Sometimes, you might read an inspirational book or listen to an inspirational talk, only to find the inspiration gone the next day. You may feel even worse because you failed to take even one tiny step towards your goal.
That is because this synthetic inspiration has a very short shelf life.

Synthetic inspiration

Real inspiration does not come from the outside - it comes from a deep place within us that demands that we take action. The inspiration that comes from talks, movies, or books provokes inspiration but does not provide sufficient follow-through.
Motivation without a clear direction has little value. Direction is insufficient without knowledge, skills, or support.

Lasting inspiration

A small number of people are on the verge of change and need the slightest nudge of inspiration from the outside to start pursuing their goals.
However, it is not the inspiration itself that is long-lasting. Great inspirations work so well because of their ability to help others find their own personal inspiration every day. The real inspiration that will sustain you is deep within you. You don't have to spend on manufactured inspiration, because you found the real thing right under your nose.

The real thing is within reach

<h2>
 What inspires you? </h2>
 Posted Sep 07, 2011 <UL><LI><img alt="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/all/modules/custom/pt_social_media/img/icon-share-round-facebook-md.svg" width="37" height="37"></LI></UL>Have you ever listened to an inspirational talk, for example, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch? Have you ever read an inspirational book such as Born to Run? Or watched an inspirational film like Hoosiers? How do you feel after? Well, inspired, right? What a great feeling! You're fired up and ready to take on the world. You're brimming with <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/confidence" title="Psychology Today looks at confidence" dir="ltr">confidence</a>. Your eye is on the prize and, by gosh, that prize is yours!<div>article continues after advertisement</div>Then something rather deflating happens. You wake up the next morning and the inspiration is gone. You're still the same old you. And you may even feel worse about yourself because, after the previous day's inspiration, your failure to take even one small step towards your goals is all the more glaring.So what happened? The truth is that you, and millions of other people looking for inspiration to change their lives, have been hoodwinked by the "inspirational-industrial complex," a multi-billion dollar industry. Why, you ask? Because the inspiration that comes from other people is manufactured from the outside. This "synthetic" inspiration simply can't last long because when the source of the inspiration (i.e. the talk, film, or book) is gone, its shelf life is very short.True and lasting inspiration can't, unfortunately, come from outside. It must arise from a very deep place within us. This life-changing inspiration verily forces its way out of us, demanding that we take action. That is the inspiration that propels people to monumental acts of courage, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/self-control" title="Psychology Today looks at willpower" dir="ltr">willpower</a>, perseverance, and, ultimately, change.Also, the inspiration that comes from talks, movies, or books is designed to provoke maximum inspiration (that's what sells), but provide minimal follow-through. The reality is that inspiration is a necessary, but not sufficient, contributor to positive change. Yes, inspiration gets you out of bed or off of the sofa, but <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/motivation" title="Psychology Today looks at motivation" dir="ltr">motivation</a> to change without a clear direction to change has little value. Also, inspiration and direction aren't even sufficient if you lack the knowledge, skills, or support necessary to catalyze action towards your goals.<div>article continues after advertisement</div>Okay, I will give a little and say that it is theoretically possible for inspiration from others to motivate change. A very small segment of the inspiration-deficient population is teetering on the edge of change and just needs the slightest nudge of inspiration which they might get from outside of themselves. Or the inspiration generated from the outside is very immediate, deep, and resonant, such as the courageous efforts of a dying parent to stay alive for their child's wedding or birth of their grandchild. Or the sports coach who gives a rousing pep talk to their team at half time and the team comes back to the field en fuego (but the inspiration usually fades by the end of the third quarter).Our culture venerates the inspirational <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/leadership" title="Psychology Today looks at leader" dir="ltr">leader</a>, whether a president, CEO, military officer, coach, or teacher. There are some who have the ability to inspire others to new heights. Then-candidate Obama had it during the 2008 presidential elections (please no partisan retorts). General George Patton had it. And the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden had it. But the "it" that these and others had was not, as most people think, their ability to create that burst of inspiration before, say, an election, a battle, or the big game. Instead, what makes the great inspirations so, well, inspirational is their ability to help others find their own personal inspiration every day. It is that personal inspiration that motivates people to have a vision of what they want to achieve, work hard and prepare well so they have not only a clear direction in sight, but also the actual wherewithal to get where they want to go.So, next time you want to feel that wonderful rush of inspiration, go ahead and watch an inspirational movie, read an inspirational book, or listen to an inspirational speaker. But if you want real inspiration, the kind that will consume every pore of your body, sustain itself not only through the next morning, but many mornings to come, and drives you to achieve your goals, look deep inside and see if you can find it in you. If you do, then you'll be able to devote all that time and money that you would have spent on that manufactured inspiration to rewarding yourself for having achieved your goals because you found the real thing right under your nose.<UL><LI><img alt="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/all/modules/custom/pt_social_media/img/icon-share-round-facebook-lg.svg" width="45" height="46"></LI></UL>

Have you ever listened to an inspirational talk? What a great feeling after! You're fired up and ready to take on the world. You're brimming with confidence. Your eye is on the prize and, by gosh, that prize is yours! Then something rather deflating happens.

Personal Growth: Why Inspirational Talks Don't Work

Synthetic inspiration

Lasting inspiration

The real thing is within reach

Lise Everett's ideas are part of this journey:

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