What Inspires You? Guest Post XI: Matt Cheuvront

2009 April 20
by Grace Boyle

I only met Matt (online of course) last month, but he is a force to be reckoned with. I think his blog features really meaningful questions, thoughts and initiatives. We’ve been exchanging guests posts and sharing a lot of ideas which has made me realize he is just one of those people you want to talk with more. I’m happy to be featuring Matt as the 11th in this riveting, What Inspires You series.

Bio: Matt Cheuvront is a 23 year old jack-of-all-trades. His blog, Life Without Pants, is a reflection of his attitude on life: Free, thoughtful, and uninhibited. By day, Matt is an account manager at an Ad agency in Nashville, TN, buying and selling billboards, working for the weekend. But away from the nine-to-five, his passion is writing, learning, growing, and maybe watching some football, playing Xbox, and having a few beers. To dive deeper into the rabbit hole, visit Matt’s blog, Life Without Pants.

Blog: Life Without Pants Twitter: @MattChevy

Inspiration: n. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea, that is inspired. Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.

I get home at the end of a long work day, remove my slacks (life without pants, right?), sit down, and ponder this question. “What inspires me”? Nothing comes to mind, not because there isn’t anything that inspires me, but because it’s such a general and epic question. Where does one draw their inspiration from? How do we come up with innovative and exciting ways of thinking? What drives us? Motivates us? Stimulates us? I look around for the answer, and then…I’m inspired. My inspiration, after all is said and done, starts with me – I inspire myself. Before you label me as conceited and arrogant, hear me out.

Do you ever think about how amazing the human mind really is? Do you ever just take a step back and think about how people come up with ideas? I challenge myself, and challenge all of you to take a look at yourself – think about what you’ve done in your life, how far you’ve come, how much you’ve accomplished. Odds are, you’ve done a lot more than you give yourself credit for. We inherently sell ourselves short. It’s just something we do as human beings. We love to give credit to others when they inspire us, enlighten us, or change us for the better – but for some reason, we neglect to give ourselves the credit we deserve.

If you really stop and think about it, we, ourselves, are our greatest source of inspiration.

I am reminded of one of my favorite movies, American Beauty (which if you haven’t seen it I strongly recommend – it will change your perspective on a lot of things). The story tells the tale of Lester Burnham, a husband in a loveless marriage, a father of a daughter who hates him, a man with nothing to live for – going through the motions without ever asking ‘why’? But finally, something clicks, he realizes that in order to make his life worth living, he has to LIVE. He says, “It’s a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself.” – think about that for a second. The ability to surprise yourself, the concept of exceeding your own expectations; it’s a pretty incredible thing.

That’s what inspires me – striving to do more, to be more, to inspire, educate, enlighten, and entertain others. Of course, my inspiration comes from everywhere – teachers, coworkers, friends, family, peers, fellow bloggers and writers – we’re all inspired by what’s around us, but sometimes we forget how much we can inspire ourselves. Divinity comes from within, and the path to enlightenment is an inward journey. Strive to be better than you think you can be. You’ll end up not only inspiring yourself; you’ll inspire everyone around you.

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  • http://benjamintwilcox.com Benjamin

    I really like the fact that you can admit you are proud of your accomplishments. I have a hard time doing this sometimes, but it is something that is essential when interviewing or for going through a Performance Review. Like you were saying, it seems to be natural to acknowledge the feats of others while downplaying your own.

    It is important to build yourself up in your mind in order to sell yourself to others. Confident and outgoing people are more likely to draw others to want to do business, collaborate, or possibly to just be their friend. I feel that this confidence will most easily come from truly enjoying all of the goals that you have reached in the past (think Mickelson, not Tiger).

    You have forgotten my favorite quote from American Beauty: “Who's car is that outside?” “Mine. 1970 Pontiac Firebird. The car I've always wanted and now I have it. I rule!”

  • http://www.smallhandsbigideas.blogspot.com Grace Boyle

    Benjamin-I think you're right. Although being humble is a great characteristic, I also believe that honoring who you are and understanding your strong points portray an individual with confidence and class.

    I also love that quote, it's hilarious!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    Matt, you are totally right. Most of us never give ourselves credit for what we've accomplished. We should be inspired by ourselves, and keep striving to be a better version of ourselves. Props to you for acknowledging this and doing it.

  • http://www.lifewithoutpants.com Matthew

    Wow, totally did not see that anyone commented on this, sorry for getting around to replying so late.

    Ben, I think there is a (very) fine line between confidence and arrogance – I possess the former. Even when you think you're not doing all that great or not making the 'most' of your life, you have to take a step back and think about all of the things you HAVE accomplished. It's important not to discount your own self-worth.

    Grace – humility is a characteristic that is so important, and I am extremely grateful of where I am today, but I can also recognize that I've gotten to where I am because of ME. My hard work and determination is paying dividends and while I'm nowhere near where I ultimately want to be down the road, I know for a 23 years old I am doing pretty well for myself.

    Sam – we have to be able to give ourselves credit. And as you said, we should always continue to learn and grow as we strive to better ourselves and 'be all that we can be'. Thanks for the kind words!

  • http://www.lifewithoutpants.com Matt Cheuvront

    Wow, totally did not see that anyone commented on this, sorry for getting around to replying so late.

    Ben, I think there is a (very) fine line between confidence and arrogance – I possess the former. Even when you think you're not doing all that great or not making the 'most' of your life, you have to take a step back and think about all of the things you HAVE accomplished. It's important not to discount your own self-worth.

    Grace – humility is a characteristic that is so important, and I am extremely grateful of where I am today, but I can also recognize that I've gotten to where I am because of ME. My hard work and determination is paying dividends and while I'm nowhere near where I ultimately want to be down the road, I know for a 23 years old I am doing pretty well for myself.

    Sam – we have to be able to give ourselves credit. And as you said, we should always continue to learn and grow as we strive to better ourselves and 'be all that we can be'. Thanks for the kind words!

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