This week, we celebrated a great man who was an inspiration to so many, Martin Luther King Jr. With his words, and most importantly, his actions, he created change for our country and its people. In honor of this day, I proposed a question to some of my friends: who inspires you?
I got many different answers, but a few were pretty consistent.
1. Parents
Our parents may be the biggest pain in the butt for our young adult lives, but there is no doubt that they can also be some of our greatest inspirations. They may inspire you because of the way they see the world and treat others. They may inspire you because of their tenacity and drive. Maybe they’ve accomplished really great things, or maybe they are just really great people. Whatever the reason, our parents can be some of the best role models (whether we’re even aware of it or not.)
2. Siblings
If you have siblings, especially older siblings, you know how inspiring they can be. They are the ones who pave the way and have all the “firsts.” The first ones to go to college, the first ones to get a job, maybe the first ones to get married and have kids. It’s easy to look up to our siblings and also learn from their mistakes. They take a lot of the heat from our parents while we get to observe and not make those mistakes again. Our siblings often do great things and inspire us to follow in their footsteps.
3. Celebrities
Maybe you love them or maybe you don’t — but celebrities can definitely be an inspiration. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility, and some celebrities use their power and their privilege to do really amazing things. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey who have have overcome obstacles to get to where they are and are now giving so much back. Celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence who became one of the most relatable movie stars of our generation. Celebrities like Demi Lovato, who is constantly teaching young women to love themselves as they are. These celebs and so many others are inspiring us with their talent and their character everyday.
4. Friends
I don’t know about you, but my friends are some of the biggest inspirations in my life. I have watched many of my friends do such amazing things with their lives and it always pushes me to be better and do better. I have watched my friends work really hard and achieve so much in just the past few years and it makes me want to achieve just as much so that I can make them proud. Friends encourage each other, motivate each other and constantly inspire each other.
Although Martin Luther King Jr. Day is over, let us be inspired everyday by those around us. Whether it’s your parents, sibling, friends, or your favorite talk show host, let their inspiration allow you to inspire others in return.