Inspiration- noun; the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Knowing what you want might be the first thing you need to figure out your vision, from there be ready for a lot of disappointments, it may be yourself or the people surrounding you.
Looking back at what I have done throughout my life, I know that I have grown a lot, but I know that I was not the best at everything I did, I have always feared things that require me to commit, relationships, careers and even artistic endeavors.
I am now 31 years old, and I keep forgetting I have been working for more than 14 years, during all those years I have learned a lot from all the different jobs I have had but never was I inventive with any of them, I have never been asked of my ideas or to provide opinions, I have never been tasked to become creative, nor to solve complex problems, all of which is just work and when I clock out I leave them everything at work.
Owing it to yourself and having the right to do by yourself might be the second step. When you live life for yourself fulfilling something might be more exciting and scarier at the same time, now you cannot blame anyone, but at the same time you’re taking control of what is at stake, your dreams.
With this comes people that you expect the least, seeking mentorship is one thing but because you are and have been striving at something, one day you will meet people that will make sense with things you are trying to achieve, you might be worlds apart, miles away from each other but because you are headed in the same direction, one day you’ll meet them, and then they take the form of inspiration.
I know this has happened to me. I’ll encounter someone who has an amazing level of integrity or strength, where it truly radiates from them, and when I bond with them and partake of their aura,
it stirs up a benign desire within my soul; a part of myself I’ve totally forgotten and buried wanting to burst out and say “I can become like that” and then everything that seemed to be a hindrance that kept me from evolving simply dissolve in their presence, every lazy bullshit that I came up with seem to just vanish as they themselves could have made the same excuses but they chose not to, so you want to be around them more, see what they really are and experience your evolution with them not knowing you had it all in you the whole time, and alas, as you think more of it you realize that you have been missing this all your life, it makes you think why aren’t you built like that, what have you been doing while they are evolving, but who cares, now that you found it, what are you going to do about it.
Inspiration everywhere
What can motivate you to change from within varies in the situation you are in, it can be a person, an event or simply an idea that sparks something within you. There are tons of examples of inspirations but here are my favorite examples.
Personal Role Models, these people are the closest to us, may it be our parents, siblings or close friends. It is always nice to have someone you look up to that is close to you, not only will they inspire you but also motivate you. My personal role model came in the form of my first training coach, he was both my conditioning and grappling instructor, when I was about 15 –16 years old I found this gym, at first my only goal was to look aesthetic to get girls, but with his help and the other training partners, I learned the responsibility that comes with martial arts, not only did they teach me how to lift weights or fight but also the virtue of Punctuality, Perseverance and Hardwork. What I am today probably started within that small training gym, more on this in another article.
Look no further
We all know the Cinderella story that is Tom brady, being drafted as the 199th overall pick: Tom Brady was not considered a top prospect coming out of college and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft as the 199th overall pick by the New England Patriots. This meant that he was not expected to have a significant impact on the team.
Brady was the fourth-string quarterback and played sparingly. He only got his opportunity to start when the starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, was injured. Brady seized the opportunity and led teams to Super Bowl victories, despite being relatively unknown in the beginning. Fast forward to today, Brady throughout his career has captured Seven Superbowl Championships, Five Superbowl MVP’s and Three League MVP’s just to mention a few highlights of his prestigious resume.
Brady, one of the greatest if not the greatest Football player and most definitely the best Quarter back of all time says his idol is his dad. In an interview with ESPN, Brady spoke about the influence his father has had on his life, saying, “My dad is my hero because he’s someone I look up to every day. He’s the one I want to make proud.” You can find a video of Tom Brady talking about how much of an inspiration his father was to him as he held back tears.
Personal inspiration, this type of inspiration is related to one’s own goals, dreams, and aspirations. It can come from a sense of purpose, motivation, or personal growth. When your dreams and goals are bigger than who you are you will find ways to make things happen, as long as you believe in this dream nothing will ever stop you.
Elon Musk’s personal dream and inspiration can be traced back to his childhood. According to Musk, his interest in space exploration and sustainable energy began at a young age. As a child growing up in South Africa, he was an avid reader and spent countless hours learning about science, technology, and engineering.
Musk’s fascination with space led him to dream of one day colonizing Mars and making human life multi-planetary. He believed that this was the key to ensuring the long-term survival of the human race, which he saw as being threatened by factors such as climate change, nuclear war, and pandemics.
In pursuit of this dream, Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the goal of making space travel more accessible and affordable. Musk has also been a vocal advocate for sustainable energy. He believes that the world needs to transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power in order to address the challenges posed by climate change. To this end, Musk founded Tesla, a company that is focused on developing and producing electric cars and energy storage solutions.
Overall, Elon Musk’s personal dream and inspiration can be seen as a desire to use technology and innovation to address some of the world’s most pressing problems. His vision for the future has inspired many people to think big and work towards creating a better world for future generations.
Look out, and Look far
Creative inspiration, this type of inspiration is related to art, music, writing, and other forms of creative expression. It can come from the environment, experiences, emotions, and ideas. I have had a lot of creative ideas in the past few years some are grandiose, some are simple, but the simplest and most immediate medium I could access is through writing, I have started writing purely because I don’t want my ideas go to waste, and the fact that I could see it on the internet is a bonus, not only do I have a point of reference for my improvement but also, I would want others to read it so that they could tap into their own version of creativity and start producing quality and mind challenging outputs instead of simply consuming information. Every human being has the ability and capability to make something be it art, STEM, or even fashion.
A story of art inspiration comes from the life of Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch post-impressionist painter. Van Gogh is known for his colorful and expressive paintings, which have become some of the most iconic and beloved works of art in history.
Van Gogh’s artistic career began later in life, after he had already tried and failed at several other professions. Despite struggling with mental illness and poverty, he was determined to become an artist and pursued his passion with relentless dedication.
One of the major sources of inspiration for van Gogh was the natural world. He was particularly drawn to the vivid colors and bold shapes of flowers and spent countless hours studying and painting them. His famous series of sunflower paintings, created during a particularly productive period in the south of France, are some of the most recognizable and beloved works of art in the world.
Van Gogh was also inspired by the people and places he encountered in his travels. He spent time living and working in Paris, where he was exposed to the latest trends in art and met other influential artists of the time. He also spent time in the countryside, where he painted scenes of rural life and landscapes.
Despite his struggles and setbacks, van Gogh continued to create art until his untimely death at the age of 37. His legacy has inspired countless artists around the world, and his paintings continue to captivate and inspire people to this day.
Look Into
Fictional role models, these are characters from literature, movies, or television who embody positive traits and values that individuals admire and seek to emulate.
In the last entry I have cited Batman as an inspiration. Before this I never knew there was such a thing, a fictional role model, I thought it was funny that my role model was not even a real person so how can I even take myself seriously. I’m glad that having a fictional role model is more common than not and it gave me a sense of relief at least I’m not crazy. Becoming Batman is very easy as he probably is one of the more grounded Superheroes there is. You can learn how to become the Dak Knight here
Look Up and within
Intellectual Inspiration, This type of inspiration is related to knowledge and learning. It can come from reading, studying, or engaging in intellectual discussions with others. It also refers to the process by which individuals are motivated and stimulated to pursue intellectual pursuits, expand their knowledge and skills, and engage in creative and critical thinking. Intellectual inspiration can come from a variety of sources, including books, art, music, science, and other areas of knowledge and culture.
Intellectual inspiration may also be a person, such as a mentor or role model, who has demonstrated exceptional intellectual abilities and accomplishments, and whose work and ideas inspire others to pursue similar paths.
Most people see martial arts as a physical endeavor rather than an intellectual art. However, Jiu-Jitsu is usually compared to chess, in the game of chess the number of possibilities is incredibly vast, with estimates placing the number of possible games at around 10^120. This is an unimaginably large number – for comparison, there are only around 10^80 atoms in the observable universe. In fact, even just considering the first four moves of a chess game, there are over 300 billion possible positions.
In Jiu-jitsu the exact number of techniques and possibilities that exist within the sport is difficult to estimate. Unlike chess, which is played on a fixed board with a set number of pieces and rules, jiu-jitsu involves the interaction of two individuals who are constantly moving and adapting to each other’s actions. Some estimates suggest that there may be millions or even billions of potential techniques and variations in jiu-jitsu, depending on factors such as the individual styles of the competitors, the position of the fight, and the strategies and tactics being employed.
Gordon Ryan a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt and submission grappling competitor regarded as the best and greatest NoGi Grappler of his generation, has won countless tournaments and boasts a record of 98 wins 80 via submission and 5 losses, he has credited all of this to his instructor and mentor John Danaher. Ryan has spoken highly of Danaher in multiple interviews and described Danaher as a pioneer in the sport because of his deep understanding of the human body and human behavior, in this regard Ryan see’s John Danaher not only as his coach but also sees him as an intellectual inspiration with regards to the sport of jiu jitsu.
John Danaher is a philosopher, martial artist, and professor of philosophy at Fordham University in New York City, widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative thinkers in the field of jiu-jitsu and combat sports, and his work has had a significant impact on the development of modern jiu-jitsu techniques and training methods.
His approach to jiu-jitsu emphasizes the use of logic and critical thinking to develop effective techniques and strategies. He is known for his ability to break down complex techniques into simple and easy-to-understand concepts, and for his commitment to promoting a culture of intellectualism and scholarship within the martial arts community.
In addition to his work in martial arts, Danaher is also a respected academic philosopher who has published numerous articles and books on a wide range of philosophical topics. His recognized work outside of Jiu-jitsu has also made him one of the leading thinkers in the field of contemporary philosophy.
Overall, John Danaher’s work as a philosopher, martial artist, and educator has made him a powerful intellectual figure in both the academic and martial arts communities. His commitment has inspired many others to pursue intellectual pursuits in their own fields of study, and his influence continues to shape the way that people approach jiu-jitsu and other combat sports.
XERGIUS 