Inspiration Is All Around Us!

Inspiration is all around us. You never know when it will hit you and something just really resonates with you. I have a little karate kid at home that I continue to learn so much through her martial arts journey. Not to derail too much, but she is literally one test away from a BLACK BELT! This is a severe proud parent moment. The journey has not been easy by any stretch and has taken many years to accomplish. But Tiger-Rock Martial Arts has this incredible story that progresses from belt to belt as they learn discipline, patience, and perseverance. But it teaches them lessons of being just a good human. I am forever thankful for these lessons for her and me. Being a red belt, this part of the RISE Story really hit me. Where we are today socio-economically ... we all need to hear this.

"Along this journey, we must not only look to improve our lives but influence others to do the same. We must collaborate to find common ground, inspire to bring hope, and demonstrate through our own actions that we can indeed reach our destination." 

                                         Red Belt RISE Story - Tiger-Rock Martial Arts

Pretty powerful words for an 8-year-old, right? Wrong. Powerful words for all of us today. If we could make this affirmation, could you imagine where we would be? These words hit me like a ton of bricks in a very spiritual way. Let's break this apart a little bit. The first sentence "Along this journey, we must not only look to improve our lives but influence others to do the same." We are all on a journey. Some of us know exactly where they are headed, others not as much. But each day, we should be looking to improve ourselves and being a force to influence others to do the same. We may not always be successful in that, but the attempt for yourself and those you come in contact with could have an immeasurable effect. Remember, as people, leaders, parents, spouses, we have to challenge ourselves to show up when it is hard and improve how we show up even if it is hard. Even if you fail.. get back up and do the work. These same people taught my daughter that it is just an opportunity to learn when we lose or fail. That was a lesson from Grand Master Bowen. A wise one that I think we all can agree on. We learn far more from the times that we don't hit the mark than the times we do.

The second part of this statement comes with another powerful punch. Say this part out loud, so those around you hear...."We must collaborate to find common ground, inspire to bring hope, and demonstrate through our own actions that we can indeed reach our destination." I had a visceral reaction to this part. If we are doing it right, we surround ourselves with people who may have different views and thoughts and may challenge our mindsets. These people make us have more worldly perspectives, hold us accountable to our character and ultimately make us better people. These people we do not always agree with, collaboration is critical. You talk and communicate, hear each other, discuss your thoughts as adults. You can have passion in your thoughts and words, but you can also listen to their views. We need to hear this. Politics, life, everything has challenged people's muscle memory on this. With those collaborations comes some powerful effects. We then inspire others to look around, challenge, question, and listen. We "demonstrate through our own actions that we can indeed reach our destination." Powerful!

These two sentences combated so many things we are going through in life. 2020 was tough; 2021 will challenge us as well. Ensure you are doing the work and bracing yourself to be armed to influence, collaborate, inspire and demonstrate. If we do those things at home, work, and play, there is no other option but a better result for us and others alike.