Beachband

This question just literally came to me! I'm still thinking myself as I just thought of it!....Who is your biggest inspiration?
They can be family, friends, dead, famous, anybody etc....

And what achievement to date(if any) has your inspiration contributed to you by being inspired by that person/people etc?

Music is probably my biggest inspiration to who I am.

Rainydaze

Travel. It's absolutely been the best experience of my life ... riding a camel up Mount Sinai in the moonlight...snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef...washing an elephant in a Thai river...flying over Mount Everest in a 12-seater plane...lighting a prayer candle in the sunset on the Ganges River in Varanasi...being surrounded by 100s of wildebeest migrating across the Serengeti to give birth...shrinking back from a growling tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park in India...clambering to the bottom of one of the great pyramids...I'm lost in memories "The world is a book and those who don't travel read only one page."

Dorothy

Me. I'm my biggest inspiration. Everything I have ever done has been because it's what I wanted to do. I have travelled because I love to see new places and meet new people. I have educated myself because I wanted to know things. I've become healthy and fit because I wanted to feel and look better for me. I have no heroes and wouldn't want to be an inspiration to anyone else.

Beachband

A couple of fab replies!...didn't expect such diverse informative replies!!

Cheetah7

Apart from some close friends, Peter Kay is my inspiration. When I read his first book, I was amazed at how hard he worked and the stuff he did to get to where he is now.

Many people of course do this, but just reading his book and learning more about him, plus being able to enjoy the stuff he has done that he mentioned along the way in his book inspires me to believe I can be who I want to be if I put the hard yards in.

One of my friends is having chemo for breast cancer, she totally inspires me and if I could be half as strong as she is then that would be amazing.

Actually one or two BE members inspire me as well, Glittababe and Tiddlypom - for doing something that they love and making a living out of it.

aston

me kids.

Sherlock Holmes

The biggest inspiration in my life was a manager I worked for many years ago. I left home at 16 and needed a job. I had been working during school hols and on Sundays at a largish hotel in the UK. The manager gave me a job as a kitchen porter. Bit by bit I worked through all the departments and ended up as an assistant manager in the same hotel. The manager was a hands on, jacket off sort of bloke who got the best out of everybody. He was tireless and me being a bit short of confidence etc, looked up to him. He died aged 52 of cancer.

His funeral was held at the cathedral which had a capacity of 1100 people. There was standing room only. So it seems it wasn't just me that was inspired by him.

scottishcelts

Nelson Mandela, (my no.1)

renth

Frank Zappa (RIP)

Pollyana

Music does inspire me too, has a big effect on my moods and the right album or song can push me forward when nothing else will.

As far as people go.......Amy Johnson, who inspired me to learn to fly with very little cash, and more recently Susan Travers.
In real life a close friend at school called Neil - died aged only 20, but in a few short years he really taught me how to live, and be myself, and I still get a push sometimes from remembering stuff I learnt from him.

And my best friend now, who keeps me sane, even from a distance, and who inspires me to see the good things in life.

JoanL

My Latin teacher, decades ago. He taught me all about the Ancient Romans, which inspired me to learn the language of course, but also it inspired me to read a lot of history, and understand how our society evolved. He taught us all to think clearly and analytically. I will never forget him, nor will I ever lose interest in the language and history of Roman Britain.

TiddlyPom

I draw inspiration from everywhere, all people, all the time... I suck it in, digest and use, but really, it's all about mindset... You can't make yourself do something you don't want to do. Once you 'get it' ... that's when it all starts clicking with you... that's when the 'universe' starts working with you and you it. You won't get it until you get it.

Wol

My primary school teacher, who left me with a delight in learning how the world works, and how to make up my own mind about things rather than just parroting what the mob says at the moment.

geordie mandy

My late gran she was my main inspiration, she always came up with stuff when ever i found anything hard. sayings like, nothing is impossible, just find a way around it spring to mind even now.
She always drummed into me to treat people as equals and look for the good in people now matter what the have done to you.
At 60 year old my gran started a youth club as there was nothing for us kids to do in our village. She was still running it when i left home to start nurse training some 20 years later.
She also studyed with the OU and believed you were never too old to learn something new.

Other people who inspired me were my human biology teacher, a chemistry teacher and a sister from the orthopaedic unit when i did voluntary work.
Mandy

ponyrama

I am inspired by many things but usually those that have overcome adversity to do great things have the most profound affect on me.....usually just ordinary people who deal with the trouble and strife in their lives with such dignity, compassion and selflessness that it makes me feel very humble and like I need to try much harder.