Blog #554: Zig, Oprah and the Littlest Shopper

I know…

I’m lucky to have heard…
some of the greatest motivational speakers.

And…

I’m extra lucky to have read…
hundreds of the most inspirational books.

BUT…

It’s from neither stages nor pages where my day-to-day motivation comes.

It comes from walking through my everyday life.

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In the last seven days, I’ve encountered…

1. The Inspiring Bag Guy…

He was carrying multiple garbage-filled bags and was wearing gloves. He also carried a trash-poking stick. He was picking up litter in the park.

In appreciation, I said: “Thank you so much! What group are you with?”

He answered: “Just me. I don’t like looking at the trash…and if I don’t pick it up, who will?”

Wow.

2. The Littlest Shopper…

I was in the grocery store, and I saw the littlest of little guys grocery shopping with his mom. He was pushing the littlest of shopping carts.

I smiled at the boy and asked: “How’s shopping going today?”

With mom beaming, he passionately answered, “I’m a weal gud shoppa.”

So sweet.

3. The “A+” Dad…

A dad was teaching his young son to play baseball. The little guy was learning to hit a ball off a giant tee that would hold the ball as he swung at it.

But EVERY time the boy swung, he hit the tee instead of the ball. The ball would fall to the ground, and the boy had to replace it…and swing again. The dad cheered encouragement every time.

Finally…exhausted in defeat and frustration from NEVER making contact with the ball… the young boy fell to the ground crying. The dad went over and sat on the ground with his son. With tender kindness, he slowly wiped his son’s tears.

And then he gave his son one of the longest hugs I’ve ever seen.

I felt that one.

4. The Difference-Making Dog Rescuer…

I went down the elevator with a woman taking a dog outside. I recognized her, but not her dog. I asked about the new “guy.”

She answered: “I adopted him yesterday. He was about to be killed…and I couldn’t let that happen. Now he’s family.”

Deep kindness.

5. The Friend Who Remembers…

Marjan saw me taking my dogs outside for early evening necessities. As we stopped and talked, she knelt on the garage’s concrete floor to love on my dogs.

“How’s Amicus and EMi?” she kindly asked.

My dogs’ names are unusual…and seldom does one remember them. But Marjan did. And she hadn’t seen them for close to three years.

Real caring.

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The five examples above?

Yeah.

They are MY day-to-day motivators.
I look for them…and when I see them:

They motivate me.
They inspire me.

They breathe life appreciation into me.

______

Gratefully…

I’ve heard the stage stories of some powerful motivational speakers.

People named Ziglar, Maxwell, Robbins, and Oprah.

I’ve read the words of some of the most inspiring, well-known writers.

Motivators named Gandhi, Og, Brene and the Chicken Soup for the Soul guys.

BUT…

They’re not my purest role models.
They’re not the ones who keep me writing.
They’re not the ones who keep my inspiration pumping.

It’s the real-life motivators who do.

They’re the ones who touch my heart.
They’re the ones who inspire me to write.
They’re the ones who motivate me to show up HERE today.

I hope you get lucky and meet one today.

Even more…

I hope the world gets extra lucky and YOU become one.