Who inspires you? I was reminded on a very long run today that inspiration can come from a variety of sources, some of them very unexpected.
While on my longest run of the year today – a little more than a half-marathon distance at 13.33 miles – I could not help but think of the chubby 12-year-old boy, Nathan, currently highlighted in a Nike commercial about greatness. In the commercial, the boy keeps running toward the camera as the narrator talks about greatness. I can’t tell you how many times today on my run I thought of that boy when I would get to a very tired point and wanted to stop. Today, Nathan was an inspiration to me.
Also while running at a nearby park today, a large group of Marines was there for a long time going through various drills. At one point they left their workouts on the interior of the track loop and ran once around the loop, passing me by. One of the leaders was wearing a shirt that read on the back “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” So not only did I have a chubby 12-year-old to nudge me to keep running, but I had a whole slew of fit, enthusiastic Marines going through drills I could never complete as an encouragement to keep going.
I don’t know if you run or not, but I’m sure you still have people who inspire you. For physical feats, people who inspire don’t have to be Olympic gold medalists. They can be quite ordinary. For other types of inspiration – models of character, kindness, work ethic, generosity, learning, talent and a host of other areas – people who inspire you can come from all walks of life, backgrounds and experiences.
That means that you, too, may be an inspiration to others. Are you?
Leap year lesson #220 is Anyone can be an inspiration to others.
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