Some days we wake up energetic to do a lot. Some days the motivation isn’t there for one reason or the other. At least that’s what happens to me once in a while. What motivates me on those days is to look at my pinboard, which has words that inspire me. It helps me a great deal to think about what those words mean to me. There is an instant shift in my thinking and energy flows in to keep me going. I find it extremely beneficial to surround myself with things and artwork that are meaningful to me.
What started as one artwork while doing something in vintage style turned into a series of 9 motivational words that inspire me – Believe, Love, Create, Focus, Inspire, Learn, Practice, Persist, and Seek.
Believe
Believing in what we are doing is the first and the most important step toward achieving any goal. All of our actions are driven by what we believe in. Hence it is important to determine or come to an intelligent conclusion about what we believe. The actions stemming out of belief from the right understanding are effective and purposeful. Blind belief is dangerous. I find it very helpful to spend some time reflecting on what I believe in and why I believe something.
Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.
Oprah Winfrey
Love
Love is a word we use a lot. We interpret it in many different ways. Most times, we associate it with an experience physical or mental that gives us immense pleasure. The meaning of this word has evolved for me over the years. Love is not transactional. Love is something that we feel despite, which means it is not dependent on what loving something or someone gives us.
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
Create
My journey of self-expression via art over the past few years is the result of a strong urge that I felt to create. I’m so grateful to have followed my intuition. Besides the joy the process and the result give, it made me realize some profound things in the process. Try it for yourself. Create something you enjoy, starting today.
This world is but a canvas to our imagination.
Henry David Thoreau
Focus
Staying focused is an important aspect of achieving anything. Our mind has a habit of going in various directions at all times. The ability to focus is strengthened by our belief in whatever action we are doing. I believe this is something that can be cultivated as a habit by practicing doing everything consciously. This revelation dawned on me as I was creating art. Especially while coloring, I found myself very focused and contemplative.
I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.
Zig Zaglar
Inspire
Life is very fragile as we keep getting reminded in one way or the other. What we have is Today – to be our best, to inspire ourselves and others around us.
You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, and the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are the sound of the ocean, breath of the fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner. You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single second of every day. So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence. Let the words run through your veins and the colors fill your mind until there is nothing left to do but explode, There are no wrong answers. Inspiration is everything. Sit back, relax, and take it all in.
Jac Vanek
Learn
I believe learning is a lifelong process. If we have the will to seek and learn, we are fortunate to be in a world where information is available at our fingertips.
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.
Chinese Proverb
Practice
If we keep practicing, besides getting better at whatever we are trying to get better at, there is a boost in our confidence levels. This confidence reflects on other aspects of our personality as well as motivates us to practice even further. Practice makes perfect.
To become really good at anything, you have to practice and repeat, practice and repeat, until the technique becomes intuitive.
Paulo Coelho
Persist
I had to persist to draw this series of nine words. But, it is so rewarding to see the result. I believe that there is no limit to what we can do if we are persistent.
Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin
Seek
I’ve always believed that it is an important habit to ask questions to seek answers. Accepting I don’t know with all honesty is very healthy and allows one to seek. No question which comes out of that attitude is a bad one. Sometimes the answers may not seem very clear instantly. But having an attitude to learn and intent to seek answers will have to lead us to whatever we are seeking eventually. This enables one to grow, as knowledge is enlightening.
Who seeks shall find.
Unknown Author
Bluishmuse 