What a question, huh? “Who are you inspiring?” Have you ever thought about it? Like really thought about who may be looking up to you?

What does it mean??

When I think of inspirational people, I am immediately drawn to the following:

• Jesus Christ
• Nelson Mandela
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Helen Keller
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Dalai Lama
• Malala Yousafzai

When you read this list of individuals, or if you’ve even created your own, what do they all have in common?

They have all made a lasting contribution to creating a better world.

So what does it all mean? Simply put, it’s someone that motivates you, either mentally or emotionally. These people affect others in a positive manner, promoting change for the better.  To be inspirational is to be self-giving, rather than selfish. These individuals that are labeled as “inspirational” or “inspiring” lead by example and encourage others.

 

“If you can’t fly, then run.
If you can’t run, then walk.
If you can’t walk, then crawl.
But whatever you do,
you have to keep moving forward.”
(Martin Luther King Jr)

What’s Your Motivation?

Think about this for a second. What motivates you to make a change? Is it a number on the scale you’re unhappy to see? Is it an Instagram star who shares her healthy eats? Is it a person in your life who makes you want to be a better person?

All of these things can be great motivators. One is not better than the other. If you see some amazing healthy food on Instagram and that makes you want to eat healthier, then that’s perfect! If you see a number on the scale that you don’t like and that motivates you to work out to reach your goal, then awesome.

I know for me, it’s not numbers on a scale or pictures of food, it’s a person that makes me want to be better. That person is my son. He may only be 14 months old, but he absorbs so much of what’s around him. His brain is like a sponge, and he mimics so much of what my husband and I do. I want to be a good role model for him. I want him to look up to me. I want to inspire him to be a good person, and to work hard for what he wants in this life.

 

“Be strong when you are weak,
brave when you are scared,
and humble when you are victorious.”

Be Strong.

These two words have a lot of meaning behind them. “Be strong.” This could mean maintaining a strong demeanor in times of trouble. It could also mean keeping a “cool head” during a crisis, instead of getting upset or losing any sense of calm. I’d like to think it’s a combination of those two.

To me, if I want to be strong for my son, I think about how I respond to stress in my life, and how I respond to and handle conflict. On the other hand, I think about how I live my life. Am I eating well? Getting a workout in? When your kids are young, they are always watching you. Are you leading a healthy life and taking care of yourself mind, body, and soul? Children are sponges. They tend to absorb so much of what’s around them. My son is copying a lot of what we do, so “being strong” is important to both my husband and I. Sure, we are human, and we slip up from time to time, but being consistently able to control our emotions and remain calm when we want to stress or yell is something we want to work on and are striving for.

Whether it’s your kids or someone else’s children, or even other adults, people are always watching. Living your life with integrity and living a strong life are important if you know there are eyes watching your every move. (That sounded creepy…but with a 1 year old at home I am always watched…even when I go to the bathroom! 😉 ) These positive attributes can inspire the individuals around you. So like the quote says above: choose “to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”

Live a life of kindness, integrity, faith, and strength…you never know who you may be inspiring 🙂

-C.P.