Inspiration is a big, loud word, and one of the most elusive concepts.
I started thinking about inspiration after leaving the Global Leadership Award at the Kennedy Center in awe. Inspiration gives us the drive to do great things, stay passionate. But do we really need inspiration to drive social change?
The Greeks back in the day needed their Muses. There are 9 Muses in the Greek mythology: in arts, literature, and science. How is it connected to what we do? Bringing social change is about creativity and finding new ways around existing issues, so we definitely need an art Muse. Or all 9 of them.
Who are the Muses of today? We saw a perfect example of modern time Muses at the JFK center last Wednesday. We saw strong, brave women leaders who have the courage to fight the system and create new rules to bring justice and make this world a better place. Their courage is contagious. Everybody in that room was ready for action.
Muses inspire us, remind us of our beliefs and give us energy for action at all times. When we get overwhelmed and take a pause, thinking that something is impossible – we get inspired by leaders, who show us that if you can dream it, you can achieve it. When injustice pushes us back and brings us down to our knees, inspiration, suddenly coming from nowhere, stretches its hand to bring us back up on our feet.
We are all involved with non profit organizations here and back in our homes, striving to bring change and social justice to this world. We need inspiration, like we need air to breathe. We need to inspire and get inspired, to reinforce the drive for change.
There is probably a reason that the Greeks needed their 9 Muses. How lucky we are that in the 21st century there are thousands! Dear Atlas Corps Fellows, we are among them! We inspire each other for greater things. We teach, we learn, we support, we take action, and we make change happen. We are the role models for our peers and for the future generations. We give something very precious, that moves this world – inspiration. So let us do our best to inspire and be inspired. Off we go!
