It’s no secret that I believe in the power of inspiration.
Not only is the company I co-founded called ADDO—the Latin word for inspire—but I also released a book about it this year called Inspired Every Day. I believe that inspiration leads individuals and teams to pursue and accomplish meaningful work that changes the world.
Not everyone agrees with me . . . even some people I deeply respect!
These individuals would tell me it’s not inspiration that moves people but knowledge. In their eyes, equipping people with knowledge is the best way to move them to action. The more you know, the better you’ll do; right?
Wrong. News flash:
An individual can believe something is true and not care a lick about it.
You can believe that a certain animal species is endangered, but not care enough to do something about it.
You can believe that smoking leads to lung cancer, but still enjoy it so much that you keep smoking anyway.
You can believe that eating healthy is good for you, but not care enough to clean up your diet.
You can believe that having a purpose is important, but not care enough to consider how your work connects to one.
Knowledge matters. Learning helps you grow and is the first step toward care. But learning on its own doesn’t move people to action. In fact, it is very possible to increase my knowledge and not change my actions. Knowledge alone isn’t enough.
Inspiration matters because it moves someone from belief to care.
Said another way, when someone is inspired, they will care enough to act.
Whenever I’m speaking to a group, I always want to consider three things: the head, the heart, and the hands. The head is the knowledge piece. What do I want the hearer to leave this message knowing? The heart is what I’d call the inspiration piece. How should this message move their heart and shape what they care about? The hands piece is the action. In light of this truth, how should they respond?
This might sound a little silly, but people are not robots. We are whole individuals. Our minds, our hearts, and our actions are all connected in a way that gives us the ability to do meaningful work. I believe that inspiration is the linchpin that holds these parts together.
My advice to you today is to get inspired! Simply acquiring more knowledge will do little to grow you as a leader, teammate, spouse, and friend. But being inspired to do these things will help you apply your knowledge in a way that could change your life.
