The Capacity to Inspire

“Wow. That's incredible. Today, you have inspired me to want go and make a change in this world.” These are the words I strive to hear from the people around me everyday. Hearing this phrase from a renowned professional whom I had never met before, after a short five to ten minute interview, was an incredible feeling. I had always made it my goal to be a positive influence on the lives of the people around me, and through ISM this week, I was able to take a step further in achieving that goal.

Wednesday, October 5th, 2016. This was the day of the ISM Business Symposium. It was my chance to conduct myself in a professional environment, and interact with as many of these experts as possible. We, as ISM students, had the opportunity to gauge our interview skills as we were randomly paired with professionals, waiting to question us about our lives. My first interview seemed to go just like any other interview I had ever done. He asked me a series of questions and I did my best to give genuine and engaging answers that reflected myself. It was nothing out of the ordinary, but once he finished asking all of his questions, the interviewer stopped and said, “Wow. Thats incredible. Today, you have inspired me to want go and make a change in this world.” As I described earlier, this simple comment had an indescribable impact on me. To inspire those around me to positive influences on the world, is a small step in my goal of creating a big change.

But then, I thought, “Why me? What did I do that inspired this man so much? All I did was talk about what I was passionate about.” The interview felt pretty normal in its entirety; I didn’t feel as if I said anything motivational enough to deserve such praise. I thought, “I am just as normal as everyone else. I don’t stand out that much from the crowd. Does this mean that everyone has that ability to inspire people?” ”Yes.” I realized it then. Everybody has this incomprehensible talent to motivate others, and it lies in the passion that they have. When speaking about something that a person is truly passionate about, the capacity he or she possess to inspire is immense. What may seem a routine part of your life, when explained with passion can be a thrilling adventure, a motivational speech, or even a heartbreaking story.

ISM helped me realize this week that speaking from the heart can evoke so much emotion that is unparalleled in every other aspect. I now know that everyone is capable of bringing such feelings in people, but the challenge lies in tapping into this passion to inspire.