One question that came up a few times at Survival 3 the other weekend was “Who inspires you?” The answers that people gave were interesting in their own right, but it also got me thinking about who inspires me in my life. Who are those people that you see and think ‘I want to be like them’ or that make you want to be a better person. So I decided to make a list of all the people who currently inspire me, and why. It’s not a comprehensive list, or we’d be here all week, and it’s only reflective of where I am in my life right now. No doubt if I’d been asked 5 years ago, or if I were asked in 5 years’ time I’d give an entirely different answer. However here are all those people who currently inspire me the most.
My Little Brother
Honestly, my little brother is amazing, though I’m sure there’s something in the Big Sister Code™ that means I’m not supposed to admit that. He inspires me because he is so focused and driven. He wants to be successful, and he’s working damn hard to get there. Despite the fact he’s 5 years younger than me I swear he has his shit together far more than I do. He somehow seems to have mastered that elusive work/life balance that I’ve yet to figure out.
He’s also the poster child for someone who’s managed to turn their life around. If you’d have told me 4 years ago that one day he’d be looking at studying physics at one of the best universities in the UK, be predicted A*s at A-Level, and working a part time job, I’d probably have laughed at you. He was disengaged, barely passing his classes, and just generally not in a fantastic place. Nowadays I have absolutely no doubt that he’s gonna be successful, no matter what he sets his mind to.
Tati Gabrielle
Tati Gabrielle is one of the sweetest, friendliest, and liveliest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Whilst that in itself is something to aspire to, that’s not why she inspires me. I was listening to a conversation she was having with someone who had drawn some amazing fan art (yes, I know, eavesdropping is rude, but the advice she gave was amazing and was what caught my attention).
This person was saying that they weren’t talented as it had taken them hours of practice to get that good at drawing. Tati responded with something along the lines of talent not being about being the best drawer the first time you ever pick up a pencil. It’s finding something you enjoy and then nurturing that until you become good at it. She also said that it doesn’t just apply to art, everyone has talent, they just have to find it and develop it. I think that piece of advice may just stick with me for a while, remind me to keep writing, even when I doubt my own abilities.
Chelsey Reist (and her abs)
Chelsey Reist is pretty much my lifestyle goals right now, not gonna lie. She has so much positivity and seemingly endless energy (I mean, she was once described as being like the Energizer Bunny). Though honestly, I think the latter may have something to do with the copious amounts of coffee and Red Bull she seems to drink. She has an amazing sense of humour and a such a fantastic outlook on life. Her Instagram is full of reminders to just enjoy the little things in life, to take a break from the hustle of the daily grind from time to time, and that there are more important things in life than just money.
She is also my current motivation to get in shape (which I say I’m gonna do quite regularly then it never happens). I know that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others, but seriously that woman has some amazing abs and some impressive upper body strength, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tiny bit jealous. The way I see it is that anything that motivates me to get fitter is a good thing given that I currently get out of breath running a couple of hundred metres.
Tasya Teles
Anyone who knows me well will know that occasionally I say that I’m gonna change the world, and whilst realistically I know that I’m not gonna change the world by myself I would like to make a positive impact on the lives of other people, one way or another. Tasya Teles is one of those people who inspires me to make a difference in the world.
She not only wants to make a documentary about feminism, but she is also working on a project around the issue of human trafficking. Human trafficking is such a complex, horrific, and little talked about subject. Therefore, seeing someone who is passionate about doing something to raise awareness and tackle the issue is something that has inspired me to try and fight for those causes that I believe in. I’m interested to see how her project develops, because I know that I want to support it, and encourage others to do the same.
Jessica Harmon (and her character in iZombie, Dale Bozzio)
Jess Harmon is one of those people who is not afraid to speak her own mind. She’s not afraid to call people out on their bullshit and has a tendency to be pretty damn savage. She’s another one of those people with a fantastic sense of humour, but hers is in the form of sarcasm, snark, and savagery. She comes out with some of the best one liners and deadpan responses to stuff. She gives off an air of being one of those people who don’t take themselves too seriously, I mean she did an entire day at a convention in her Harry Potter pyjamas. If that’s not some serious goals I’m not sure what is.
The Parkland Shooting Survivors
Okay, so technically this last one isn’t a person, but a group of people. A group of kids really. Those teenagers who survived the 14th of February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They inspire me because they survived something so horrific and now they’re using their voices to demand change. They are determined to make a difference so that other children never have to go through the things they went through.
They’re not afraid to stand up to the adults running their country, to push for better gun legislation, and to try and make a difference. They are using social media as their platform to drive this change, and they’re making sure that their voices get heard, trying to make sure that they don’t just get ignored.
I feel like I could go on and on with people who inspire me, however I’m gonna leave it there before this post ends up way too long. I’m gonna end this on something that was said by someone at Survival, and I’m not sure who said it so there’s no one I can attribute it to, but it’s stuck with me, and is definitely worth thinking about. It’s something that went a little like this “Change is one of the few things that is certain in life, everything will change eventually and accepting that makes life easier to deal with”
Sophie x
A Place of Mine 