March 2024 Monthly Challenge: Inspiration Station!

@Crystal Bruce
My parents have inspired me towards faith and family. My faith--specifically my faith leaders--have inspired me to be a better person. My kids inspire me to be a better father and to set a good example for them to follow. The people we serve at my organization inspire me to work diligently to serve them better. Inspiration is all around me, it's just a matter of leaning into it and using it as motivation to bless others around me.

@Crystal Bruce I cannot pinpoint any one thing. It's been an ongoing process of life, I think. I am blessed with my faith, which keeps growing. It certainly got me through my most recent unexpected job change. I definitely look to my husband of 25 years for strength and encouragement. My four kiddos have definitely also helped push me to be a better person.

@Crystal Bruce
As others have said, faith and family. But working at a nonprofit is an uplifting experience itself. Years ago, my husband worked as a counselor at a prison. I always said we got to see opposite elements of human nature in our jobs. Being at a nonprofit where the donors and people you work with care passionately about helping others, all giving selflessly to make the world a better place, helps you believe in the goodness of mankind and wake up with purpose every morning.

But I also want to share a quote from one of my favorite poets, Helen Steiner Rice:

Helen Steiner Rice's
10 Commandments

1. Thou shalt be happy

2. Thou shalt use thy talents to make others glad.

3. Thou shalt rise above defeat and trouble.

4. Thou shalt look upon each day as a new day.

5. Thou shalt always do thy best and leave the rest to God.

6. Thou shalt not waste thy time and energy in useless worry.

7. Thou shalt look only on the bright side of life.

8. Thou shalt not be afraid of tomorrow.

9. Thou shalt have a kind word and a kind deed for everyone.

10. Thou shalt say each morning -- I am a child of God and nothing can hurt me.

@Crystal Bruce

Like Miki, I don't think I can pinpoint any one particular thing. I will say that my parents have both been great examples to follow. My Mum was a nurse before she retired and a care home manager at one point and is able to very straightforwardly and fearlessly cut straight to what needs to be done regardless of whether it is nice/palatable or not, particularly useful in her profession when it comes to someone's health. She's very good at telling people difficult things.

My Dad was always helpful to people where he could be - there were a number of times that he would stop to help someone whose car had broken down by the side of the road and he must have done countless odd-jobs for friends and family in his lifetime. I've heard from various people, unprompted, about acts of charity that he quietly did without telling anyone - I bumped into the priest that married my parents (by this time my Dad has passed away) and he told me about when my Dad got his first work Christmas bonus as a very young man. My Dad gave his bonus to this priest and asked that it be given to a family in need at the time so they could celebrate Christmas, which it was. A few years later, when the lady who had received the gift was in a better position, she came back to the priest and did the same thing - paying forward what she had received.

So yeah, my parents have been an inspiration.

@Crystal Bruce in terms of professional inspiration, i love the APRA Podcast. really insightful!

@Crystal Bruce as a teenager I was inspired by the story of Alan Rabinowitz, who became a great ecologist after overcoming verbal communication challenges. I was fortunate to meet him in college. The space and relative quiet of the pandemic allowed me to think and reflect on my career path, and provided the opportunity to shift to my current position and trajectory, which is a much better fit! I'm humbled by the passion and dedication of my fellow independent school colleagues and peers.

@Crystal Bruce I am inspired by my fellow community members for their dedication to learning, sharing, problem solving, and giving back to the community.

@Crystal Bruce Wow lots of great entries already. When I read your question the first person that came to mind was the late Maxwell Gubin. He was my boss in college. He was in his 80s and a database wizard. I learned so much from him. Also John Harrington my boss at my first non-profit charity organization - learned so much from him and he gave the spiritual blessing at my wedding reception. Bring it up to present day - I'm so grateful to my family, this community the NNE RE User Group, my bbcon community - @Dan Snyder I'm looking at you, especially today ?.

And you Crystal our heart and soul of this community!

@Crystal Bruce, reading through these posts was inspiring – and made me think of those who have influenced me. Aside from my family and my faith, which have been noted by many already, my teachers played a supportive and inspiring role throughout my life. I didn't always have a stable home life, so many of my teachers stepped in and encouraged me. I formed lifelong relationships with some of them — before social media made it easier to get in touch with them. As one example, my third grade teacher, who was a Franciscan sister, and I corresponded by letter until her death in 2015 (she was 97!), and I would visit with her whenever I was back in my Iowa hometown.

@Crystal Bruce It's easy to get overwhelmed by the little details and occasional monotony that comes with being on the data side of fundraising, or lose sight of meaning when you're working in the background and not the frontlines. That said, I'm always reinspired and reinvigorated when we receive a donation made in honor of one of our employees for going above and beyond, or when a program we've worked so hard to get funding for has a tangible impact on the people in our care. It reminds me of how important it is to work through any roadblocks or frustrations and that what I'm doing has a real impact beyond my desk and the database.