Inspiration is a universal concept, yet particular to each of us. Simply put, what inspires you may not inspire me and the opposite is obviously true as well.

What Inspires Me

Inspiration is often the kindling to the fire of life. Without inspiration, our lives often become nothing more than an unemotional swampland where we stagger along each day for no other reason than that is what we are supposed to do. When we sink into this swamp of the mundane, we risk the life without any meaning. When our final day comes, we look back and see little of consequence. Inspiration is the antidote to such an insidious disease.

Inspiration is that which drives us to meaning and purpose. It may come in the form of outrage about something, tears of compassion for a bad situation or something else. Inspirational sources are all around us, but we interpret them differently. A random act of kindness may wash over one person while another standing next to them may be changed forever. There is no right or wrong to this, only truth. Given this fact, how can we truly define what is inspirational? I don’t really know. I can only tell you some of the things that have inspired me.

The book Eragon inspired me. Well, not so much the book. The book is a fantasy novel written by Christopher Paolini. The book has a Lord of the Rings vibe to it, but there is nothing in it that is particularly inspiring. What is moving, however, is the author himself. He wrote the book when he was 17. He and his family self-published the book and he started giving talks. Eventually, the book was picked up by a major publisher. The movie version is being released this December. While teens generally take a beating for their wayward ways, Christopher Paolini chased his dream and became an inspiring person.

People who take action when things are down inspire me. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one man chartered a plane and flew back and forth to New Orleans delivering supplies and pulling people out. In Southern California, a group of doctors regularly travel to Mexico to provide free medical care to the poor. An Australian non-profit takes blind people in Cambodia, provide massage training to them and then opened up massage clinics around the country where these individuals are employed and make more than the average Cambodian. All of these acts are inspiring.

Although I don’t much go in for the celebrity madness, one celebrity inspires me. Angelina Jolie may have broken a marriage up, but she certain has put her mouth and wallet behind causes she believes in. She regularly travels the world to promote awareness of various causes and has given millions upon millions to back up her words. In an age when Paris Hilton is famous for…well, being famous, Jolie is a decidedly different turn.

At the end of the day, we find inspiration in our own ways. Whatever yours, recognize them and find ways to emulate them.

Bruno Baceli
http://www.inspirationdaily.com