in·spire

v.
in·spired, in·spir·ing, in·spires
v.tr.
1. To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence.
2. To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion: hymns that inspire the congregation; an artist who was inspired by Impressionism.
3.

a. To stimulate to action; motivate: a sales force that was inspired by the prospect of a bonus.

b. To affect or touch: The falling leaves inspired her with sadness.

4. To draw forth; elicit or arouse: a teacher who inspired admiration and respect.
5. To be the cause or source of; bring about: an invention that inspired many imitations.
6. To draw in (air) by inhaling.
7. Archaic

a. To breathe on.

b. To breathe life into.

v.intr.
1. To stimulate energies, ideals, or reverence: a leader who inspires by example.
2. To inhale.
[Middle English enspiren, from Old French enspirer, from Latin nspire : to breathe.]

The other day I was blogging about the word Conspiracy, and this is another, related word that we bandy around a lot these days, Inspire.

It literally means to breathe in, so either meaning that we give life to something or cause the person to suck in their breath. It is a very vital, physical, emotional phenomenon, rather than just an intellectual one. It literally moves you. In order to move people you have to connect with them; which means that you have to be open and real too.

I find it pretty inspiring when I see people fully revealing themselves and offering it without stint, like in last night’s episode of ‘Beyond Boundaries, Across the Andes“, which I have blogged about before. Here there were myriad examples of people going way beyond their physical limits, working for each other, offering each other their support, their truths, their muscles and, when they had nothing else to offer, their presence.

Inspiration doesn’t come in a can, or off the shelf from some management bookstore. It lives and breathes in the human heart. I’d be interested to hear some examples of real inspiration from you.

“There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them.” Tom Krause
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward