What’s great about this story is that while the author comes across inspiration unexpectedly, as we often do, he fully appreciates what he’s observed and that’s the key. It’s easy to understand why the other rider causes him to pause, after all, this bike rider is unlike almost any other. How do we find inspiration when the source is not so obvious?
You know the bumper sticker; if you can read this thank a teacher. It’s good to appreciate the people who teach our children, but what about the person who drives them on the school bus? Driving a school bus is a tough job and I am always especially inspired by the person who has the patience (and shoulder the risk) of driving my kids to school. This is not a plea for ‘love a bus driver’ (although I think the same thing about city bus drivers – the patience, the traffic…) but is a suggestion to look for inspiration in the simplest of places. It is all around us if we only stop for a minute and appreciate people’s effort.
Every day, I make it a habit to catch people doing things right and thanking them for it. I smile and wave thank you at the person (standing the hot sun or freezing cold) directing traffic around road construction. They inevitably smile back. They are there to make my driving safer. I’m inspired by their willingness to smile at someone just driving by.
Catch people in your family learning new things – that’s inspirational. If you really listen to the person you just met, you might find them compelling. But you’ll need to pay attention. Tell me about the things and people you find inspirational.
What do you think?