Here’s a social experiment for you — go out to a coffee shop by yourself; go out to dinner with a group of friends; sit on the bus and just observe; how many people do you actually see seem genuinely inspired by what it is they are talking about?

Most people, you will notice, appear engaged (there’s no doubt about that one, it’s expected of civilized society), but look a little closer. How many of those people are actually inspired? Inspiration and engagement, on the surface, both appear to be the same. They are not. One has a higher quality to it, even though they both share the prerequisite of social interaction.

Inspiration is one of the hardest things to find nowadays — what with the drudgingly monotonous and arduous task of having to make money just to pay the bills — but there are some people out there who still manage to manifest it! The next time you find yourself sitting in a crowded room, being drawn to the boisterous bellow and eager rilings of some group sitting next to you, take notice, and no doubt you will be witnessing the flourishing of genuine inspiration. The ability to make hours pass by in a single second; the ability to become fully engaged, present, in the here and now.

We tend to think that all of our conversations are inspired. This is not true. Observe how you actually feel about what it is that you are talking about the next time you sit down with a group of friends. Do you come alive? Or do you passively respond with whatever is necessary in order for the conversation not to die? Perhaps you, yourself, are the one who is uninspired. This can also be the case… 

So, where does inspiration come from? Where do we find the things that make us truly come alive?

Pay attention to the things that give you the most energy in life — they will lead you to your inspiration. For, that energy is feeding off of inspiration! No matter how silly; no matter how obtuse; not matter how ridiculous your inspirations may seem: fully engage and follow them. The best video game designer, the best artist, the best director, the best architect, the best anything has always come from a place of genuine inspiration. Elon Musk was once laughed at, and so too was Steve Jobs. Yet, they both persisted to follow their own inspirations and look where it had taken them!

So, be like Elon, be like Steve, and follow your inspirations; because when it’s all said and done, life will have made itself out to be one of two undeniable affairs: an experience filled with inspired passions, joys, and creativity, or a drudging uphill battle that gets you by just long enough to purchase a fancy looking grave...

— your inspiration is up to you.