We all have down days. This was one of them. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Got a fairly discouraging call first thing in the morning. Didn’t have time to eat a proper breakfast. And the affects of caffeine have suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth.
I don’t know about you…but I feel completely demotivated and uninspired when I have a day like this. And that doesn’t bode well for a productive or effective day. My job requires I’m living on cloud nine and churning out amazing ideas. But today is a down day.
I’m not going to give you the instant fix. There’s no website, song, or product that can snap you back into inspiration and motivation. But there is one thing that’s been – slowly – lifting me up. I’m gradually emerging from the fog of discouragement and I’m finally seeing good ideas flow.
It’s encouragement. But not encouraging myself. I’ve been encouraging others. I’ve been texting my wife nice things. I’ve been noticing the brilliant work of my co-workers and expressing my positive feelings.
It’s hard. I’m not going to lie. When I’m discouraged and grumpy, my natural tendency is to think only about myself. I find I’m in survival mode and only worrying about my needs – my needs for inspiration and motivation.
But it’ll never come from my hoping and wishing. It only comes when I give away the things I need most.
Maybe the caffeine is finally kicking in. But I’ve been seeing my spirits lifted as I lift the spirits of others.
Giving to receive. A biblical principle. And the coolest thing is that it’s a principle that works pretty quickly. (As long as you’re willing to put in the effort.)