Our experiences shape us into the person we are molded into. Whether these experiences are good or bad, everything we go through has a profound impact on who we are and the values we embrace. Each person has a unique perspective on life based on their experiences. Communicating these perspectives with others is how we learn and help one another grow. Drawing inspiration from your life experiences is present in everything you do whether you realize it or not. Is there a way that we can take the good and the bad from our experiences and apply both to our lives in a positive manner? Absolutely. This all starts with attitude. A good attitude will see every situation, whether good or bad in the moment as a learning experience. With the right attitude, you will be able to extract the positives in every situation, and become the best person you can be. Before we dive into the topic of drawing inspiration from experiences, lets first take a deeper look at what matters most when encountering whatever life throws at you, attitude.
Attitude is everything
How you react to different situations of different context will shape the person you are. Every day, you mold yourself into a unique person that is malleable to change over time based on new experiences. Most people approach their life experiences from either an extremely positive or negative standpoint. This approach in my opinion is flawed. Every life experience has value of some sort. You learn something new whenever something happens to you whether you consciously acknowledge it or not, and this in turn shapes your personality. Embracing adversity helps you grow, so avoiding it has a consequential impact on your life. Approaching each experience from a positive standpoint realizing the fact that you will learn something no matter what the experience is has a profound impact on the type of person you mold into. Approach everything with a positive attitude and life will reward you with happiness.
The best way to draw inspiration
Perspective is what creates inspiration. Without new and different perspectives other than the ones you are used to on a day-to-day basis, life can find itself becoming repetitive and uninspiring. The best antidote to this is to travel and talk to new people from new places you are unfamiliar with. Experiencing new ways of looking at life will help mold you into a more complete version of yourself. When I went to South Dakota last May, I was exposed to a completely new perspective through the environment I was in and the people there. I can say that it has helped me grow as a person, and has played a role in shaping me into a better version of myself. I find myself drawing inspiration from that experience all the time to fuel my passions and expand my viewpoints past just a New York mindset. Being exposed to unfamiliar environments allows your body and mind to leave its comfort zone and explore new avenues of life that you never would have thought possible.
Our experiences inspire us
In addition to travel which may be the best way to expand perspectives and draw inspiration from experiences, the ups and downs of everyday life will allow you to gain inspiration IF you take calculated risks. Working a 9-5 job, coming home, going to sleep, and doing it over again the next day will neither inspire you or enhance perspective. It is a perpetual loop of nothingness that sucks the life out of the people who follow this regime. Chasing your passions in life such as trying new things like yoga, healthy eating, working out, running, etc, will all expand your perspective. Turning a passion and a desire into a business or anything else that passion warrants will also allow you to experience new and exciting things which in turn broadens your perspective of life. The point is to do things that take you out of your comfort zone and push yourself to reach new heights. Whether you fail or succeed matters less than learning something new and gaining inspiration from your experiences. Living a dull and unfulfilling life is a great way to keep yourself narrowminded and negative. When you try these new things, your life becomes infinitely better for it. Experience can springboard your confidence and in turn result in you taking on even bigger endeavors.
Molding yourself
If you are not learning new things about yourself and expanding your avenues of inspiration regularly, you are stagnating. Always ensure that you are taking on new experiences whether it be travel, a new workout routine, or anything else regularly with a positive attitude. Use these endeavors to springboard yourself to reach new and exciting levels you never thought possible. Expanding perspective and drawing inspiration from new perspectives and experiences is key to unlocking your true life potential!