Aspiring to inspire: A journey towards self-improvement and happiness

By Maytri Bansal

When people ask me, “What do you want to become?” the first thing that comes to my mind is that I don’t want to be a doctor, actress, or any other typical profession. Instead, I want to be that person whom I look up to, the one who inspires me. Not just one person, but many – of my age, older than me, and even younger than me. There is something in each of these individuals that I aspire for myself, and that is what motivates me to become the person I want to be.

We all wish to better ourselves, improve in certain areas, or change certain things about ourselves. The question arises: what exactly drives us to do that? And will it lead to a better version of ourselves or just a masked, fake personality? What is it going to be? What compels us to make these changes?

There are many answers to this, but if I were to pinpoint one, it is when we encounter a person, either in person or online, or even an actress, whom we admire. There are qualities in them that resonate with us, and we believe incorporating those qualities into ourselves will bring improvement. It’s about seeking that one thing we love in every person. However, I don’t pursue every single thing; that would completely change who I am, at least for me.

For instance, a close friend who works out consistently inspires me to do the same. Not to copy, but to motivate myself to get up every morning and work on self-improvement. On the flip side, I’ve also been inspired by bad habits, habits that alter who I am.

Social media plays a significant role in influencing our lives. What we allow to affect us is within our control. It becomes a choice of what inspires us towards becoming a better version of ourselves and what we believe is not suitable for us. Inspiration can lead to positive transformation, while imitating others’ carefree lifestyles might not be beneficial.

What inspires me more?

Love inspires me. The love from my parents, the sheer amount of love they show me, propels me to work harder on myself, my future, and my studies. I strive to make my parents proud, to make their efforts in me worthwhile, and to hear them say, “Look, that’s my daughter; she did this, and I am so proud of her.” My parents are my inspiration, my motivation. Hearing about the hard work they put in to reach their current success level makes me want to work even harder and aspire to be like them or even better.

Every person has their own story, and every successful individual, be it a writer, actor, journalist, etc., has their own story of hard work and success. They all started somewhere and did the hard work to reach where they are now. Their journey inspires me and many others who aim to be like them. It instills motivation that genuine efforts and hard work do not go in vain.

Little things in my life bring me joy and inspiration.

I’m not talking about people as examples; I’m talking about the little things that are beautiful. Flowers, sunshine, and the way nature presents pictures to us in real life that sometimes can’t be translated into photographs or paintings. Just the way they are so beautiful and took time to be this way. I mean, the final and finished product always takes time, doesn’t it?

Faith is another source of inspiration for me. I don’t necessarily mean religion, although that is part of it. I mean the ability to have faith when times are hard. Faith that right will win, faith that the sun will rise, life will move on, and things will be okay in some way, somehow, even when it doesn’t seem like it at the time. That is inspiring, especially during challenging times. Faith is what people are holding onto during this period.

Forgiveness is also inspiring. Sometimes we have to let go of the past, accept the truth, and move on, not taking it as sorrow but as a lesson from life.

Now, what I want to be is my parents’ support. When they look at me, I want them to see a daughter who is grateful for their love, their support, their role in my education, and my success. I want them to know how much I love them and how much I am ready to do for them. I want to be a person who keeps her self-respect on top, knows her worth, can stand up for herself, and proudly say that whatever she is, she achieved it on her own. I want to be a friend that everyone can lean on, a support, a part of their happiness, and someone who means something in their lives. A friend they will always remember.

I want to be kind to people while being right. I want to make people happy and, in turn, be happy myself. I want to be everything that inspires me and become an inspiration. Ultimately, I want to be happy for myself and become what I aspire to be.