Take a lesson from Nilator McKenzie – how you work through your problems will give you a walk of confidence that others will want to follow.
To inspire others you need to care for yourself and the other people around. This doesn’t necessarily mean being a push-over and doing everything for everybody. You must be selfish sometimes to have the reserve for when other people’s problems implode and they need help. You can be there for them.
They say enthusiasm is infectious. It creates an energy inside that doesn’t burn out. We are all different shapes and sizes. Treating everyone the same is important. You just don’t want to be ordinary you want to be extraordinary. No job is beneath you. It is okay for you to milk cows and grub thistles.
In the marines, they have a brotherhood. That belief that someone has your back. Leave no man behind. To be an inspiration you need to earn their trust and keep it there.
This doesn’t necessarily just mean the people you work for is your motorbike mechanic, your accountant and milking plant techs. This can be as simple as being a great bill payer on time.
I know you’re not perfect and for Pete’s sake I know I’m quite messed up too. When I asked people what inspired them they talked about the fear of failure. Doing stuff for the kids. My old, old mates talked about how the little life pleasures like fast internet helped them keep going. One of my good friends said that I was an inspiration by starting work at 4.14am. See, they don’t all hate us.
We have to recognise that we are human. Humans make mistakes. PS: technology breaks down too. When people are being reckless you need to tell them. They will never want to hear it but it’s the right thing to do.
Be the little engine that could, that said ‘I know I can, I know I can’.
Tell other people and yourself it’s the right thing to do to reach for the stars. Celebrate the little successes. Learn from failures and keep going forward. Take another step. Run a little. When you fall get back up and stand up, be straight, big and bold. Don’t let it stop you. Set small achievable goals. Love what you do.
Hope is vital to being inspirational. You can be that for other people. Set them free, tell them it’s going to be okay. Something I’m really bad at is active listening. I always strive to become better at this while trying to stay cool, calm and collected (which will be difficult to believe if you have met me).
You have chosen to be where you are right now. I don’t believe in luck. Bad things happen all the time and you will get through them. How you work through your problems will give you a walk of confidence that others will want to follow. Kia Kaha.
Promises need to be kept. If you say to someone: I’ll do anything for them – back it big time. You don’t have to be on committees to do the right thing. You just need to be a good person. I believe you should be an individual, have outside-the-box thinking. Question why. Cut some things out. If you keep still for too long maybe you stagnate and start to stink.
There are a lot of people who influence how we operate the thing called life. Have different friends from different walks of life and ages – they make you better. Read bad things and good things. Take it with a grain of salt. Stay true to what you believe in. Share with other people what influences you. Try and make it positive if you can. Lead from the front and practice what you preach.
Please and thank you.
