Inspiration

Take a few moments and think about a person who inspires you. Who is the first to come to mind?  It might be someone you know well, or it could be a stranger.  Maybe they're a historic figure or a character from a novel.  It could be someone famous, someone who's changed the world - or simply someone who's changed your world. 

Once you've got that person in your mind, ask yourself what it is about them that you admire.  What made you think of them?  Why are they compelling?  What are their traits and attributes? What are their values?   What do you like about them?  What makes them inspiring to you?  How do you feel when you think about what they've done - and how they lived their life?  What impresses you most?

So – now that you've got that – what does this mean for you?  Do you aspire to be more like that person?  Are their traits, attributes and values something you foster in your own life?   If yes, think about how you do this.  Is it something you consciously do?  During a challenging experience, have you asked yourself 'What would (Your Inspiring Person) do in this situation"?

Now notice how you are like that person.  There's a very good chance you already have those traits, attributes and values – since you've recognized, and admired them in someone else. 

When we are asked about what our best traits are – it can be a tough question to answer.  But it's a great question to ask.   How do we see ourselves?  What is important to us?  How do we want to live our life?

Sometimes it's easier to recognize these things in others first, before we can acknowledge and appreciate them in ourselves.  Once we do – we can foster and nurture those traits; live more in line with what's really important to us.  We've been inspired, and maybe by expressing those traits and values, we can in turn inspire someone else.