired idea can make money or improve your life. When you are inspired, you often only get a sliver of the map. Your job is to begin making it real. As you move forward with the idea, new pieces will come and the whole will begin to make sense. If you allow yourself to follow through on what you are given, you will often be rewarded with an outcome that far exceeds anything you could have dreamt when you got that first taste of inspiration. You may also reap rewards that are not quantifiable. Following through on inspiration often pushes you outside your comfort zone, forcing you to grow, expand and become more confident, capable and creative in the process.  

Start small and build momentum: Learning to follow your inspiration is a lifelong journey.  Instead of deciding that this is an all or nothing process, follow the nudges that you can handle with your work and home life. Go to a different coffee shop when you feel called to.  You may end up talking to someone that will change your life. Try a different method of working out, call up a friend you haven’t seen in a while, do the small things that your heart steers you toward. By following through on the little things, you build up your trust muscles. That way, when a “biggie” makes its way to you, you will know that it can be done and that it will be worth it.  

Letting your excitement and inspiration lead you will shift your entire being. In addition to becoming happier and more optimistic about their future, those who do this also inspire people around them to start following their hearts. Inspiration is contagious.  

Live inspired and be inspiring. You don’t have to throw away your reasoning in order to start living an inspired life. Add more spontaneity a little at a time. Follow your smaller inspirations first and, before long, you’ll be doing things you never thought possible.  

 

Rachel Archelaus assists helpers and healers all around the world to launch businesses based on their soul purpose as founder of the Soul-Centered Business Bootcamp, an online business development program. Visit SoulPurposeSecrets.com for more information on her free class.