Inspiration is all around us
This blog is, in our own small way, is an attempt to inspire our readers to their full potential. For ourselves, we find inspiration all around us.
We have seen veterans returning from Iraq with injuries that are diagnosed as untreatable, and yet so many of them are making remarkable recoveries. It is an exercise of will, determination, and the intense desire to resume a normal life. The drive that these wounded soldiers display is truly inspirational.
Great entrepreneurs that create entire new industries are an inspiration. These are the people that believe in themselves, and in the ideas that motivate them. So often, they fly in the face of conventional wisdom to give all of us a higher standard of living. This is one of the toughest parts of being a pioneer – overcoming all the naysayers. In the year 1900, the head of the U.S. Patent Office made the statement that we might as well close the patent office, as just about everything that could be invented already existed. This was before radios, automobiles, and thousands of other inventions that led the internet, iPhone, and flat-screen TVs. These inspirational forces are the real strength of America.
Inspiration, however, does not have to be heroic. Witness the thousands of grade school teachers that inspire every day. It is not only what they teach, but the inspirational communication that they use. How many of us think back to a few great teachers, and how they have influenced our lives? Hillary remembers her 10th grade history teacher who told her that her opinions on history mattered, and that her thoughts we just as valuable as any one else’s. This teacher not only helped a student do well in her class, but helped organizations that she never knew by inspiring her student to become more active in the community.
There are many people who have been inspired by a mentor. Jack has received letters, emails, and phone calls from people struggling to succeed with new products and new ideas. The benefits of mentoring go many ways - the individual seeking answers, the public needing new products, and the mentor leaving a legacy of practical wisdom. On a larger scale, there are positive organizations like Big Brothers, Big Sisters that concentrate on solving local problems by mentoring young people and are able to get them on a track that fits the time and place in which they live. It is equally valuable to get them off a track that just won’t work. Jack is constantly asked to back, or comment, or guide new products. He is amazed at the high percentage that either have no chance, or are likely drawing to an inside straight. One of the great messages is not to waste time on a product or process for which there is simply no market, or that has already been put on the market and failed.
Senior citizens who are able to overcome physical and mental problems to be able to function and achieve a great value late in life inspire us. Mark Twain once said that before he went away to college he thought his father did not have a clue as to what was going on. When he came back from school he was amazed at how much his father had learned in the past few years. Each generation must respect the value of what the previous generation has done, and older people should not be permitted the intolerance of dismissing new ideas. When generations communicate with each other, the results are inspirational.
Great movies, plays and music are inspiration. How many films have generated conversations that have led to greater wisdom? Humankind has been creating art since the beginning of our species. From the simple to the sophisticated, art has inspired young and old. One can be inspired politically, or simply to a greater sense of peace from looking at a painting, or listening to a piece of music. Art is a form a communication that transcends borders and language, allowing people of different backgrounds, genders, and generations to connect on a common theme. There is always a huge crowd surrounding the DaVinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. People from many different parts of the world, with different backgrounds and religions, stare at this masterpiece, and many cry. In its way, the Mona Lisa acts as an ambassador connecting millions. DaVinci likely did not have this intention in his mind while he was painting, yet what came out of his paintbrush was an inspiration to the world.
Our observation is that inspiration is all around us. If we’re willing to open your eyes and see it, it may cause us to do great things, or it may just give us peace of mind, but it is definitely one of the elements that makes us fulfilled human beings.
Communication is inspiration! Share your thoughts below.
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