Who inspires you to take your game higher?
Whether it’s your personal or professional game, I’d be willing to bet there are people that inspire you to get to the next level of what you’re capable of.
I have been reading the book Lust for Life, which is a biographical novel about the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh. There was a point in Vincent’s career, when he moved to Paris, that he was introduced to the works of the French Impressionists – Georges Seurat, Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas, etc.
This awoke something in Van Gogh and ignited a new passion within him. Not that he hadn’t been dedicated to his craft already, but these works gave him an entirely new vision as to what was possible. In a sense, it’s almost like their work gave Van Gogh permission to think outside the conventional box.
One thing that Van Gogh struggled with, though, was self-criticism and self-doubt. He felt like he was so far behind all the other artists. He wondered if he would ever do anything of any significance.
Can you sometimes relate to Van Gogh in that respect?
He pressed on, though, didn’t he? He let that inspiration take him to new levels – new heights of creativity.
These people that inspire us – sometimes we call them heroes. If one of your heroes is still alive, would you be interested in trying to reach out to them this week and tell them what an inspiration they’ve been to you?
If you are not able to reach them personally, maybe you can tell others about what they’ve meant to you – for example, through social media.
Van Gogh has inspired me on so many levels – and I’m not a painter! That’s the great thing – our heroes don’t even have to be playing the same game as we are! They just need to be a sign that greater things are possible.
Here’s to your inspiration!