Motivation VS Inspiration
For a really long time, I interchanged these words. I assumed that they were synonymous. And, because of that, I often chose the wrong one in context.
In fact, the two words are quite different. And while the world will most certainly go on spinning regardless of our collective usage of the two words, I wanted to take some time to pen why defining them separately can positively impact your wellness journey.
Merriam-Webster defines inspiration as “something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create.”
On the other hand, motivation is defined as “the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something.”
The former comes from a place of naturally understanding who you are, and as a byproduct, pushes you to achieve success in ways that may have seemingly felt impossible. It is internal and relatively infinite. The latter is dependent on a stimulus, often external. This dependency is never fully satiated, causing you to continually return to the source (helllloooo, social media) or avoid the punishment, which translates into a pattern that is altogether unsustainable.
“Motivation is when you get hold of an idea and carry it through to its conclusion, and inspiration is when an idea gets hold of you and carries you where you are intended to go.”
Let me use some real-life examples.
Inspiration.
Simone Biles inspired me in the recent Olympic Games. When she stood up to the world and said “no,” she spoke directly to my values. She chose her body and her mind over everything. I can recall many moments in my life where I did not put my body first, years where I did not honor my physical and mental health. When I witnessed Simone stand in her power in front of the entire world, it inspired me to continue to stand in my own power.
Motivation.
There are many things that motivate me to move daily. Intrinsically, I love how I feel on the days when I get to move more (especially when I get to be outside). Extrinsically, I like how my butt looks in a pair of jeans. I also unashamedly eat ice cream nearly every single day, and I definitely don’t shy away from an extra scoop on the days when I’ve worked my body super hard.
And this relates to your own individual wellness journey because it’s important that you understand what is coming up for you in each category and how you can get the most from yourself by honoring both.
To be inspired is to know your heart. It is to understand the doses that your mind and body need to show up for you in the way that is most authentic to who you are. A personal assessment that has helped me to more deeply understand my inspired self is The Enneagram.
To be motivated is to know what makes you tick. It is to understand the positive and negative reinforcements that potentially magnify or squelch your certain behaviors. A personal assessment that has helped me to more deeply understand my motivations is Five Love Languages.
Where I challenge you to exercise grace with yourself is when motivation is coming from a negative space.
Do you feel motivated to lose weight because you associate negative life experiences to being in a larger body?
Do you feel motivated to stay in your current job because of the story that you perceive others will speak about you if you leave?
Do you feel motivated to restrict yourself to certain foods or caloric levels during the week so you can binge eat all weekend?
We speak of “motivation” in this way. Often. And the hard truth is that, if we really sat with ourselves, these motivations may very well be out of integrity with what we deem inspiring. THAT is the conversation we are called to have with ourselves. Because alignment is what creates sustainability in our journeys. Alignment is how we honor ourselves.
What do you find inspiring?
What are your primary motivators?
Are you in alignment?