We hosted a small dinner last night in NYC. One question I asked our guests is, “What’s something that inspired you recently?”
I’ll keep the specific responses private, but to summarize, the answers were decidedly human. Beautiful vistas. A milestone for a family member. The achievement of a friend.
The answers each shared two elements: they were exceptional moments, and extremely personal. A challenge overcome. A place so beautiful it defies reality. A creation someone brought into the world that made them rethink what’s possible.
Not all of these things were grandiose. In fact, what struck me was how seemingly small many of these inspirational moments were, but important to the individual nonetheless.
There’s many ways we can choose to spend our time, but I personally feel there’s few better ways to do it than living your life in a way that inspires others. This is even more important as technology eats more and more of our daily lives.
Pursue things that are hard. Be a source of inspiration that helps others feel something. In the age of the machines, this is a big part of what it means to be human.