The Seven Levels of Inspiration
We all want inspiration in our daily experience, but how do we create more of it?
The Levels of Inspiration
by Daniel J. MacIntyre, M.A.
“Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see” – William Newton Clarke
Feeling inspired is a natural desire of most people, and therefore we anticipate it and eagerly await its return. Even though we can’t pinpoint its origin, we can quickly recognize when it captures our emotional state. We feel alerted, excited, creative, and full of zest! Suddenly, we are ready to go for something new, and we’re not even sure quite why. This is the intense spiritual quality of inspiration!
Inspiration, unlike its hard-working cousin motivation, is self-propelling and often accomplishes far more significant things with far less effort, because it’s power is greater and therefore can do more with less. It’s like comparing a Boeing 747 to a private jet. The difference in power is felt in any setting, and you can easily distinguish between someone who is struggling to get motivated and someone who is truly inspired.
Like every spiritual principle, there are easy steps to transcend to higher levels of inspiration. Here are the seven necessary levels of inspiration and how to exceed each one.
Level 1: Ideas
Ideas are the starting point of all inspiration. Creative ideas and insights are the results of searching your mind for something new and different. All healthy people do this. Ironically, a sure sign someone is struggling with depression is their inability to come up with new ideas. As soon as depression subsides, there are new ideas and hope resumes.
How to transcend: Solidify your ideas by writing them down. Have an idea journal where you can analyze your personal thoughts and intentions. Keep an ongoing dialogue with yourself about the ideas that interest you. Contemplation leads to revelation! They will ultimately give you the courage to move forward to the next level.
Level 2: Expressing Creative Ideas to Others
This level requires courage because we are putting our private thoughts and intentions into the minds of others. Sharing your personal insights and new ideas is indeed a big step for many. Many of us are taught from a very young age not to do this. Going against the grain and expressing creative ideas is disruptive and a threat to the status quo.
How to transcend: Let go of the idea that established ways of it are the best possible ways. There is some value in the ‘tried-and-tested’ ways of the past, but the world needs new and fresh ideas. Get support from positive and free-thinking people and allow them to encourage you along your path.
Level 3: Beauty, Inspiration, and Intuition
This level often seems accidental, but personal choice can trigger it. When beauty strikes us in one of its many forms like music, art, nature, inspirational writings, it triggers the field of inspiration to open up. Unlike surface-level thinking, beauty hits the core of our being and is why hearing the perfect song and the ideal time quickly moves us into action. We suddenly feel a strong desire to accomplish something.
How to transcend: Arrange beauty into your life. A camping trip in the mountains or a trip cross county can refresh your spirit and awaken new creative energy. Also, something as simple as playing your favorite song or your wedding song can ignite a new sense of purpose in your relationships.
Level 4: Effortless Action (flow)
This level often depends on the significance and impact of the previous level. If your creative imagination is burning bright, things at this level will seem almost effortless and are why true passion and love will turn what seems impossible into the now possible. Once this level is obtained, the field of inspiration works its magic through you., and your ideas find spontaneous expression in the world.
How to transcend: Integrate your new-found skills or actions into daily life. Don’t make excuses or create distractions for your new-found interest, habit or ability. Eventually, it will become a way of life.
Level 5: Feeling On-purpose
At this level, we become more spiritually awake to our nature! Once we master a skill, talent, or activity, we have little tolerance for being off-course. We feel more engaged in our work, and our purpose now seems obvious to us. A higher level of inspiration and sharing is achieved and, our gifts become a reward in itself.
How to transcend: Realize that joy comes from sharing your gifts. Giving others what we have attained (a sense of purpose) is an experience like no other. All great teachers help elevate their students to their level.
Level 6: Helping Others Achieve Purpose
At this level, we become teachers and mentors to others. Now, unconcerned with personal gain, we turn our attention towards helping others. We are deeply inspired to give to others what we have already attained. We now clearly see that all we are connected much more deeply than thought before and everyone has gifts to share.
How to transcend: Surrender to something higher and be open to answers. Allow universal intelligence to guide your thoughts and actions.
Level 7: Synchronicity
Many spiritual seekers talk of experiences with this level of conscious awareness. First introduced by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, the concept of synchronicity suggests that events are “meaningful coincidences,” yet they occur with no causal relationship. Those who have mastered the higher levels of inspiration (levels 3-6) will often experience frequent occurrences of synchronistic events. With enough spiritual work, synchronistic events become a regular occurrence, and one feels guided from moment to moment. This high level of inspiration is available to everyone (including you) who aspires for it.
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About the Author
Daniel MacIntyre is the author of Anything is Possible: 91 truths about what is possible for your life. He teaches human communication for Lansing Community College and business communication for Cleary University. He can be contacted at careerpathconsulting.com
