We all have the ability to inspire others even though most of us can’t imagine that happening. You might think there isn’t anything you say or do that would motivate or uplift someone, but you never know if something you say or do might be exactly what someone else might need. What if you are capable of actually saving someone, of keeping them from doing harm to themselves, or changing their lives completely? It takes the right words at the right time, or just the right action to change everything.
Have you ever had something heavy weighing on your mind, and you see a post on social media, an article on social media, or a comment on the radio that seems to be talking to you giving you the words you need? That always takes my breath away when that happens. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will notice it more often.
Something you think is ordinary might seem extraordinary to someone else. You can be the inspiration they need to try harder to achieve what they would like to do. We were running a six-mile trail race last week and a group of us were running together. We were strangers to each other, but the pace we were running worked for all of us. The woman behind me told me I was inspiring her to train harder because I was running so strong without stopping. In my mind, I was wondering if I should tell her that I was hoping we were almost done, and that I really wanted a hamburger.
You never know when an important moment is going to happen. My sister had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and her husband asked for a divorce several weeks later. They had been married 30 years and she was completely blindsided. I came over the next day(unannounced) and brought lunch. I spent the afternoon with her and told her I knew she was strong enough to handle this. She told me ten years later that she had intended to end her life that day by taking pills, and I interrupted her. She said some of what I said to her convinced her not to try it again.
I was at the gym one day feeling a little down because my torn meniscus was taking a long time to heal, and I missed running. A man was training his wife in the weight room, and I asked him about one of the exercises he was doing. I explained about my knee, and he told me he had been in the military and had 13 operations on his knee. He told me what I needed to do to strengthen it, and he gave me hope because he said it takes longer for the knees to heal.
Acts of kindness are those actions that you never know how powerful they might be. When you pay for someone’s meal you might be helping out more than you know as well as lifting his spirits.
Be kind, be an example, show positivity, and show someone the possibilities because you never know.
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