To Be Inspired Is Great, To Inspire Is Invaluable

Last night I received the most beautiful gift, which was the gift of having inspired someone. With no intention of sounding as cheesy as a chunk of Brie, it really was one of the most heart warming moments I’ve ever felt. My boyfriend Jai was accepted for a job he’d applied for just a few days prior. It is a job way outside of his usual field and is something he’d been wanting to do for a while.

I couldn’t see what influence I’d had on this but he told me that my appetite to succeed had had an impact on him. When apprehension and self-doubt override all moments of confidence, it is incredibly hard to make an application and put yourself in a position of being openly judged and interrogated in an interview.

If I were asked to say who inspired me most in my life, I would say my mother for her tenacity and inner strength, my bosses (both female) professionally and my old bus driver who used to take me to school for his life experience and wisdom.

So how does one inspire another? I hadn’t really thought about the saying “be the change you wish to see in the world” all that much until now. Whilst I had done nothing far fetched in order to inspire my much loved other half, by pushing myself further and harder, he had seen the positive effect and been inspired. Sometimes it really is as simple as bringing the change into your own life in order to invoke a rippling effect on those around you – actions speak louder than words.

Based upon those who have inspired me these last 21 years, here is my 5-point list of what you can do to inspire others;

1. Share your experiences – story telling and sharing facts from real experiences (including both successes and failures).

2. Challenge others – both my parents and teachers (some intrinsically more than others) pushed me extremely hard at times. Whilst this sometimes felt unfair and overwhelming, it is one of the most inspiring things you can do to help someone achieve their full potential.

3. Encouragement – sometimes challenging is not enough, and gentle encouragement for someone to engage in something more is necessary.

4. Stay inspired – how can you expect to inspire others if you are not inspired yourself? Keep in touch regularly with the people that ignite your excitement and hunger to achieve, read powerful and moving stories and remind yourself of what you want from life.

5. Stay true to yourself and your passions – you will inspire the most when you are being your complete honest self. People will feed off your energy and positivity when you talk about your passions.