Fresh Start Fitness

I love to be inspired. Fun fact: “inspire” is my favorite word. Here are some of the people that I find most inspirational:

People who have experienced hardship. But not just experienced it— went through it and changed from it, for the better. Sometimes they come out the other side with thicker skin and toughness and grit, like a badass. But usually, they are softer in all the best ways: more patient, more loving, more gratitude.

“Cinderella” stories (rags to riches): I love an underdog who comes out on top. But they can’t just win the game, get the money, or get the handsome prince. They have to stay in pursuit of goodness, work hard to achieve their dreams, and never give up hope.

Faithfulness. The Jews who clung to their faith during the Holocaust. The Bonhoeffers who clung to their faith in opposition to the Holocaust. It’s a faith that says, “Even if” or “in spite of” in the face of real peril.

Chain breakers. People who wake up one day and realize that they have the power to change their circumstances. They didn’t realize they had the strength all along. They develop the courage to look their oppressors in the face and say, “no more”.

People who see the value in others. The people who climb over the other side of the fence to bring their neighbors to safety. The regular people who decide that a stranger’s life is just as valuable as their own.

And likewise, here are the most uninspiring people:

Hurt people who hurt people. This is the danger of growing too hardened during adversity. These people are vengeful, justified, campaigning against their enemies, with no regard for who gets hurt in the process.

People who can’t recognize their privilege. I grew up in America, with two White parents with college degrees, plenty of money for food and transportation. We always lived in a safe house with books and healthcare and school. I did nothing to be born into this type of family. This is privilege.

People who never change. Humans should grow and evolve, through learning and experience and empathy. A person who holds tightly to an opinion and can’t recognize their bias or accept that they might not be right, terrify me.