Inspirations

Daily Bread

“When you are living the best version of yourself, you inspire others to live the best version of themselves.”
Steve Marabali

There is an old woman who lives across the street and one house down from me. Every morning and every afternoon, she puts on her white tennis shoes, and her little crocheted hat, and she walks about two blocks to the top of the hill and back to her house. This is not what anyone would call a power walk; it is slow, slightly bent forward, and verges on shambling. It would not be a big deal except for the fact that this woman is 97 years old. Every morning, I stand at the window and cheer her on. “Go granny, go granny, go granny!” Liza looks at me with concern, but this nonagenarian woman inspires the daylights out of me! She is my superhero.

John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” My 97 year old neighbor is a leader in my eyes. Likewise, there is an 11 year old girl I see at church. She is quiet, sober, and brilliant. I ask her opinion whenever possible. She feels a little awkward about having an elder ask her opinion, but she gives it, and I pay attention. She is a born leader, and I can't wait to see what she becomes. If we are looking with wide eyes, we will find inspiration in many corners.

Here is a thought that perhaps we don't often consider—other people need our actions to inspire them. My neighbor has no idea that I chant encouragement when I see her shuffling up the hill—she does not set out to inspire me or anyone else. Most of the time, people who try to inspire with their words only manage to capture a moment of our brain activity. It is our actions, the way we live our lives, that matter. When we live authentically, we allow others to see who we really are—the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. Sometimes showing our flaws is more inspiring than flagrant displays of our peacock feathers. Israelmore Ayivor said it this way: “Someone needs your actions to inspire his actions. Never forget, your little broken cake is someone's daily meal. Care to share your little cake!”

In the Spirit,
Jane