Friday, March 19, 2010

inspiration

who inspires you? this question was posed in one of my classes today and although I had thought over this question many times prior, I could not immediately come up with a response. so i thought I would ponder on it some more and perhaps jot down some of my thoughts later. so after my ponderifi-cation-ing, here goes...

there's a saying ive never been able to forget since i was introduced to it and i tend to carry it with me wherever i go. it seems ubiquitous, particularly in all my decisions and thoughts. after attributing success to ones ability to laugh, be respected, appreciate beauty, and earn appreciation, emerson concludes that "to know one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded." I can think of no more precise and poignant way to define success.

so because I value this principle in my life, i tend to look for it in others as well and examine my admiration of them through the lenses of emerson.
1. james joseph. a former US ambassador to SA. he's also the mentor of the lecturer of this course and came to speak to the class a few weeks ago. The story of this man is truly touching. during his life, he has been intimitely involved in 2 major struggles (apartheid and civil rights), met countless adversities, seen promises become lies, watched many african countries cheerfully gain their independence only to quickly fall back into something of a neo-colonialism with tyrannical and nonsensical 'leaders'. And yet the man is full of more hope than the hope-monger himself. I asked him why so much hope and his response is "what else do you have but hope". You see, in addition to all the shit he's been through, he's also experienced some unexplainable and glorious wonders. he's seen the apartheid dragon slain and freedom donned upon all south africans; he seen integration of black students to public schools in the US; he's seen population being liberated from years of oppression and their voices freed; he's seen the election of a black president when few thought it was possible. he's left an undoubted legacy, not only on the international sphere with his diplomatic efforts, but also (and i'll dare to say probably more importantly) he's left a lasting impact on the lives of the individuals he's touched - one being my lecturer.

2. Matt and Melanie Chandler. I haven't spoken to these guys in a long time now and i miss them immensely. i wrote about them sometime last year or so. this is the couple i used to work with in inner city st louis, mentoring, teaching, coaching, and having fun with kids in the community. this young couple gave ALL they had to the ministry of helping the kids and trying to make a difference in their lives - lives often absent of much hope. They endured countless physical, emotional, and spiritual pain in their work, but they simply carried on with enthusiasm and love. the kids and myself have them to thank for the lasting impact they've left on our lives.

3. mom and dad. this has kind of become so cliche these days that i almost hesitated to put them on the list. but thats just ridiculous. mom and dad are perhaps the most faith-full people i've ever known. and thats an extremely good thing, because I'm often grateful that at times when my faith and hope is slipping, theyre always good for some spare faith and hope or to simply carry the load with me. additionally, my dad inspires me through his life story. It seems like he had a lot of different ways he could take with his life and career, but his no 1 goal has always been to care for and love my mom and to care for and love (in his own way) his kids (us). any other ambitions came first. i'll be the first to admit to being an incredibly selfish person. im on this mba to better myself and *my* job prospects, etc. i need a bit of the humility and sacrifice of my father in me. my mom. i'm not quite sure that my dad's natural instinct was to show love and care for his kids, but i think what he's learnt over the years, he's learnt from my mother. and its served him well. enough about him; more about me. i've also learned the undeniable value of appreciation, care, love, and the art of hugging from my mom. people that meet her instantly fall in love with her personality and her brightness (i.e. her luminous smile and disposition). ive got a lot still to learn from her.

staying on family for a moment. i've said many times that i view family not only as blood relations, but also people that are very close to you and that share a lot of your life with you (and vice versa). lately, ive begun to realise just how much i value family. moreover, while my 'family' in south africa have been incredible, i find something pulling inside me, longing for closeness with my blood family. though i speak to most of them occasionally on the phone and on-line, im not sure i can continue placing a high value on it without actually taking steps to ensure that i show them how much i value them. that being said, im not sure what i will do about it or what i can do, but the idea and goal is to begin aligning my actions with my values. wish me luck.

back to the original topic...the people that i've mentioned earlier are only a few that have inspired me by making my life (and many other people's lives) breathe easier because they have lived. in the words of chicago (the band), they've brought meaning to my life...theyre my inspiration.