We often look beyond the people who are closest to us when it comes to our inspirations and our heroes but for me it is my closest friend Michelle Marquez who is my constant source of inspiration. I first met Michelle during our time at law school and after we left college Michelle and I were the only ones from our group who stayed friends. Michelle went on to work in the stock exchange, focusing her attention on arbitration, securities and fraud prevention whereas I decided to go traveling for a while before beginning my role as a journalist. I believe that we should look closer to home when seeking inspiration and here is why Michelle inspires me so much.
Thick Skin
One must have thick skin in life, both personally and professionally and this is something which Michelle has always displayed. I am always in awe of Michelle because she never seems to be flustered by anything and she has a wonderful ability to let things blow over her head. I used to be pretty highly strung but after seeing the way that Michelle handles things, I have learned to be much more relaxed.
Ambition
From the moment that I met Michelle she told me exactly what she wanted to do with her career which was to head to the stock exchange and work within a legal team there. I was stunned at both the ambition which Michelle showed and also the fact thatch ended up doing exactly what she said that she would. I always had a rough idea of what I wanted to do but I never really knew, having spent time with Michelle however I was truly inspired to be a more ambitious person and to go after my dreams.
Confidence
I have never really been someone with a great amount of confidence, especially not in social situations. My friend Michelle however, is usually the life and soul of the party, a very confident individual who is never fazed by anything, or at least so it seems. The confidence which Michelle has is really infectious and thanks to her I have been able to come out of my shell a little and be inspired to take life by the horns and be a more confident individual. I am still not a confident person, but thanks to the help of Michelle I am far more confident than I ever have been in the past.
Compassion
Michelle has also inspired me to be more compassionate and more forgiving of people, this is something which she truly excels at. I find it amazing that despite the high level of focus which she has in terms of her own interests and her own life, she will always make time for others, she will always help those around her, and she is always ready to drop everything when a friend is in need.
Who are your inspirations? Perhaps they are closer to you than you realize.