So I’m changing things up a bit – each post will now have two things on it. One about my lesson learned word, and one book themed (A book I love, or a theme, etc.)!
Lessons Learned: Inspire
You might be wondering how on Earth I’ve learned a lesson about the word “inspire.” The thing is, we all have those people who have inspired us. They either inspired us to be more like them for one reason or another. The inspired us to follow a certain career path, or to go to a certain school. They inspire us to be a better person, to be a better friend. Maybe they inspire us to be nothing like them (though this isn’t quite where I’m going).
Live your life that way – live as if you know you are inspiration to someone else. You will be a better person for it. This becomes particularly true once you have children. Stop and think before you act a certain way. Do you want your child to mimic that? Because trust me, they will. For example, our tiny little dog Deeogee loves to BARK! If something happens outside, or the blender is going, or there is a knock, or the outside dog barks, she goes off. My husband and I yell “Shut up” at her a lot. It’s something we are used to. Until the day when my son started yelling shut up at her. Oops.
Whether you know it or not, if you have kids or not, there is someone probably watching most of what you do. They think you are awesome. And they want to be like you. I have people who are mentors and who inspire me to be better every day. I hope I am inspiring to someone (And I did have someone tell me this on this blog and it made my week).
I fail at this. I still yell at Deeogee to shut up. It is a very hard habit to change. We taught Xander that he cannot tell people to shut up. We are working on it. And by be inspiring I do not mean that you have to be liked by everyone. That you have to do what others want. Inspiring can cover a lot of ground. An artist will be inspiring to a certain range of people like them. Just remember that your actions are witnessed. This helps me think about what I want others to see. Who do I really want to be? And that’s a good question.
Book: I Am Malala
A friend of mine let me borrow this book. I am so glad he did (Thanks Nick!). I actually hope to get my hands on my own copy eventually and reread it. It covers such historical moments in our lives from a young girl’s viewpoint. It is powerful. It is heartbreaking. It contains so much wisdom. Plus, it’s about education and the fight some have to attain it.
Malala is an inspiration to all of us. One of the most inspiring things I read was that people become the “silent majority” and it can change everything. That is something that is and has been happening in America. Too often we stay silent, and we do not take advantage of our right to vote – but then we complain about the outcomes. We need to rise up, make sure we are heard, and take our stand. We need to appreciate our education. We need to appreciate what we have been given. We need to stop taking everything for granted. We can all learn a lesson from Malala, the girl who stood up for her right to education despite terrifying circumstances.
Fallon Willoughby 