Inspired.

At last year's Leadership Summit, Bill Hybles addressed the topic of motivation and inspiration -- asking (and answering, in part) questions like how important is it to be inspired and whose responsibility is it to inspire me? 

He suggested ways to live life in order to maintain motivation -- making it clear that "my motivation is my responsibility." Part of the point of his teaching was that as leaders we are in a place where inspiring others is essential and we cannot do that work unless we, ourselves, are inspired.  

I was reviewing this list, knowing that I'm having some motivational "sag" right now. Today I am going to share the list without comment (otherwise I'll be here all day listing the names of people and belittling myself for what I've clearly not been doing lately and examining the ways that I've both succeeded in this venture and failed in it). The action of typing this list is helping me remember...

• Am I crystal clear about my calling from God?  Do I know why I am doing what I am doing and who I am doing it for? 
  
• Am I leveraging my spiritual gifts the way God gave them to me to use?
  
• Are the players on my teams inspiring people?  Have I surrounded myself with people who charge my batteries rather than drain my batteries?
• Am I reading/listening to inspirational stories?
• Do I make it a point of priority to rub shoulders with exceptionally inspiring people once in a while? 
• Do I participate in events that are exceptionally inspiring to me?  
• Am I paying attention to physical disciplines?
• Am I paying attention to my work environment?  Have I included things on my laptop and in my office that should be there for me to work and think optimally?
• Do I participate in inspiring recreation outside of my work world?
• Am I practicing daily spiritual disciplines that keep my spirit fresh?  Is my soul saturated with God's Word, God's Spirit, God's love?