The Power of Finding Your Tribe of Inspiration
We’ve all experienced that jolt of awe when encountering someone who embodies an ideal we aspire towards. It could be watching an entrepreneur confidently pitch inventive ideas to potential investors. Or witnessing a seasoned yoga instructor demonstrate impossibly advanced poses with grace and flexibility. Or running into a neighbor who gushes about the non-profit they started to provide clean water access globally.
In those moments we’re enthralled, imagining what it might feel like to exude such purpose, expertise or generosity too. The question becomes – can we move beyond just fleeting inspiration into actualizing our grandest visions for who we want to become?
The simple yet profound answer is – yes, by intentionally seeking out what I call your “tribe of inspiration” – a diverse support squad of people exhibiting admirable qualities you working towards manifesting in your own life. Building community with those slightly ahead on the journey has tremendous power to guide, motivate and elevate your personal growth trajectory.
Why We Crave Inspiration
Inspiration lights a spark that ignites action. It compels us move towards some ideal or goal that previously seemed hazy or even unattainable. Suddenly through encountering someone embodying possibilities of who we might grow into, that summit doesn’t appear so distant anymore.
Research in psychology explains this inspiration phenomena from several lenses. For one, relatability plays a key role. Witnessing everyday people make extraordinary personal progress gives hope that we can also level up with applied effort over time. It’s through visible examples in others that we build belief in our own latent potential.
Additionally, inspiration awakens our intrinsic motivation through autonomously wanting to become our best selves, rather than being driven by reward or punishment dictating superficial behavior. By self-aligning to our deeper purpose, inspiration gives space for authenticity to guide the behavioral changes and skill building necessary to evolve.
So clearly, connecting to exemplars lights that initial spark. But momentary inspiration alone doesn’t equate to metamorphosis. Sustaining inspiration’s flames involves ongoing exposure, community and Growth Mindsets.
Curating Your Tribe of Inspiration
We can consider inspiration a precious renewable resource available in abundance, but one we must tap into consciously. Waiting for chance encounters with admirable people leaves growth dependent on luck and circumstance. Instead, be proactive curating what I call your “tribe of inspiration” – an inner circle of positive influencers embodying aspirational traits through their mindsets, values and behaviors.
This is not about collecting superficial followers to inflate ego. Nor is it asking admired acquaintances or strangers for extensive time or detailed advice. Rather, thoughtfully build community with those walking just a few paces ahead on journeys you’re invested in to gradually elevate your vision and capacity for positive evolution.
Here are key steps to curate your tribe of inspiration:
Audit Your Goals and Gaps
Start by assessing your current state and intentions for growth across various dimensions like relationships, health, creative outlets, activism or spirituality. Reflect on gaps between how you show up now and your vision for living out more fully evolved values or behaviors in these domains.
Then list admirable qualities missing from your repertoire that others demonstrate related to fulfilling this grandest version of your potential. For example, if becoming an author is a long-held dream but isn’t manifesting due to lack of discipline, list “commitment to consistent writing practice, even without internal motivation” as an inspirational trait another might model. Get ultra clear on blindspots begging for inspiration to develop.
Prospect Exemplars in Your Existing Circles
Scan existing communities you engage regularly asking – who already demonstrates aspirational traits aligned to my growth goals? Take time noticing subtle reflections of ideals worth modeling already around you.
Maybe it’s the CrossFit coach consistently encouraging newcomers with compassion. Or your book club friend able to distill profound lessons from stories. Or colleague speaking up calmly when policies seem unfair. Look beyond surface level interactions and you’ll find inspiration is abundant, even in familiar faces. Write down anyone exhibiting qualities you listed and how you might build rapport.
Expand Your Pool of Possibilities
Still have key areas lacking aspirational models after that inner circle inventory?Expand your search by engaging new communities purposefully populated by people walking farther down paths you want to keep pursuing.
For example, want to actualize body confidence? Seek body positive social media personalities or attend self-love workshops. Wish to ditch debt? Follow financial bloggers documenting their debt payoff journeys through disciplined budgeting.
Initially engaging these new tribes solely as a student, focus more on accessing inspirational mindsets projected out into content rather than direct dialogue. As you consistently show up authentically though, opportunities will organically arise for exchanges in comments and DM’s.
Invite Admired Acquaintances Deeper
If through widened circles you connected well but casually with someone exhibiting aspirational traits, don’t be shy transparently sharing your growth goals and asking for deeper mentorship.
The key is leading with humility and clear intentions rooted in elevating community, not exploiting their knowledge. Ask how you might mutually exchange value should they have bandwidth to guide you. Be willing to learn, refer others, collaborate on projects, or amplify their voice online for instance.
When inspiration is flowing in both directions, incredible self-transformation emerges from even loosely-formalized growth partnerships.
3 Keys for Activating Inspiration
It takes just small consistent actions anchoring to your tribe of inspiration’s contagious positive influence to realize exponential leaps aligning to your highest potential:
Listen With Intent
Carve out mindful space attending workshops, listening to podcasts or reading posts from those you admire without distractions or trying to multi-task. Soaking in the focus, values and strategies of someone walking ahead activates mirror neurons. It begins implicitly wiring related neural pathways to inch you towards mirrored positive changes in coming weeks.
Practice Conscious Mirroring
Notice yourself consciously attempting to channel related mindsets or behaviors recently observed in your inspiration tribe. For example, emulate the unflappable calm of a mentor when facing frustration. Or lean into discomfort by writing publicly about your growth rather than hiding struggles. Leverage willpower and discipline bringing aspirational qualities into your experiential awareness. With consistency, acting “as if” transforms into embodying newly integrated traits.
Give Rising Tides
No matter how modest, progress forward. Pay excellence, compassion and truth-telling forward by shining your increasing light for others still finding their way towards actualized potential. This grounds your continued upward mobility in service, ensuring inspiration manifests collective elevation, not just individual achievement.
In Summary
Who we spend time with and what values, mindsets and qualities permeate our consciousness holds tremendous sway over the trajectory and pace of our personal evolution. By proactively curating a circle of positive influencers walking just a few steps ahead on the paths we aim to keep pursuing, we surround ourselves in inspiration to elevate our becoming.
What are 1-2 traits you admire in others than could serve your goals if integrated more deeply? Who already demonstrates these strengths that you might ask for more formalized mentorship? What additional communities could you engage to expand exposure to aspirational qualities still latent internally? I challenge you to get clear on exactly who your “tribe of inspiration” should be, then actively immerse with intent this next month. Adopt the mindsets and skills they model through listening closely and consciously attempting to mirror. Inspiration will gradually transform into lasting embodiment. Our collective light expands exponentially when each of us pays forward the motivation supporting others gain footing pursuing their purpose. Together, through inspiration, we rise.