Last week, I became a bit irritated by the conversation around a conference table of twenty-five business operators. The talk was all about numbers, strategy and organization charts. Not one person mentioned that all of the plans they were cooking up had to be executed by real human beings. This is a great company, but like most companies, its officers focus on the “what” and the “how” rather than the “why.”
I finally entered the discussion, and suggested that they were in great businesses that made a difference in the world, and that to remind their thousands of employees about that difference might contribute to some “inspired” action in the market.
There was general silence at that suggestion except for a solid comment by one senior executive at the table: “Everyone wants to be inspired.”
This seems true, at least for those who have had the experience at least once. And to confirm its validity, I often ask the question in the headline of this post, “When was the last time you were inspired?” The responses nearly always inspire me.
This week, in a group of fifty, there were only five answers. Two were stories about women over the age of 100 who continued to really “live”—an aunt who reportedly got out of her car and removed a tree branch from the road with a chain saw, demanding that others “stay in the car and keep our of her way.” (Feisty old girl!) Another was similar; a lady who still volunteered at the local school reading to kindergarten kids….she was also a centenarian.
Still other stories involve the aesthetic: music, art, nature—a particular sunset, a realization when looking at stars in a black sky from a meadow—in short, having the experience of awe in the face of a universe that is unexplainable.
Another from a young father—watching his three-year-old get a cookie from the top of the refrigerator by stacking books on a chair so that he could reach high enough to grasp the prize.
On Monday, September 29, Beliefnet published twenty-one ways to be inspired. Some involved nature—watch a sunset or take a walk near a waterfall—while others involved expressions of gratitude or love. Still others suggested solitude—read a book, listen to music.
Yet, even these actions which seem on target, require something other than the “what” to hit the mark. They all require a certain presence, an openness, a sense of wonder. It seems that even when you are doing the right thing, your internal space has to have room for inspiration to enter.
As I start now to write a dissertation on this subject, I come back to one of the earliest entries in this blog of February 10, “What is Inspiration?”
2 Comments
this comment was submitted by Kathy T from Washington:
“My 11 yr old grandson is one of my heroes and has been an inspiration to me throughout his short life. Because he was born with gross motor delay and an anomaly of his tailbone his parents were told he would probably not be playing sports. At the age of 3 walking, running and jumping didn’t come naturally – he had to train himself with the help of a PT to accomplish those motor skills.
By the time he was old enough for T-Ball he was adamant to be on a team just like his older brother. His running skills were more like long strides but that didn’t stop him. By the third year of playing he had advanced to kid pitch and he then decided he wanted to play soccer.
This is his third year as a soccer player and every time I see him on the field putting those legs in action and keeping up with his teammates I’m inspired by his determination and perseverance to beat the odds and keep trying.”
It is remarkable, very valuable idea
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