7 ways to Inspire Others!

You’re the meaning in my life
You’re the inspiration
You bring feeling to my life
You’re the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me sayin’
No one needs you more than I need you

You’re the meaning in someone’s life, you’re their inspiration. The words may sound like lyrics from an old love song by Chicago, but they’re so much more. They embody what it means to truly inspire someone—to breathe life into their dreams, to spark a light in their eyes. This blog post is for those who aim to be a beacon for others, a north star guiding someone through their darkest nights and foggy days. We all need someone to pick us up every now and then. We get back what we give.

1) Light Up The Room, Literally!

Being an inspiration doesn’t require grandiose acts; it’s often the little things that count. Your positive energy can actually “light up the room.” A smile, a kind word, or even listening attentively can do wonders. The aim is to make people feel better when they’re around you.

2) Lead by Example

“You bring feeling to my life, you’re the inspiration.” People are more likely to follow what you do rather than what you say. So, it’s essential that you live an authentic life that reflects your values and beliefs. This will naturally attract people to you and make them want to emulate your actions.

3) The Importance of Presence

“Wanna have you near me, I wanna have you hear me sayin’ ‘No one needs you more than I need you.'” Your mere presence can be a source of comfort and encouragement to others. Sometimes, words are unnecessary. Your willingness to be there for someone speaks volumes about your character, making you a pillar of strength and inspiration in their lives.

4) Open Doors

One of the most powerful ways to inspire others is to open doors for them. This can be through mentoring, networking, or simply giving them the opportunity to showcase their skills. It’s not about handing them success on a silver platter, but rather about giving them the tools they need to forge their own path.

5) Share Your Journey

Everyone loves a good story, especially one of overcoming odds and emerging victorious. Your life story can serve as a roadmap for others. Don’t hesitate to share your experiences, both good and bad, because every chapter provides valuable lessons. Your story would make a great chapter in one of our collaboration books. 📚

6) Celebrate Wins, No Matter How Small

Recognizing and celebrating achievements, even small ones, makes a world of difference. It encourages perseverance and fuels ambition. Remember, the aim is not just to inspire but to keep the flame alive. Celebrating wins, yours and theirs, keeps everyone motivated and focused on the bigger picture.

7) The Domino Effect

When you inspire one person, you’re not just affecting their life; you’re potentially impacting every life they touch as well. That’s the power of inspiration—it’s a ripple effect that can spread farther than you can imagine.

The next time you question whether you’re having an impact, keep this line from the song in mind: “No one needs you more than I need you.”

You never know—your words, gestures, or simply your presence could be the saving grace someone’s holding onto, even if you’re not aware of it.

In an increasingly chaotic world, take the chance to be the light for someone else. You never know, the person you inspire today may be the one who lifts you up tomorrow.

IF …

Today, I’m peeling back another layer and showcasing my inner poet. A while back, I wrote this little gem and had an absolute blast doing it. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the ‘must-dos’ and ‘should-dos’ that we forget the art of simply having fun. Consider this poem your official permission slip to let your hair down and enjoy the good stuff life has to offer.

So, grab your favorite cuppa ☕, take a deep, soul-cleansing breath, and prepare to have a little fun with words.

“IF”
by Sally Larkin Green

If fresh flowers bloomed in my garden all year,
If I could make a wish and you would appear,
If I could eat what I want and never get fat,
If a kitten would never become a cat,

If I could exercise once and be fit and lean,
If my kitchen and bathroom would keep itself clean,
If I could stay up late without falling asleep,
If my mug full of coffee was six feet deep,

If my laundry would wash and fold itself,
If chocolate kept appearing upon my shelf,
If thinking of you would make the sun shine,
If my bathtub was filled with bottles of wine ….

Now THAT would make me happy!

Stairway to Heaven

#MondayMotivation

*This is a preview of the message I will deliver at Lordship Community Church in Stratford this Sunday (July 14)

In his dream Jacob saw a stairway descending from heaven to earth. On the stairway Jacob sees angels going up and down the stairs.

What are the angels doing? They are taking messages from earth up to heaven and messages from heaven down to earth. They are heavenly couriers ~ answering prayers, giving guidance, providing protection, fighting for the people of God and at the top of the ladder stands God himself.

Is God Too Busy to Help You?

Jacob had just cheated his brother and lied to his father – Why? because he thought God had abandoned him. He had the same picture of God that a lot of people have today—a God in heaven who is too busy to be concerned about someone like him. To Jacob, God was too big, too vast, too magnificent, too almighty to ever be concerned about him.

There are times we all feel that way. “Maybe God loves me, I know the Bible says he does. But’s it’s a big world, and everyone’s has problems, and he has to take care of 5 billion people. How does God have time to worry about me?”

Jacob cheated because he thought God either didn’t notice or didn’t care or was too busy to help him. So Jacob took matters into his own hands.

But Jacob was wrong. The message in that dream is this: “I’m nearer to you than you think I am. Although I am in heaven and you are on earth, there’s a stairway that reaches from me to you. My angels are constantly watching over you. They tell me what you need and I send them back to earth with my answers. I’m not very far away. In fact, I’m with you wherever you go. When you travel, my stairway travels with you. I was with you when you tricked your brother. I was with you when you deceived your father. I am with you tonight. And I will be with you tomorrow. Everywhere you go, I will go with you.”

That is what this dream is all about. It’s a message about the nearness of God. God essentially tells Jacob ~ I know who you are and I know what you’ve done. Nothing is hidden from me. I also know how frightened you are. Remember this: Wherever you go, you won’t be alone for I will go with you. And I will bring you safely back home again. You have my sacred word on that.”

This is the same message God wants YOU to hear today. He is nearer than you think and he has not abandoned you.

I am worthy

10 ways to overcome hurt feelings.

What do you do when someone says something that hurts your feelings or makes you feel unworthy or inadequate?

When I was in 7th grade, I was bullied. Back in the seventies my teachers and parents called it “teasing”. Well, there were a bunch of boys and a couple girls who would “tease me” every day. I’m sure many of us can relate. Have you ever been put down, called names, harassed or embarrassed by the words or actions of others? I bet we all have.

When it happened to me, my 12 year old self did something that I believe changed the direction of my life. My family didn’t go to church often, mostly Christmas and Easter, but when I was in 3rd grade I received a King James Bible with my name engraved on it. So, as I was being bullied, I decided that whenever I was upset by what the kids in school said to me I would randomly open my bible and read until I felt better. I read stories about David and Jacob’s ladder. I read about Ruth and Esther and I read Proverbs over and over again. In addition to that, I would visualize myself as an adult, owning a business and having them all working for me. 😁 I also remember saying to myself, “I’m not going to let them get me down today” and I would walk into school, smile and say good morning to all of them. *I may have been secretly trying to piss them off. Lol

Being bullied was the reason I helped create and organize a bible study for middle school students when my daughter was that age and it also brought me closer to God. Would I have been as spiritual as I am today without having been bullied? Probably, but I’m not so sure. I see programs all the time telling the bullies not to bully, but I also believe we need more programs telling victims how to handle being bullied; ensuring them that they are children of God, they are worthy they can overcome their feelings of inadequacy and find a resilient spirit.

Here are 10 ways I’ve discovered to build resilience and discover your self worth. Some of these I stumbled upon as a seventh grader, others I learned later on.

1) Don’t take it personally.

2) Kill them with kindness.

3) Find a positive outlet to focus on.

4) Visualize yourself victorious.

5) Step away from social media and maybe all media for a while.

6) Be careful who you hang around with.

7) Realize that there are people who won’t like you no matter what you do.

8) Don’t let negative people bring you down.

9) Be kind to yourself.

10) Be yourself.

Have you ever been bullied or teased? What did you do about it? I would love to hear your story.

Don’t keep this blog to yourself, if you can relate – tell your friends about it.

** If you know a child or teen currently going through a difficult time, look up YouTube videos by Brooks Gibbs. His programs on resilience for kids are awesome. **

Beginning tomorrow I’ll be posting an inspirational/motivational song of the week. #TuesdayTunes – look for it.

Mental house-cleaning

#ThursdayQuote

From the book:
The Master Key System
(Chapter 5)
By Charles Haanel

Our mental material … we can weave any kind of material we want; we can use any color we wish; we know that the texture is firm, that the material is solid, that it will not fade, and we have no fear, no anxiety concerning the future; there is nothing to cover, there are no patches to hide. 

These are psychological facts; there is no theory or guesswork about these thinking processes; there is nothing secret about them; in fact, they are so plain that every one can understand them. The thing to do is to have a mental house-cleaning, and to have this house-cleaning every day, and keep the house clean. Mental, moral and physical cleanliness are absolutely indispensable if we are to make progress of any kind. 

When this mental house-cleaning process has been completed, the material which is left will be suitable for the making of the kind of ideals or mental images which we desire to realize.