My favorite words are Purr Words. Purr Words are wonderful! Powerful thoughts begin with a purr, and words follow thoughts, and actions follow words. Therefore, Purr Words are among the most important words you can hold in your mind!
Even during the best of times, but especially during times of tragedy, media outlets constantly hammer their audience with the worst of the worst. Criminal brutality, disastrous human behavior, political corruption, and inconceivable violence against children and animals are relentlessly spewed through television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet as if to suggest that we all might as well give up, because we live in a dark and hopeless world.
This is a lie.
Humans tend to believe they can’t make a difference in their world unless they have money to spend and social status to provide a platform for their endeavors. This is also a lie. Money is one of the two little gods who are idolized by humans across the nation, and fame is a costly illusion.
Inspiration is defined as an influence that generates an emotional or intellectual response or that prompts an action.
Influence is the power to affect or to change a person or situation without using force.
All inspiration is influential, but not all influence is inspirational. Influence is an individual who reflects the personality of his companions. Media, movies, and music, political organizations and corporations, families, friends, and foes all use influence to sway their audience toward specific responses ranging from joyous elation to hysterical outrage, and to convince or incite this audience to act according to their wishes. Influence is a demanding taker.
But Inspiration gives joy, hope, and love from the heart, freely and without exacting a toll. By simply living a considerate lifestyle, you can be the inspiration that turns another person’s day – or life! – around.
How?
Smile! It’s that easy! Navigate through your day with your head up, focused and aware of the people and circumstances around you. When you encounter another person, smile! Don’t give a second thought to those who don’t smile back. You don’t know what they are going through, so don’t assume that they are being rude. Your smile might have made a tremendous difference, even though they didn’t smile in return. By smiling, sometimes adding “hello” as you pass by, you are nudging awake a spirit of joy in everyone you meet.
Be Polite. Hold the door open for someone. Allow the person with only two items to go ahead of you in the checkout line. Put another person’s interests ahead of your own from time to time. You’ll be amazed at how natural generosity becomes when your focus isn’t always internal.
Please, Thank You, Pardon Me, Ma’am, and Sir are gestures of respect that still generate appreciation. Add them to your smile as you address the countless individuals who escort you through your day. And with that in mind…
Call People By Name. This conveys to your waitress, cashier, janitor, mail carrier, nurse, mechanic, bank clerk – the many people in all of your split-second daily encounters – that you see and acknowledge them as individuals. Most wear name tags. In that fleeting moment as you walk by or receive your change, smile and say thank you and speak that person’s name. You hardly have to break your stride as you navigate through your busy day, but you’ve just told another person the critical truth that he or she matters and is an important part of your life.
Be Present. During a conversation, focus completely on the other person. Listen to what is being said, and notice how your companion is saying it. Turn off and tune out your electronic devices while you give your whole attention to the human being in front of you as though he were the only person in your world – because at that particular moment, he is. Whether casually chatting or sharing a heart-wrenching situation, that person needs to know that you hear, understand, and care. You don’t even have to think about how you will reply when he stops talking, for not all responses are verbal. A hug or the touch of a hand can speak volumes.
Be Kind. There are countless opportunities to be kind every day, and what seems like a small thing to you – a smile, hello, thank you, have a nice day – can make the difference between hope and despair to the person who receives it.
Want to go a little deeper? Step out of your own thoughts and plans, and observe the world around you, one person at a time. Is the waitress crying? Offer a sympathetic, reassuring smile and tell her you will pray for her – and follow through by speaking her name to God. Does the custodian look angry? Tell him he makes every day a better day with his excellent maintenance of the building in which you conduct business, or that he brightens your world by caring for the beautiful flowers he planted outside the structure. Thank a soldier, a police officer, a firefighter, a paramedic, for the amazing gifts of freedom and security they provide to you and your family. Write a note to a friend who is going through a difficult time. Volunteer at an animal shelter, a soup kitchen, a hospital, any place where people and animals are in need of your compassion and reassurance. Be their inspiration simply by being there.
Be Trustworthy. Say what you mean, mean what you say, and keep your word. Honor your promises. Remain faithful to God, your family, your employers, your friends. Take responsibility for your actions and their consequences. Work hard. Play hard. Live a positive life. Set a good example for those who are watching, and know that someone always is. Be honest and loyal. Never take for granted the love with which God has graced your life, be it through a cat, a child, or a magnificent sunset delivering a heavenly benediction to your day.
You were created in response to divine desire, spoken into existence and breathed to life by God, who designed you to His exact specifications. If you ever doubt your importance or your place in this world, let this knowledge free you to become all you are meant to be. Take your value from God’s word. As you follow Him, you will lead by example, and your personal growth will be an inspiration to others.
Melody’s Points to Ponder
Who and what inspires you?
Recall times when you have inspired other people.
How can you become a daily inspiration in your Extra-Ordinary World?
