"Too many people spend their lives in the service of their passions instead of employing their passions in the service of their life." Sir Richard Steele

I believe inspiration is the fuel of passion. If you think of passion as the flame that burns white hot in the heart of every person, inspiration is the fuel that keeps that flame alive.

I meet a lot of people in whom the fire of passion seems to have gone out. You can see it in their eyes – there is no spark of life! It’s as if someone flipped off the passion. The big mistake is thinking that to regain passion, you have to wait until you are moved to become passionate again.

Not so…Passion is a flame that has to be fed to keep it burning. Inspiration is the fuel. Who is responsible for feeding inspiration to the flame of passion? YOU ARE. What kind of inspiration are you providing for yourself? Passion will die without constant inspiration.

Here are four practical ways to inspire yourself:

1. Invest in Inspiration. God gave us three kinds of resources to invest in whatever we choose: time, talent and treasure. No one dictates how to apply these; the choice is yours. Let’s say your passion is to own your own funeral home. You know the time is right to do it now. If I came to your house and talked with you about this, I’d be looking for signs that you’re investing your time, talent and treasure…in books on business, professional journals, classes you’re taking at the local college, memberships in professional organizations, and so on. It’s easy to tell when someone is and is not investing in inspiration.
2. Inquire for Inspiration. There was a time when lawyers, doctors and funeral directors learned their skills by studying with a mentor. Find a mentor – someone who has the same passion. Arrange to meet or talk on a regular basis. There is nothing more inspiring than meeting with someone who is already successful at what you have a passion to do. Make sure this person is willing to impart what he/she has learned about the business.
3. Get Involved to Find Inspiration. What could have been more inspiring to our Founding Fathers than beginning a new country? Or, to millions of European immigrants being "welcomed" by the Statute of Liberty? Which inspires you more: Being the only person sitting in a football stadium or being one of seventy thousand screaming fans cheering the team on? I speak to a lot of crowds; I am always more inspired after I speak than I am before. I feed off the energy of the crowd – people looking for the same things in life I’m looking for: success, inspiration, motivation, encouragement. When people spend their money to hear me speak, I know they are serious. If your passion is writing, attend a writer’s conference. When you become part of something bigger, you become accountable, inspired to do your best, to not let others down. This fuels your passion.
4. Imagine for Inspiration. The power of imagination (not daydreaming) is one of the greatest untapped resources in the human tool kit. Mental images have tremendous power. Visualize yourself as that owner, making that great golf shot, knocking an audience dead with your wisdom and humor, orchestrating that funeral ceremony. Turn your imagination loose. Let it inspire you to keep working to make your dreams come true.