How inspiration fuels our lives.

The subject for today's post has been incredibly easy to choose! The word inspiration has been used frequently in recent weeks, particularly in regard to the Olympics. Maybe it is a word that gets over used these days, and we all use it slightly differently, so I found a good dictionary definition that sums up my understanding of it.

" To be so successful, or to deal with a difficult situation so well, that other people admire you and want to be like you "

I have been watching day after day, as a lot of seemingly normal, emotional human beings, achieve things beyond their wildest dreams. They all look in great physical shape due to continual training, and are peaking, for their chosen event.But behind a lot of that success, are a lot of incredible, personal life stories, of overcoming huge challenges, both mental and physical.

As in everyday life, how you deal with those situations, can determine the outcome of your life. There are several competitors that have had personal tragedies in their recent past, but have been able to use those in a positive way, and have gone on to achieve unbelievable things. Also,there are others that have struggled with the weight of expectation and have not quite achieved what they hoped for.

There are some very famous athletes competing in the games, but you are not born with a gold medal. It is something that has to be worked for. Yes, there are riches that will undoubtedly follow success, but that all has to be earned and sacrifices made. I am sure that many of us can see that these guys are not much different to us. They had a dream, and were fortunate to be able to follow it. Their determination to succeed is what has inspired me the most.

Old records are being broken and new ones being set. This is because the new competitors are continually inspired by previous achievements, and want to improve on them.In all walks of life, we want to improve on what has been done before. Our fathers have inspired us to go faster and further.

Coming away from the Olympics, I am constantly inspired, by nurses and doctors I meet, who make many personal sacrifices to put their patients first. Also my fellow patients, a lot of whom, battle on against all the odds, with a continual smile. They know that their life will never be the same again, but make the most of what they have.

What I have truly understood, about inspiration, is that we all use it to drive us on. Also in some small way, we can be  an inspiration to others. It is something that we both give and receive. I am not really sure how many of us realise that! Even in some very simple circumstances, we may be inspiring others to reach for greater things.

When we are at work, or out socialising, we should be aware that people are looking at what we do or say. Maybe they think that we are an example to follow, maybe not! I have always believed that we are all good at something, and I am always inspired by people who can do things well, that I can't do at all!

If I see someone do something special, it inspires me and gives me hope that possibly I can do something too. It tells me that within reason, things are achievable if you try. This is all relative, as we are not going to be Olympic Champions, or Premiership footballers. But we can be inspired to do realistic things that are within our grasp, by looking at what others have done. By understanding that a task really can be achieved, it might drive us to achieve more.