Jim Rohn, now a world-renowned author, speaker, and business philosopher, began his inspirational journey when he was 25 years old. At that point in his life, he was not only broke but also in debt. Broke is a temporary financial state; however, poor is a state of mind from which recovery requires more effort. Almost every great leader and financial success has suffered from financial deprivation at some point. None of them ever considered themselves poor.

Every great leader first developed self-inspiration before they could effectively inspire others. Zig Zigler said: “Motivation doesn’t last, but neither does the bathroom, that’s why we do it every day.” The same statement applies to inspiration. To inspire other people, you first need a burning desire within yourself. Your own inner passion and the fire of your own inspiration will fuel the fire to inspire others.

One of the greatest emotions for me is knowing that I have touched, moved and inspired someone to move forward and achieve their dreams. Jim Rohn said that one of the greatest thrills for anyone is hearing their name on someone else’s testimony. Teachers and pastors seldom select that vocation for the financial rewards; they select those careers to inspire others to reach their full potential.

I started teaching high school seniors on my 21st birthday. Now, more than 40 years later, I still hear from some of those students. The joy I feel hearing about the impact I made on their lives is beyond explanation. My youngest son had the opportunity to study law, but he chose to be a high school teacher. His passion for his students gave him the opportunity to be the youngest principal of an international high school. He currently chairs the international division of a high school in New Hampshire. The impact he brings inspires his students, his young children, his wonderful wife, the school faculty, and probably many others whose lives he has touched.

We all have the opportunity every day to inspire others. Maybe it’s a smile or a kind word to brighten someone’s day. As a young single mother, I learned that children learn more from what we do than from what we say. Children are extremely observant. They notice more than most give them credit for seeing. Seemingly small selfless acts by parents, coworkers, or bosses inspire others to reach out. Every gesture creates an influence. When the legacy you choose to create revolves around kind gestures, you inspire me and you will improve the lives of others. Everyone will be remembered for the problems they create or the problems they solve. You choose.

As I write this, I look on top of my roll top desk and see a small gray stone given to me by an employee about 30 years ago. Carved into the rock is the word, “inspire.” The show of appreciation for what seemed to me to be a small gesture of kindness shocked and inspired. Whose life will you have the opportunity to inspire today? More importantly, will you make the effort to inspire others today? What a wonderful world we will create by extending inspiration and kindness to others.

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Have an inspiring day.