Inspiration

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about inspiration…how I am inspired, how I inspire other people, and just about the concept in general. Mainly this came up because I was told on three separate occasions, by three different people, and about three different things I’ve done/am doing that I have somehow inspired someone – and the feeling of hearing that is pretty powerful.

The first was after the “Meet Plan GO!” conference in Seattle that we were invited to speak at – the theme of our presentation was “Embrace the Fear” (something I try to do every day), and we had two people come up to us afterwards and tell us that some of the things we said really resonated with them and inspired them to take the plunge. The second was a friend telling me that quitting my current job (which I love) and moving to California from Edmonton to try something new and take an opportunity that was pretty hard to pass up, is inspirational. And the third was a more subtle one…for something that was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but for which I will never be openly recognized, and for which I can’t really speak about in the public arena of my blog.

Breaking it down a little further, I realized that people are being affected by my actions because I’ve taken a harder route – I’ve deliberately stepped off the easy path in the hopes of finding something more fulfilling, or for taking a risk and challenging myself, or for doing something that is ethically right. And although the path-forging is hard, it’s so worth it – so unbelievably worth it for me inside, for those I touch, and for my own story, as I continue along life’s path.

One of my favourite speeches of all time is JFK’s “We will go to the moon” speech – I always seem to take inspiration from this, and find myself often repeating the mantra “I do it not because it is easy, but because it is hard.” I get shivers every time I watch it.

So, I’m curious. What inspires you? How do you try to inspire others?

5 thoughts on “Inspiration”

  1. Hi K – thank you for posting your random reflections. I love hearing where you’re at in your world!

    What inspires me? Bacon cheeseburgers.

    Why? Because they taste so damn good they make me want to spread that goodness to the world around me.

    So what do I do to inspire others? I try to stay inspired myself, by having people like you in my life.

    People. Connecting with people. A bus driver. A check-out girl. A homeless person. My mother. My lover. A moment…a lifetime.

    I try to remember that everyone wants to be seen, heard, and understood. When I forget that – or worse – stop seeing, hearing and understanding people – is when I feel uninspired, and certainly do not inspire others.

    That’s all that comes to mind for now. I’ll share some teenage poetry later when I get home. Keep em’ coming Ms. Ranson!

  2. Thank you for your beautiful comment, Niki…it just inspired me!

    You’ve taught me so much about connecting with people and seeing, hearing and understanding, and I’ve noticed a huge shift in my relationships since exercising this on a daily basis.

    Thank you for posting!

  3. Hi K – anytime, love!

    Curious, this life, isn’t it? I just posted a poem from my 17-year old self. In there I have a part saying: unseen, unknown, unheard.

    Fascinating that 14 years later, I talk about being inspired by seeing, hearing, and understanding myself and others so I can stay connected.

    Sometimes, all we need is a platform and the insight comes full circle!

    Thank YOU for providing the platform.

  4. What inspires me? Great friends (like you) taking a brave plunge into a new adventure.

    Travel inspires me. Yoga also inspires me.

    I love your blog. You inspire me. <3

  5. Thank you for sharing, Mer! Travel and yoga also really inspire me. I am so blessed to have such amazing inspirational friends like you too. 🙂

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