“Who or what inspires you to be the best you can be?”
I believe that there are some people who can recall a certain situation that inspired them to
become someone or something, and some people who have a person who they strive to make proud
or just not let down. They are inspired and motivated, have their goal in sight. Personally, I'm not all
that sure.
I think a common person to want to make proud is a persons mother or father or both. I was
raised by divorced parents and as many differences they had they agreed on some basic values in
raising my sister and me: first, we always had the freedom to chose how to spend our time, which
reached in every aspect of school and free time. Second, we always had the full responsibility for
what we chose. Third, we could always ask for help if a situation was overwhelming and lastly, to
always make sure that we knew not only subconsciously but to be reminded that were always loved
and never a disappointment. So whatever path I choose in my life I am certain that I have my
parents' full support. I don't feel and never have felt that I have to accomplish something to be
worthy of that. So that is great and I really appreciate that, always have, but it's not my inspiration
to be the best I can be.
Is there a certain situation I want to see myself in so-and-so-many years? I wish for my life
to turn out in a way that makes me happy. That is my big goal in life but it is vague and I'm so glad
that it is. I know that there are several ways that I can be happy one day. My mother has always
wanted this big, happy family and I absolutely share that value, I do. I know that I'd be happy in a
big, warm house with a loving husband and several children. I know that that would me incredibly
happy. But I also know that my life might not work out that way because life happens. At some
point you have commit yourself to one or another thing, but I saw how it worked out for my family
to rush into things. So there is not that one thing I work towards because I think it's too early to
commit to a certain scenario.
My parents have raised me to be a very independent girl. I remember some situation in
which I remember having learned a lesson for life. One of these was when I was about ten and my
sister and I had ponies to ride that were never been ridden before. One was very calm about the
whole situation but the other one was crazy. What my mother did was not to tell the owner that her
children would not ride a pony like that, but get a good girth, strap it onto the pony and told me that
she is going to hold the pony close but that he is still going to go crazy. And that it would be
between him and me. She never forced me onto that horse that day and I was very excited. It was
very exhausting to stay on longer than he felt like trying to buckle me down, but he would
eventually stop. I doubt that I have ever been prouder of myself that in that very day. And I think
that it's a good metaphor for the relationship my mother or parents and I have: They would never
take a challenge away from me. They will take care as good that they can to make sure I won't get
hurt too seriously. But they will also remind me that whatever it is is my very personal thing, not
theirs and they will not fight my struggles. This behaviour has made me grow, my achievements
have made me proud and made me feel good about myself. The way they raised me also taught me
that in order to be able to live on my own terms and not theirs or anyone else's, I need to take care
of myself and need to really want to overcome the challenge before me. That way I have figured out
what priority school, friends, family, boyfriend, pets or whatever comes into my life have.
Right now, I'm in a phase of figuring out. I have half a year left before I graduate school and
so far have no specific idea what I'm going to study or become later in life. But I don't think that
that is a bad thing. I don't work towards anything but vaguely being happy and don't feel the need to
get something done. I know that I will eventually figure out what is right and good for me and when
I reach that point in my life, I know that I will be happy then and afterwards. Until then, my plan is
to try and learn new things, to take chances and give myself the chance to experience things I might
like.
It's not like I just live my life without motivation. I do have motivation, I just find it hard to get it
onto one specific thing. I think that my inspiration is a huge mix-up of a lot of things. I am not
afraid to let my family down but still want to give them a reason to be proud of me. But I think
bottom line is that I want to make myself proud. I want to graduate and be proud of my grade. I am
going to accomplish this for myself. And afterwards I am going out into the world and collect
memories for myself. I want to live a life that lives up to my goal: I genuinely want to be happy.
And that is what my inspiration is: I believe that I'm my best self when I'm happy and I inspire to
be happy whatever life throws at me and how it challenges me.
I inspire to not let have me give up myself.