In the book of Genesis we find the first occasion when a person was inspired by another. The person being inspired was Adam, the other person was God! God breathed into ("inspired") Adam and he came alive. This helps me understand what real inspiration can do:
"to breathe life into another so that they have the chance to live & do great things."
Now far be it for me to claim divinity, but I am convinced that part of being human is to be like our creator and so to inspire life in others. For me this means using my gifting to help others to rise to new heights. It is my hope that many more people involved in education can be encouraged to inspire children into being a success.
But what does it mean to be a success? And what might we see in a successful person?
Being a success is varied, and it is not necessarily having a good set of exam results. How sad if we accept a label of success or failure only by looking at a person or school's written exam results.
I would argue that being a successful young person is more closely related to the person having a strong moral character. This is about a person thinking and behaving with good principles. Surely a person who is kind, compassionate and trustworthy in their dealings with others; is living very successfully.
But how often do we view success this way? To help us have a better perspective perhaps we need a little time to reflect on two types of people:
Person 1. You've seen their type, they are driven committed and determined to being a personal success. They will do almost anything to achieve. They are aiming high and they are absolutely focused on the target: being a success.
Person 2. A people person, a listener, rather plain and usually doesn't stand out in a crowd. But they have a concern for helping others. They habitually give their time to helping those in need.
Which of the two will be the greatest success?
I think it boils down to how you measure success. I'm sure you can guess which one I would pick.
And my final thought today:
"A person who looks to inspire others to success is living a successful life."