There are massive differences between motivation and inspiration

Since I attended T Harv Ekers seminar in London last weekend, I have been reflecting a lot on the difference between motivation and inspiration. I think there are massive differences between them, but we tend to use them interchangeably, often confusing the two, but I think they are quite different.

One of the greatest needs of the human spirit is to be inspired and to inspire. Inspiration I think is oxygen for the soul. Inspiration comes from love rather than fear. Sadly today we seem to be more afraid and less inspired. Fear is the shadow of love and the enemy of inspiration. On last weeks seminar I witnessed a lot of playing to fear to motivate people to buy things in an emotional moment.

We have become very competent at engaging the energy of the personality through motivation. Whole industries have built up around teaching people the techniques of how to get rapport, influence people’s emotions, and get them to do what you want them to do.

I believe more than ever we need to develop our competence to engage the energy of the soul through inspiration. We need to understand how to touch people’s hearts, engage their soul, inspire them to their own potential so that they can be truly empowered, and experience themselves as more than their personality.

The source of motivation, which tends to be more fear based, is the personality or ego. Motivation tends to be technique based, specifically designed to alter someone’s behaviour, to control or manipulate them to do something you want them to do. When someone is trying to motivate us, they are trying to influence our emotions and actions. Inspiration, which is born of love, originates in the soul. So motivation is a relationship between personalities while inspiration is a relationship between souls. To truly inspire people you need to appeal to something within people that is greater than their personality or ego.

Inspiration is a gift, with no strings attached, and is born of a desire to serve, to foster the growth and development of another person, not to get someone to do something or buy something. When someone inspires us, they connect us with our own power to feel and act. Inspired people arouse the hearts of others, and so inspire the world. Motivation usually serves the one trying to do the motivating, whilst true inspiration serves seeks to serve the receiver.

It is said that motivation is what happens when you take hold of an idea, while inspiration is what happens when an idea takes hold of you. Let ideas take hold in your heart and let them lead you forward for a lifetime so that you can become the person you were born to be.

Follow me on Twitter @nickwilliams1 and you can download my free nine part Discover the Work You Were Born To Do at www.inspired-entrepreneur.com