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Are you an inspiration to someone else? That is a hard question to answer. You probably know someone you admire, that you have never told. Maybe that person is an inspiration to you.

We are also inspired by famous people in history, great athletes, and other exceptional people. I know I am inspired by Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Teddy Roosevelt.

These people became inspirations not by trying to be inspirations, but by being themselves, and following their purpose. So, how are you at inspiring others? Here are a couple of things to consider.

1) Am I a living example of my values? Our actions should reflect the person we are inside, or the person we are striving to be. List your values, and think about how you demonstrate them, or not.

2) Am I improving myself to be the best I can be? Inspirational people never stop learning to be better. They are driven to compare themselves not to the world but to who they were yesterday.

3) Do I commit fully to my passion and purpose? Defining a purpose and passion is difficult for many. If you find yourself distracted easily, then strengthen your connection to your passion.

These are three great questions for reflection. We can all improve. What are you doing to better yourself in these three areas? To be an inspiration to others, you need to be the best version of yourself you can be.

 

Being a friend has taken on a whole new meaning with the explosion of social media. We connect and share information with a wide network of people. So it has made me ponder the meaning of friendship. Are all of your friends on Facebook really your friends?

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I recently had a conversation about a Facebook post. If someone were to post a comment about one of your friends would you automatically believe it? Or do you know your friend well enough to know if the comment is true or not?

This thought made me reflect on what I think is the difference between a true friend and a Facebook friend. Here are the five main points I captured.

1. A true friend will have your back. They will stand up for you even when you are not around. They will be there for you when you need help.
2. A true friend will give you energy, not drain you of energy. These are the people you enjoy hanging out with.
3. A true friend will support you whether you succeed or fail. Friends that support you in success are easy to find. Friends that stick around and support you in failure are the people that really care about you.
4. A true friend will motivate you to be better, not hold you back. They will support you in your goals and dreams. They will never try to shoot you down and hold you at their comfort level.
5. A true friend is someone that you improve their life as much as they improve yours.

Don’t get me wrong, social media has a place in our lives. It has allowed people to connect and stay connected with much less effort. But if I were you, I would not count on your 500 Facebook friends to have your back when you need it. Don’t let them get in your way with your true friends.

 

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I have written about the importance of daily reflection dozens of times. It is a skill that is critical for success and personal growth. However, most people lack the discipline to make it a habit.

There are occasions when I have struggled to maintain my dedication to journal. Here is the structure that has bolstered my consistency in my reflection process.

I currently use three different books to record my thoughts. Each with a separate purpose.

1. Daily Journal – I use a daily journal to record two or three sentences each day. My goal is to write the most important thing I learned that day. This daily practice is not overwhelming. It takes only a few minutes. At the end of the month, I read through my lessons for that month, and reflect on my journey.

2. Learning Journal – This book I use to record notes on activities that impact me. It includes notes from articles I read, interesting quotes, people I have met, classes I am taking, and classes I am teaching. I don’t necessarily write in this every day, but I do write in it frequently.

3. Thinking Journal – In this book, I record my thoughts about a particular situation or question. Writing your thoughts transform them. Sometimes taking an idea and knowing what to do with it can be puzzling. With this journal I challenge myself to think differently, and to think deeper on a perception. I keep a list of questions that I can use to interrogate myself about something. This is the book I write in the least.

These three books have endured, and have helped me. The short daily entry keeps me in a routine that is effective, but I would be better served if I scheduled myself with my thinking book at least weekly.

Your reflection process should be what works for you. However, without one, your success will be limited. It is the conversation we have in our head that most defines who we are.

John Maxwell has said, “A leader sees farther than others. A leaders sees more than others.” However, when Nick Vujicic said, “Our plan is to be in Nigeria in 2018”, John’s words have never been clearer.

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What will you be doing four or five years from now? Nick knows what he will be doing. He will be in Nigeria. In fact he has a plan to visit and speak in several African countries in 2018.

It made me think about my plans. I can confess I do not have concrete plans that stretch four or five years in the future. But I would also guess that very few of us do. Nick Vujicic does.

It has made me think, and I hope it is making you think too.

Nick is a very driven, focused, determined person. His goal is to reach and speak to 7 billion people. He is determined to change the world, to make a difference.

Where is your focus? What is your message for the world. We are not Nick. Our message is different, but just as important. Nick said it himself. We are as influential as him. We can touch people he can’t touch.

One of Nick’s points from his talk with us was to “Dream Bigger”. Nick dreams big, but it is not just a dream. Nick follows through. He is turning his dream to reality. He is planning five and ten years into the future. It is so important to have plans and goals. For big dreams, you need big plans that cover the future of that dream.

We all need to dream big. We need to follow that dream by mapping our plan and working our plan. I want to be as driven and purposeful as Nick, and now I have more insight on how thinking big becomes real.