Inspiration can come from many sources, including a  world-renowned, legendary boxer like Muhammad Ali. 
 
During his heyday, Ali was in a class of his own.  He had an agile body, quick feet, and a clever tongue; and he adroitly leveraged all these strengths to gain a physical and psychological edge over his opponents. 
 
Outside the ring, Ali was a man of conviction, from his conversion to the Nation of Islam and subsequent name change (from Cassius Clay), to his refusal to serve in the U.S. Army and vocal opposition to the Vietnam War.  He was also known as a warm, kind-hearted, generous man with lots of love to give, which he poured out on family, friends, fans, and children. 

In Ali’s book The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey authored with his daughter Hana Yasmeen Ali, his warmth shines through as his shares his inspiring recipe for a good life

You know the feeling, that inner exhaustion that seems all-encompassing.  You're missing your inner spark; you no longer have the enthusiasm that makes you want to dive into your day.  You're not depressed, but you feel inwardly tired and and it's hard to get motivated.

These are symptoms of being emotionally drained, and the impact can reach across all areas of your life.  In order to regain your emotional energy and equilibrium, you need to know what's causing the problem. 

Here are five common reasons why you may be feeling emotionally drained.

We've all gone through periods when we felt tired, stuck, or unmotivated.  Your energy is down, and simply getting through each day may feel like a challenge.  Pushing yourself to take action during these times can be difficult, yet this is often precisely what's needed to start turning things around.   
 
In her book I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was, Barbara Sher emphasizes the importance of action when you're feeling stuck.  She also makes the connection between action and luck.  In short, your willingness to take some type of action directly influences the amount of good luck that comes your way.
 
Sher provides four good reasons for taking action, even when you're unclear about what you want or feeling unmotivated. 

If you’re ready to improve your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, grab your journal and start writing.  Your state of mind will be positively impacted while you’re writing; and you’ll continue to reap additional benefits long after you put your pen down.

 
Managing thoughts and feelings.

At any given time, you may have a complicated mix of thoughts and feelings swirling around in your head.  Managing all those thoughts and feelings is no easy feat.  

Barbara Sher (14 August 1935 – 10 May 2020) was more than a successful therapist, author, career counselor, and public speaker.  She was a kind, compassionate, warm, and caring human being who shared generously from her wealth of knowledge, wisdom and insight.

Sher's expertise, creativity, and great sense of humour all contributed to her appeal.  But what made her so magnetic was her love for people and deep desire to see them reach their full potential.  Sher was passionate about helping people live rich, joyful, and fulfilling lives.  She was devoted to helping people overcome obstacles on the way to achieving their dreams. 

Goals are exciting and energizing.  A goal gives you something to focus on immediately, while also providing something to look forward to.  Whether you're saving for a special vacation, or trying to be more punctual, the focus and discipline required to achieve a goal can bring out the best in you.

At the same time, instead of feeling inspired and motivated by our goals, you can find yourself feeling trapped by them.  You don't gain by pursuing a goal that only leaves you feeling trapped, burdened or drained.  Here are four ways you can prevent that from happening. 

It's easy to fall into the trap of overthinking when you have an important decision to make.  You go back and forth endlessly as you struggle to determine what your best move is.  Yet instead of making progress, you find yourself right back where you started.
 
Much of this overthinking happens when you're committed to making “perfect” decisions with the hope everything will turn out exactly as planned.  But given the complexity of life with all its twists and turns, there’s always the potential for something unexpected to come along and throw things off. 

With that said, decisions have consequences, sometimes far-reaching ones, so you want to invest time and care to make the best decisions possible.
 
Here are four ways to make healthy, sound decisions without overthinking.

We’ve all had them:  those "off" days where you just don’t feel like your usual self.  You don't feel sick, but you don't feel completely okay, either.  There isn’t anything specific wrong, at least nothing you can immediately identify.  It might even be hard to pinpoint exactly how you're feeling. 

But something definitely feels a little different, and not in a good way. 

When you find yourself having an off day, the last thing you want to do is overreact, as that just lays the groundwork for things to get worse.  Instead, use the following tips to help you get back to your usual self as quickly as possible.

The dictionary defines aura as "a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source."  When we describe the aura surrounding someone, we're typically referring to the atmosphere surrounding the person and the energy the person gives off. 

For instance, we describe someone as having a peaceful aura when we perceive an atmosphere of tranquility and calmness around them. 

Just as every person possesses a unique aura that radiates from them, we can think of every relationship as having its own unique aura as well.