What are you waiting for?

There’s inspiration all around us. So many people are waiting, unsuccessfully, to be inspired. It’s not so ironic that those who seek inspiration and those who seek to inspire others spend none of their time waiting for it. We soak it up like sponges and it’s pumping through our veins.

If you’re living with your eyes and your heart wide open you will learn that there’s inspiration in many of the common and simple things that are often overlooked in life. If you blink you might miss them. You’ll find inspiration in situations and circumstances that aren’t typically considered inspiring at all; like heartache and hardship. In wins AND losses. When it’s comfortable AND uncomfortable. When it’s funny AND when it’s scary.

Yesterday I watched two soccer games being played by 10 year old girls. My daughter was playing; she scored 4 goals between the two games and they won both. That made me a proud and happy dad. But, in one of the games I was inspired by a young lady, a defender on my daughter’s team, who got beat at mid field toward the end of the game. She fell for a juke and literally went to the ground.

Mind you, all this happened in a matter of a few seconds. I fully expected the opponent to score on what seemed to be a break away. I watched the little girl from the other team sprint away with the ball, no one between her and the goalie. But out of the corner of my eye I saw Tierney roll back to her feet, without hesitating, like there were no other option but to get up, run that girl down, and prevent what would surely have been a goal.

Tierney did run the girl down and she did prevent the goal. The irony; there wasn’t much time left. My daughter’s team was winning by three goals and this goal would not have changed the outcome of the game. I’ve seen it time and time again; with youth, high school players, college, professionals. Even in situations that have nothing to do with sports; when someone gets behind, gets beat, makes a mistake - they stay behind, settle for defeat, and don’t attempt to learn from the mistake. Or, worst of all, they assume it doesn't matter. They miss out on the opportunity to get better, or prove they are better, because of lived experiences.

I’m boarding a plane (actually now on a delay sitting in Seattle) as I write this, flying to San Diego to speak at the ASU+GSV Summit. I’ve read countless books and articles, listened to dozens of speakers, watched hundreds of inspirational videos. I could be tapping into any of these experiences as I prepare, mentally, for the Summit. But, instead I’m drawing off the visual of Tierney...at the 10 year old girls soccer game. Why? Because we’ve all gotten beaten and needed to bounce back, because we’ve all fallen and had to get back up, because we’ve all won and had to keep on winning; in life. We’ve had to do it at a moments notice and without hesitating, or we miss the chance to seize an opportunity. With clear eyes and an open heart I realize you don’t have to be an author, a scholar, on stage, behind a microphone, or onYouTube to inspire. So I don’t only look there. Sometimes, often times, I look at what is right in front of me.

I’m telling you, there’s inspiration all around us. What little things will you notice today that will inspire you and will beckon you to inspire others? Share your stories with us!

Be great today!