The Smallest Distinction Can Make the Biggest Difference
by LaRue Eppler
first published on Oct 1, 2007
Can you recall a time when you were excited about something? What about a time when you were inspired? Have you ever considered the difference between excitement and inspiration? Even though it is a very subtle and fine distinction, it can make a big difference in the way you approach an activity or even your life.
I once hired a life coach who had been trained by Thomas Leonard, the godfather of the coaching industry. She impressed upon me the importance of making subtle distinctions. In this article we are inviting you to do the same. We are asking you to explore the difference between excitement and inspiration.
Think of a time when you were excited. Pause for a moment and ask yourself what motivated the excitement? Was it fear or inspiration? If excitement comes before inspiration then you may be acting out of fear. I once knew someone who got a blazing, hot pink letter in the post. She energetically ripped open the envelope to discover it was a disconnect notice from her phone company. They wanted to her attention and they got it. They wanted their money pronto, and if they didn’t get it then her phone would be disconnected in a matter of hours.
Upon reading the notice, a surge of energy shot through her body. She was moved to act. I bet you can guess that it was not the energy of inspiration. It was the energy of fear. She was excited, but not inspired. It aroused action — action spurred from adrenalin! She had to do something immediately if she didn’t want her phone to be disconnected! The lady flew into massive, manic action. She was hysterical, and acted from a motivation of I have to rather than, I can’t wait to, or I look forward to.
Inspiration has a magnetic pull. You can’t wait to go toward something. You are inspired to act. You don’t have to talk yourself into it; you look forward to it.
Right about now, it could be tempting for your ego to label excitement as ‘wrong’ and inspiration as ‘right’, so let me make this clear; there is nothing wrong with excitement. Excitement can be good too. It can be especially useful when it follows inspiration.
Webster’s New Dictionary says that excite is to stir, to arouse; provoke or stir up emotions or feelings such as: to excite jealousy or hatred. Inspiration is to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence: His courage inspired his followers. It is also to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence: writings inspired by God. To produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to inspire confidence in others. To draw in breathe.
When you are inspired your life is fully animated! You feel ALIVE! You want to move and to act! To act from inspiration is to live from your highest joy. Your actions are honest actions because they arise from the truth within you, from your integrity.
What do I mean by integrity?
I remember the day I learned the true meaning of integrity. My son Ben and I had agreed to meet Byron Katie (www.TheWork.com) for dinner at the restaurant of our local health club. This place was like our second home. When we walked into the club that evening, Ben turned in the direction of the gym rather than towards the restaurant. I asked him where he was going and he enthusiastically informed me he would be playing basketball. I knew he loved Katie, and so I was completely surprised that he didn’t even want to say hello to her. He assured me that he preferred to play basketball, so we parted ways.
Shortly into dinner Katie asked me where Ben was. I apologetically told her that he was playing basketball. She said, “I just love that kid! He has such integrity.” I quickly responded, “Integrity! What do you mean by integrity? He’s rude and self-centered!”
She explained that Ben followed his truth, his inspiration. His actions were honest. He wanted to play basketball. Rather than coming to dinner and pretending he wanted to be there, he honored his truth. And, he was honest with himself despite what others may think of him.
She said it another way so that I could get it. “You see LaRue; you would come to dinner even if you didn’t want to. You make commitments even when you don’t want to. You do so because you believe you should rather than honoring what you really want. So, in Ben’s case, rather than him coming to dinner and pretending he wanted to be here, he honored his truth and played basketball instead. If he had joined us, his presence would have been a lie.” I got it! Anytime I say ‘yes’ when I mean ‘no’ it’s a lie! No wonder I couldn’t get what I wanted in life. Frequently, I found myself doing what I thought I should do rather than want I wanted to do.
No wonder following our Whisper can be so challenging at times, especially in the beginning. The rules in your head of what is right vs. what is wrong fly in so quickly that before you know it; you are out of alignment with your true desire. You can easily recognize when you are talking yourself out of your truth because your rational mind uses the following words, or something like them: BUT, IF, and SHOULD.
You may find yourself saying, “I want to have a new car, but the time is not right.” Or, “I would take a vacation if I only had the time or money.” Get the point? You can see that the inspiration and desire comes first and the rational mind overrides it. Instead you may say, “I intend to have a new car at the perfect time.” Or, “I intend that I take a vacation.” Recently, I manifested a free vacation to a luxury high-rise condo on the Florida coast. Not one penny coming out of my pocket for the airfare, car rental or the condo. No kidding! I’d been thinking I needed a little respite and out of the blue this offer came in.
This week we invite you to explore the subtle difference between excitement and inspiration, and to become aware of the subtle ways you may be overriding your truth with your rational mind. We invite you to approach this with a sense of curiosity and playfulness. And, we invite you to share your discoveries with us. Enjoy the journey!
To learn more about inspiration check out our preview calls.
