I remember the moment in my youth when I made one of my first — and perhaps most important — independent decisions in my life. There was no drama or angst, no fireworks or big pronouncements. Rather, I felt peaceful, calm and self-assured.

A group of us were sitting around a campfire in the woods. The air was crisp, the sky was clear, and the atmosphere was peaceful.

It was my fourth summer at a Christian summer camp — one I’d continue attending throughout my teen years.

It wasn’t my first campfire or the first beautiful night under the stars. Yet something was different that night.

For the first time, I felt profoundly moved to fully accept and embrace a higher being into my life. A presence bigger than me, bigger than any of us. Intangible, yet deeply personal. For me, that was Jesus.

I didn’t have to think twice about my decision. I knew.

What made my choice even more powerful? I wasn’t following the crowd. I wasn’t swayed by family or friends, nor was I swept up in a fleeting moment. Rather, I considered what was right for me.

I look back often on this life-changing moment  as I navigate my life and career.

I’m inspired by my faith every day. (If you’ve been following my blog posts, you know it’s one of my top values.)

But that’s not all. I’m also inspired by the younger me who so bravely made this decision all those years ago.

While inspiration is all around us, we often forget it’s inside us, too. Our younger selves can be a powerful source of motivation, excitement and energy.

Inspiration by Chance

As adults, we often reflect on our past — our regrets, missed opportunities and wrong turns. If only we had the wisdom then that we have now, we lament.

Related: Things I Wish I’d Known

But there’s much more to our past. We can allow our younger selves to lift us up.

Almost all of us can recall times when we felt freer, braver or more confident. And we might think, if only I had the courage now that I had back then.

This inspiration can strike us by chance.

A friend who’d recently moved was unpacking boxes. She told me how she came across a scrapbook she’d put together in her mid-20’s, after spending three months visiting several countries overseas.

Leisurely thumbing through its pages brought back a sense of adventure, she said. “I was so easy-going back then!”

Always the foodie, she’d enjoyed finding new restaurants in whatever city she was visiting. “I had some of the most amazing meals of my life during that trip,” she recalled.

“Now I can’t even try a new restaurant right here in town before examining every inch of the menu and reading its 200 Yelp reviews!” She realized this approach was robbing her of a sense of adventure — and novelty.

Her insight prompted renewed excitement to visit new places without researching the heck out of them beforehand. She even took it a step further, deciding to plan a less-structured-than-usual trip with her partner to a city neither of them had ever visited.

My friend wasn’t looking for inspiration. But she’d sure found it — in an old scrapbook.

Inspiration by Intention

We can also seek inspiration from our younger selves with focused intention. It could be when we’re facing a challenging situation or simply feeling “blah.”

When one of my mentees had been promoted to a leadership role, she was blindsided by a wave of self-doubt. “What if it’s too much for me?” she worried. “What if I can’t handle all my new responsibilities?”

Related: Pull Up Your Big-kid Underpants! (And Keep Them Up)

I encouraged her to recall the many other new roles she had gracefully stepped into throughout her career. It didn’t take her long to remind herself how well her transitions into other new roles had gone. These memories — of a younger, perhaps a tad more confident self — immediately energized her. “Of course I’ll be fine!” she said. “I’ve got this.”

And she did.

When we met a few months later, she told me she had her younger self to thank for the inspiration and the energy she brought to her new role.

Power Challenge: Find Inspiration in Your Younger Self

Where can you draw from your earlier experiences when you need inspiration in the present moment?

What actions, events or achievements made you feel most alive? Think of when you felt empowered. Proud. Confident. What were you doing when you felt like your best self?

Maybe the answers will come quickly. If not, it may be time for a trip down memory lane!

To make the most of your journey back in time, think of it as curating a collection of motivating, energizing memories. Grab a notebook or open a new file on your computer. Above all, have fun with it!

Make a mental montage of powerful moments.

Close your eyes. Picture yourself as a preschooler, a young child, a preteen, a teenager, a young adult. Include earlier professional versions of yourself, too!

Try to recall a time you took “a big swing,” for example, trying out for a sport team, applying for a “stretch” job, moving cross country or even initiating a relationship with a new friend.

Remind yourself of a challenge that seemed really difficult at the time — yet you conquered it. (Driver’s test, anyone?)

Think about your proudest achievements. Remember when you played a song by ear on the piano for the first time?  Maybe your high school soccer team won first place at state. Perhaps you traveled to a new country and were able to make conversation with the locals. Or hit your first big sales target.

Hone in on your feelings.

Let’s go a step further.

The inspiration is likely not in the events themselves. Rather, it’s the way you felt. Here are a few examples for starters. Subtract from or add to this list to make it your own!

• excited
• courageous
• proud
• free
• grounded
• curious
• resilient
• confident
• adventurous

Harness the inspiration from your younger self.

So. You’ve collected all these great memories and indulged in a little nostalgia. Now what?

Consider what made those moments and feelings possible when you were younger. And what’s stopping you right now from being and feeling that way in your current situation?

Maybe you need to look fear in the face. Perhaps you’re letting uncertainty and doubt hold you back. You’re afraid of what others will think. Or — the big one — you’re afraid of failure.

Let your younger self coach or advise you through these doubts and fears. See your present situation through those younger eyes when you were less afraid and more free.

What possibilities begin to take shape in your mind’s eye? How do your feelings shift? What new actions are you emboldened to take?

Your younger self is always there for you. Let it inspire you!

Be Inspired by Younger You

One of my earliest decisions — and the confidence in making it — is a great source of inspiration for me. My faith grounds me. It shines a light within me. And makes me a better person.

What do you admire most about your younger self? Taking a trip back in time can help you recall experiences, qualities and traits to light or reignite a flame of inspiration within you.

Your collection of inspiring moments will continue to grow. After all, you’ll always be one day older than you are today!

Looking for a motivational speaker for your next event? Carla energizes and inspires attendees to be the best version of themselves that they can be. Contact her today.