Inspire

I hope you had a nice 4th of July celebration. It was so much fun to see fireworks again! I love all the colors and patterns of the displays. 

Last week I talked about staying connected, and listening to one another. As we listen, are we truly hearing and seeing the person? That is a question I’ve been asking myself because to listen is to see. 

This week I want to take this idea one step further and consider the word inspire, which I’ve been thinking about a lot these past few days. To inspire means to encourage somebody to greater effort, enthusiasm, or creativity; to awaken a particular feeling in somebody. It’s from the Latin inspirare: “to breathe or blow into.”

The word inspire is easy to spell and pronounce, but the meaning is big and sometimes hard to do. It can be challenging at times because to inspire another person means we have to slow down and really see the people around us, especially those who might be struggling due to loss, pain, trauma, loneliness or other life experiences. I think an aspect of inspiration can be to instill hope.

I’ve been thinking about my life and my vision and wondering, am I doing all I can to inspire others? How can each one of us inspire another person? I know we can’t inspire everyone, but one person inspiring another can make a difference in our families, our communities and the world. We could really use that today.

How do you feel when someone inspires you? For me, I gain more confidence in my abilities and my willingness to be braver, to step out and try new things. It’s also rewarding to be another person’s cheerleader. I think all of us have something deep inside our hearts to offer, and it’s validating when someone else sees it and encourages us to shine. 

When we inspire others, they look forward to being with us because they know we’ll encourage and uplift them with love, kindness, care and a listening ear. When we encourage another person, we, in turn, can learn from the experience—it can transform us and inspire us to dream and do more. When we support another’s growth, we not only give of ourselves, but we also receive joy and a blessing. More importantly, it can give us the gift of relief from our own troubles; inspiring others can help us to not stay stuck in our own difficulties.

It takes time to inspire another, but when we do, we are letting the person know we are there for them and that we believe in them. That little bit of encouragement can go a long way. God gave us talents to share with one another. Take the time to inspire others. 

Who inspires you to try new things? How will you inspire another person this week?

In all things, honor God.
Never say never.
Support one another.
Promote possibility.
Invest in another person.
Respond with love.
Encourage and bless others.