Since the intention of Manifestation Stories is to inspire people, I thought I should pay special attention to what it means to inspire people and how this can be accomplished.
First I looked into the definition of inspire from Dictionary.com; which defined the term as:
- To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence.
- To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion
- To stimulate to action; motivate
- To affect or touch
- To breathe on.
- To breathe life into.
- To draw forth; elicit or arouse
My interpretation of these definition can be simplified for the purpose of this discussion. I believe to inspire is to affect or touch people in a way that can motivate and transform them.
I have attended several seminars, personal development courses, focused groups, and individual coaching sessions in the past few years and I think it might be worthy to note some of my observations about “inspiration” and those who “inspire”.
Understanding
The one seeking to inspire others must present relevant information based on understanding the fears and desires of his/her intended audience.
Recently I attended a focused group to study the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. The group consisted of 8 individuals from various background and walks of life. It was the first focused group session and we didn’t get started talking about the book, but I remembered each member had a chance to introduce themselves and tell us a little bit about what they do. The facilitator then proceeded to tell the group about how this is the book that Bob Proctor from the movie “The Secret” read and studied intensely for many years and how the facilitator himself loves to help people. We even had to read the preface on the spot and certain paragraphs out loud.
By the end of this first focus group, I did not feel that any of the group members was inspired or motivated. All they were asked to do is to read the preface and that they will be shown some stick figures next time we meet and how everyone has “got to” see the stick figures.
I don’t know about any one else, but it was not at all clear why people were there. What was the deep seeded desire that got these people to get up early on a Saturday morning to show up at a coffee shop in the first place? I bet the real reason isn’t because people want to “read” a book. Anyone can read a book, and it certainly doesn’t require waking up early and driving / walking to a specific location to meet with others. I began to realize that one cannot inspire without understanding the deepest source of people’s desires and fears. While the facilitator asked people to tell everyone about what they do, one must note that we are not defined by what we do, but rather, how we think and feel.
The truth is, the facilitator can keep telling people how much he wanted to help us, but he did not realize we were not there to seek help, we were seeking to be inspired. If the facilitatorwishes to make an impact in the lives of those he works with, he must seek to understand our desires in order to provide us with information that is relevant to us.
Genuine Interest
To inspire others, one must be genuinely interested in people. As most people who might come across this blog might know, our thoughts and intentions are a form of energy. This energy can be transmitted and felt by people, whether we realize it or not. When you speak to a person, you can often tell if the person you are speaking to is genuinely interested in how you think and feel.
The most successful seminars and focused groups I have attended were facilitated by people who seemed deeply interested in the people they are speaking to. They have a deep commitment to support people through their transformation with acceptance and love.
Creating a Space
The speaker / facilitator must create a space to allow people to open up and share their hopes and dreams through the process of enrollment.
I sincerely believe a good facilitator will spend less than 50% of the time talking and the rest of the time listening or getting group members to share with each other. He will ask questions and allow his audience to search deep inside their souls for clarity and inspiration. As much as I would like to inspire people, people can only inspire themselves. Sounds strange doesn’t it? We truly inspire ourselves by choosing to be inspired. In fact, the inspirational speaker/facilitator is merely there to create a space for others to inspire themselves.
To be continued…
Understanding the art of inspiration will be my life-long pursuit and I will be adding many more insights and observations along my path to inspire millions.
Until next time…
