Are you inspiring?
I believe that we each have a duty to inspire others to do better, reach higher, think bigger and step up to the plate when others don’t…or won’t…with the hope that they will be encouraged by our actions and take the opportunity to follow suit the next time. For it is not people themselves that are inspiring, it is the actions they take in the best interest of those around them that we look up to.
As you get ready to start a new year, what or who inspires you? Perhaps we are inspired by someone who took on a seemingly impossible task or made it through a challenging time with grace and dignity. Motivated by a vision of a better life or world, they took one step after another setting an example and we admired their persistence and tenacity. Often, admire the values they represent such as courage, integrity, faith, honesty, wisdom or kindness, just to mention a few.
The truth is, that we generally have within us many of the very characteristics that we admire the most in others. As those in my workshops discover, our life experiences have defined the values that mean the most to us in addition to the skills we use in our day to day activities. It is those very values that will propel us forward to inspire others and to leave a lasting impact.
Nobel peace prize winners generally do not come into the world with the singular purpose of achieving something so great that they are awarded a global prize of recognition. Rather, they often see a problem that needs fixing which they are drawn to. As they engage in finding a resolution, they attract likeminded peers in search of change. This is not unlike great leaders and innovators who are propelled down a path through a series of circumstances that require them to step up to the plate at last resort.
I know with certainty that each of us holds a missing piece to this universal jigsaw puzzle of life. Every experience you have ever undergone has set you up to play in a greater way, to serve more profoundly and make the world a better place. Whether this gift to serve others shows up as a volunteer or through a business creating a product that will change the lives of many, we need you. I invite you to start the year with other Solutionaries who view 2018 as their most significant year yet. Whether you are part of a new generation of workers hoping to work with a conscious company, a Boomer interested in creating a legacy business or a conscious company wanting to ensure that your social responsibility is reflective of your efforts, we welcome you to our community. Come join us as we collaborate, creating shifts that will make the world a better place for all.
Happy New Year!
Linda
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