Read This to Become a More Inspirational Person
All of us have an inspirational person in our lives - someone who leads and motivates us because of what they believe to be true about the world. Whether a friend, family member, or colleague, they inspire us because their vision of the world resonate with our core values.
Inspiration comes down to three things: belief, vision, and communication.
Belief: Inspirational people hold deep beliefs about people, a situation, or the world - AND they commit themselves to living out those beliefs. They don't just talk the talk. They walk the walk. As I tell my children, you know you've found a trustworthy person when their words match their actions.
Vision: Inspirational people look to the future for a better outcome. While they may feel despair over the current situation (whether it's a failed product launch or the geopolitical environment) they do not get stuck in their despair. They use emotional agility to find space, and move away from the disappointment so that they can craft a vision of how things could be better or turn out differently.
Communication: Inspirational people know how to use their voice effectively. They know how to craft a message to help others see their vision and listen to their plans.
Do you want to be a more inspirational person? Start by answering one question:
What do you believe?
This is not an easy question to answer. Use these prompts to help you brainstorm:
-What gets you up in the morning?
-What makes you excited, happy, hopeful?
-If you could choose three words to define what you value - what you aspire to - in your professional and personal life, what would they be?
-What types of issues or mistakes make you angry? (Anger is often a sign that points to our passions.)
I've included the belief statement that led me to start True Contributors below to help you get started!
I believe that everyone has untapped potential. I believe that the combination of training/education + practice - to acquire a key set of skills - is the key to unlocking people's potential. I believe that when people know how to unlock their potential, they start to have transformative effects on their lives, in their workplaces, and in their communities. I believe this because it has been true in my life and in the lives of others that I know and care about.
Working to reach my potential and that of others, in a supportive community, is what gets me up in the morning. Partnering with clients through our trainings and programs makes me excited, happy, and hopeful. Wasted potential - a person or an organization not working to meet its potential - makes me frustrated and disappointed. And three words that describe what I aspire to (in both my professional and personal life) are: community, integrity, excellence.
It's your turn: what do you believe?
