“You Inspire Me,” Can Your Words Save Lives?

Many people have no idea they inspire others.

Some people even take their own lives without knowing they inspired someone to have courage during a desperate time or fall in love when they were afraid of being hurt or follow their dream even when everyone said it would never come true.

What if you were inspired by them and didn’t say anything until you spoke at their funeral? What if they’d known before? Could it have made a difference?

Many people die with their gift still inside because they didn’t have the confidence to share it. Sometimes for fear of what others would say and other times because they really didn’t know how inspiring they already were, which could have given them that one little boost they needed to make their gift of music, voice, art, ideas, inventions, comfort or words known. They could have inspired millions or maybe just one. But one person being inspired by another is what feeds our soul and creates love in our world.

Have you been inspired by someone?

• Your fifth grade teacher who told you how great your future is even though you weren’t doing so hot on tests.
• Your mom or dad who always showed up at your games although they were way too busy at work.
• The kid down the street with severe physical challenges who was always smiling anyway.
• An online business owner who set a great example of how to build a business doing what you love.
• The barista who frantically made your coffee and smiled anyway, genuinely wishing you a good day.
• A relative who lived through very tough times and still had an uplifting word for everyone.
• Maybe it’s someone very close to you like your husband or boyfriend who doesn’t know how much they inspire you because you either think they already know or just don’t say the words.

Here are 3 good ways to start:

1. You inspire me with your _____________.
2. You inspire me when you ____________.
3. You are such an inspiration to me!

Can it feel vulnerable to share your feelings with someone? Absolutely. And that’s exactly the type of vulnerability to start getting comfortable with because vulnerability is the only way you will truly know who you are and what you want.

Most people don’t get what they want because they don’t know what they want. They don’t know themselves well enough to learn what drives them, what they are passionate about, what would make their world complete. They get caught up in the outside world and never really get to know themselves. Most people live by default simply reacting to what’s going on around them. They are living in the effect rather than being the cause of what they want to happen. I coach people on this frequently and the miraculous transformations they make in their lives immediately are staggering.

Being vulnerable is a challenge for everyone and sometimes we get hurt. But since there are many other ways we get hurt because we weren’t truly authentic and vulnerable, at least we’re growing personally rather than simply creating more walls, which is what most people do when they’re hurt.

Significance and connection are two basic human psychological needs. Do you feel connected? Do you have friends, work associates, family, classmates, neighbors you feel connected to? Do you feel connected to yourself or are you like so many others living by default?

Do you feel significant? Do you feel you make a difference in at least one other person’s life? Because of you, is your family, friend group, community or the world different?

If you don’t feel connected or you don’t feel significant, that is a very big deal in your life whether you realize it or not. It can be the catalyst for depression, anxiety, loneliness, anger, resentment, and any of those can cause physical illness with their negative energy. Scary? Not so fast. Empowering is the word I would use. If negative feelings can cause physical illness, then positive feelings connectedness and significance can cure them.

What would inspire you to feel more connected and significant? What would have to happen in your life today, next week or next month?

What if you simply shared with someone how they’ve inspired you? You would be making a difference in their life. It may be the one thing they need to hear right now to pull them out of a depression you don’t even know they are in.

Just by telling them they inspire you or something you appreciate about them, you would feel more connected and definitely more significant.

This is an example of one person sharing their gift of words and appreciation and making both people feel more connected and significant.

Soon, the feeling of vulnerability will be replaced by feelings of significance and connection and you will start to feel better mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Leave me a comment and let me know one person you’re going to tell how they inspire you.