I am inspired by people I know who give a new thing a go.
There is something so tangible and challenging and inspiring about a friend trying something genuinely new. It doesn’t matter what it is. One friend recently wrote a poem, because they noticed a flower; one tried to run 200 metres when they hadn’t run for a decade; another baked bread; one tried a cartwheel; one gave a speech when we all knew it would freak them out; and one is going on a boat for 16 days when they haven’t been on a boat for 16 hours!
You will notice that I did not say they succeeded. That is a result, which is often outside our control. And also irrelevant to being inspired.
What I am saying is that I am inspired by the attempt. When someone I know gives a new thing a go, and it is public enough that I know about what they did and why they wanted to do it, it inspires me.
What is more, I find this “giving things a go” very infectious. It becomes really hard for me not to give something a go! This is the beautiful wonder of being in a community - you get to cheer each other on!
And this is the point: when you do something new, be public about what you do and why.
Be vulnerable enough that, when you give something a go, others can be inspired to do likewise. Speak of what scares you. Allow others to cheer you on, to console you when you struggle, and to be inspired by the attempt.
Never underestimate your ability to inspire others around you simply by trying something new. It is possibly more powerful than you think.
