You Can't Wait for Inspiration. You Have To Go After It With A Club

"Had it not been for you, I should have remained what I was when we first met, a prejudiced, narrow-minded being, with contracted sympathies and false knowledge, wasting my life on obsolete trifles, and utterly insensible to the privilege of living in this wondrous age of change and progress."
-Benjamin Disraeli

"Here is the secret of inspiration: Tell yourself that thousands and tens of thousands of people, not very intelligent and certainly no more intelligent than the rest of us, have mastered problems as difficult as those that now baffle you."
-William Feather

Each weekday when I drive to work, I notice an overweight woman jogging. She is often so very red that I find myself worrying about her, but I am also deeply moved when I see her because it is clear that she has a fair amount of weight to lose.
2 weeks ago, while driving to a very early morning class, I observed the woman out jogging in the rain.
I felt compelled to pull over and share with her that I see her each morning and I am so impressed by her discipline. I gave her my heartfelt praise at her diligence and determination and told her that she should be SO very proud of herself!
She could barely respond, but upon catching her breath, she told me that at the very moment I had stopped to speak with her she was feeling so tired. The hill that she had just run up was especially difficult for her and she was feeling quite discouraged and overwhelmed and was questioning whether she was actually making any progress toward her goal.
I told her that I was certain that she was indeed not only making progress, but I also knew that she had all she needed to achieve her goal. She thanked me, and, as I pulled away, I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw her broadly smiling as she jogged away.
It was in that moment that I was reminded that we are, all of us, faced with hills in our lives that so often seem more than we can climb. We grow weary, and it is in those times that an encouraging word can mean so very much and help us find the strength to keep going.
In that moment I also knew that while she thought it was she receiving much needed encouragement, the truth is that each time I have seen her running, no matter the challenge that is in my thoughts for that day, I find inspiration in her spirit and believe that I can manage whatever hills are ahead.