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Inspiring other people is a great feeling. When you’re living your best life and feeling great about it, others will pay attention and naturally want to do the same. If you want your friends and family to be inspired to live their own best lives by looking at you, then you may need to make some changes to the way you’re currently living.
Below, you’ll find 15 ways you can inspire others every day. It will be challenging, but if you want the best for yourself and for the people you love, you should do it! Read on to learn more...
1. Stay True To Yourself
First things first: you need to know who you are and what you’re all about. No two people are the same, and trying to be somebody you’re not will never work out. This doesn’t mean you can’t change if you want to. It doesn’t mean people with negative habits can never turn them into positive habits. It just means that every day, you need to be mindful of who you want to be. Are you dressing for yourself, or for somebody else? Are you speaking for yourself, or to impress others? Are you trying to get everybody to like you, or are you staying true to what you really feel/think?
Don’t betray yourself. You may find that you do this more often than you think. Many people will tell you that if everybody likes you, you’re probably not being true to yourself!
2. Speak Up For Change
Speaking up for change can be rough. It can be exhausting, especially when people don’t want to listen or agree. Some will tell you it’s enough to simply be the change you want to see, but lobbying for change is sometimes necessary. If you know that change needs to happen at school, in the workplace, or even your community, find your voice and speak up. You can learn more about doing this effectively at a place like George Washington University. You’ll only kick yourself later if you don't stand up for what you believe in now.
3. Look After Yourself
You can’t pour from an empty cup. If you’re a natural people pleaser and want to help others, this can be tough, but you need to set an example. Look after yourself before anybody else. Take care of your health. Get plenty of sleep. Make sure you feel good, and you’ll be in the right physical and mental state to inspire! You don’t need to make it onto the cover of a fitness magazine, or fit in with society’s beauty standards. You do, however, need to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
4. Be Your Own Best Friend
Human connection is important for absolutely everybody, but there will be times you end up alone. When you are your own best friend, you can spend time alone comfortably. You won’t settle for the first person that gives you any attention. You won’t go back to an ex who treated you poorly. Many people naturally depend on others for validation and entertainment, and then feel entirely lost when forced to spend some time alone. Here are a few ways you can get to know yourself better and become your own best friend:
- Know your strengths and weaknesses
- Take self care seriously
- Get out of your comfort zone regularly
- Do things alone - go out for food, to the cinema, etc
Take your time and learn to love yourself!
5. Don’t Be A Perfectionist
Perfectionism isn't a trait to be celebrated. It’s something that can hold us back and stop us from taking action on the things we want to do. Perfection does not exist. Stop striving for it. Good is often good enough!
6. Accept Yourself
Radical self acceptance is tough, as many of the messages we are bombarded with in society tell us that we should be critical. To inspire others, you have to first accept yourself. Accept your emotions, your mistakes, your body, and yourself as a whole. Do not beat yourself up. This may be hard for those who are more self critical than others, but with practice you can learn to accept yourself.
7. Spend Time On Your Hobbies
People are always inspired by those with enthusiasm and passion, and who is more enthusiastic and passionate than those who spend time on the things they love? Don’t have hobbies? Find some! Try different things. Follow your instincts and see what you feel like doing.
8. Do Things For Fun
When you have some free time, do things just for fun. Play a game, do a puzzle, paint. These things don’t have to be amazing. Just do them and have fun. Life is not supposed to be all work and no play!
9. Reflect
Being self aware is key to strengthening your relationships and growing as a person. Reflect on things you could have done better. Know when to apologise. Know when you actually need to keep a boundary in place.
10. Don’t Fall Into The Same Traps As Everybody Else
Gossiping and judging others is a trap that many people fall into. So is spending money you don’t have just to fit in or show off. Avoid being like everybody else. Swim against the current!
11. Find A Balance That Works For You
Balance looks different to everybody, but everybody needs it to live a happy, healthy life. Find a way to balance work, relationships, hobbies, and downtime. Create a routine baggy enough to live in.
12. Whatever You’re Doing, Do It With Your Whole Self
Whether you are reading, writing, working, or making dinner doesn’t matter. When you are doing something, put your entire focus onto it.
13. Listen Actively
Do you really listen and respond to the people you interact with, or do you simply listen so that you know when it’s your turn to talk? The majority of people are the latter, and they may not even realize it.
14. Set Clear Boundaries
Boundaries are not something we are always taught to set, but they send a clear message about how we are willing to be treated and what we expect from others. You are not aggressive or mean for setting boundaries. Know what yours are.
15. Be Aware Of Toxic Positivity
Being positive is a great character trait, but being aware of toxic positivity is also important. Don’t force yourself to be positive if you’re genuinely upset about something - you need to feel your emotions. Don’t force positivity onto others, either. When you tell somebody ‘things could be worse’ or to ‘look on the bright side’ you invalidate their feelings and show them you do not understand.
