The gift of inspiration

Yesterday was one of those beautiful days

Fulfilling days

When because I gave back

I was given to

A beautiful morning assembly at a school

I, along with some of my colleagues, had volunteered our time

To expose some young minds to a part of the wider world

To give them the opportunity to come out of their world

Into a world previously beyond their reach

Existing over there

For other people

Not for them

So they thought

Until we changed that

And gave them the opportunity

To experience a large office

To meet people in the business world

They may not have otherwise met

To open their eyes to possibility

They previously thought was impossible for them

Or never even knew existed

Particularly for them

As I watched their smiling faces

I thought back to when we first met them

At how their eyes were untrusting

Their thoughts guarded

To when we left them

And how their whole outlooks had changed

I mused with pride about how

They had presented to audiences

When before some had no voice

About how their confidence had grown

When before they did not know what confidence was

About how the light had come on in their eyes

Was just as much a gift to me as it was to them

And yesterday without expectation

They thanked us

In a moving assembly

For moving them

When in fact it was them that had moved me

Moved me to tears

As I heard their speeches

Their music played with instruments

Music sung with such great pride

Taking me back to the quote I read

The one I read yesterday that said

“I want to inspire people

I want someone to look at me

And say because of you

I did not give up.”

The quote that resonated with me as true

As I watched the students yesterday

Knowing I had inspired someone

Knowing particularly in one

I helped to find her voice

A voice that allowed her to speak with confidence

A voice that said to me

Because of you I did not give up

You see there are some who gave me that voice

That opportunity long ago

To be the woman I am today

And the woman I am still becoming

And yesterday I realized in that little assembly hall

That my life had come full circle

I am now the one giving back

Opening the door of possibility

To those who did not even know there was a door

And what joy

Pure joy I felt

And feel

To know
The more I inspire

The more I am inspired

The more I give

The more I get

The more I am present

The more will become present for me

I am so grateful for taking the time to give

To inspire

To give hope

Because in doing so

I get the greatest reward

The gift of community

The gift of sharing

The gift of time

There is nothing more powerful

Than the gift of time

The gift of self

Particularly when it comes to young minds

The minds that will one day be the present

The minds that will one day colour the world

What better gift than to be present

Just for them

And in doing so

Becoming present for myself

The circle of life

When we give to one

We give to all

When we inspire one

We inspire all

Because we realise

There is enough

For not just one

But for us all

Namaste