There are two kinds of personal highs that we can experience. One, we can experience an internally generated high from which inspiration flows to others as we enjoy an elevated sensation of feeling good.
Two, we can experience a high induced by alcohol and various stimulants, which also makes us feel good, but leaves us uninspiring-more often, we repel others as we struggle through the lows, the hangovers, the anti-social behaviours, the addictions and the medical complications, which tend to accompany such highs.
Great leaders exude inspiration naturally and are able to lift the spirits of their followers. They put them on a natural high and imbue them with good feelings about themselves. We all have the capacity to exude inspiration naturally and thus influence others to also feel good about themselves. As human beings, we all like to have good feelings. We crave being in high spirits. We like to have feelings that give us a sense of hope and a sense that life is worth living. To this end, we can go to great lengths, sometimes even risking our lives, to feel "nice."
When we can get into that state naturally, we feel energised and spiritually uplifted. We experience a state of bliss and euphoria. We experience a state of heightened aliveness. We sometimes describe this state as being "on a high," "turned-on" or being "in flow." In this state we enjoy heightened consciousness as we easily let go of our day-to-day problems and challenges. Fear, doubt and cynicism take a back seat, as we become more trusting and optimis- tic. When we are internally motivated we enjoy a state of inner peace and a sense of calm as our inner turbulence and stress are displaced. We exude calm energy in our personal aura as we project inner strength and moral courage. When we are on that type of high we are in closer touch with our inner selves, exude a greater sense of confidence and easily let go of most of our inhibitions. It gives us a heightened sense of wellbeing and we enjoy better health.
As some of us may already know, we can all experience those feelings naturally, if only for fleeting moments. We can bring on these feelings through introspection or meditation. Some people may seek to get such feelings through the consumption of alcohol and stimulants but we only enjoy the true benefits of the high that we seek when we can achieve this state naturally. With introspection we discover the spiritual nature of ourselves. We discover the good in us, we sense our human potential and we recognise the divine value of our lives. Introspection wakes us up to the beautiful truth of our humanity. It inspires us to want to reach for the stars as it naturally energises us with hope. Silence, solitude, and spiritual practice can aid us in the introspection process. As we are spiritually uplifted and inspired, we share that inspiration with others. We think more clearly and can more easily find solutions to the many problems that confront us in our daily lives. We are more creative and hopeful about life. We are more visionary and can better discover our life's purpose and act on it.
When we are internally motivated, we become more conscious of our inner power, we feel charged up and we bubble with enthusiasm for life. Highly inspirational people such as Gandhi, Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu are well known as having a child-like quality and a great sense of humour. Our conscience is sharpened with internal motivation, we have a clearer understanding of right and wrong and we are consumed by a strong desire to live above the moral line. We have great moral clarity and when we are challenged, we can display outstanding moral courage. We are more decisive and make better decisions. Our heightened state of consciousness is a spiritual state in which we draw our energy from a spiritual source and this is the energy that we transmit to others as inspiration. This is the energy that gives us a buzz and motivates us internally. This energy has little to do with the food that we consume. In fact, when we are on a natural high our desire for food is often suppressed and we can go for long periods without feeling the urge to eat. The energy that we enjoy when we are in a heightened spiritual state comes from our sense of spiritual connectivity.
Some people will say that they can "sense the presence of God in them" when they are in this elevated state, while others will say "they sense that they are in close proximity to God." When we are in touch with our inner selves we become more aware that we are part of something much bigger than our physical selves. In that uplifted state, we can better sense and feel the oneness of our humanity. When we have a sharpened understanding of our spiritual existence, we are able to impartially observe the reality of our own lives and the extent to which we may be trapped in an unhappy life, which could trigger within us an intense desire to want to improve our lives. Our improved mental clarity gives us a sense of mind expansion as it unravels the many issues of our lives in rapid succession, leading us to a place of inner harmony rather than having to continue "fighting-up" with life. We sense and enjoy our personal freedom. When our spirits are high we experience a positive state of mind and find it easy to extend love and compassion to others. We smile easily and laugh easily. We are more approachable. We are forgiving and caring. We find it easy to reach out to others, to lead teams and to build more lasting relationships. We become better spouses, better parents and better bosses. We are more trusting of others and at the same time more likely to win the respect, admiration and trust of others. In other words, we are better able to inspire and motivate others. Leadership becomes a consequence.
