“Tell me something good,” I said to my husband.
I was grieving the loss of my older brother, who passed away earlier this year after a two-year battle with cancer, and I needed to hear something positive. And so Dan, who lost his mother to cancer seven years ago, indulged me by talking about the good things in our lives. He talked about our 2-year-old twins, our recent move to the beach (which had resulted in a better quality of life), and the fact that we were both healthy.
But what really got me was when he told me how lucky I am that I’m so close with my siblings; that we’re constantly making the effort to get together or do FaceTime, despite our busy schedules. He told me that seeing how all of us banded together when we lost Pat had inspired him to develop a closer relationship with his brother.
We had inspired him. And that’s when it hit me — I needed some inspiration. I needed a reminder that there is good in this world, and there are people who will do whatever they can to make it a better place. And so I did some research and found some great stories.
I read about Liz Murray, a young woman who earned a scholarship to Harvard, despite the fact that she was homeless and had been abandoned by her drug-addicted parents.
I read about Mark Herzlich, who fought his way into the NFL after having battled a rare form of bone cancer during his college career, then fought his way onto the NY Giants’ roster despite being undrafted. He now has a Super Bowl ring.
I read about Jon Lester, whose career as a pitcher was off to a brilliant start until he was diagnosed with lymphoma. Not only did he return to baseball, but he helped the Red Sox win two World Series titles, pitched a no-hitter and, most admirably, launched a foundation to raise awareness and money for children’s cancer research.
I learned so much from these uplifting stories. But what I also learned is that inspiration doesn’t have to come from a celebrity. In fact, what can be even more moving is to hear about how a friend, family member, or colleague worked to overcame a struggle, beat the odds, or simply make a difference.
As someone who is fortunate enough to cover the health IT industry, I realized that I don’t have to look very far for inspiration. Here are just a few examples I found:
- Bill Rieger and Chris Walden, authors of the blog Culture Infusion, who have the courage to write about topics others shy away from, like their faith, their dedication to their families, and what they’ve learned from mistakes they’ve made along the way.
- Sue Schade, author of Health IT Connect, who has given a voice to women in IT by speaking candidly about the challenges female IT leaders face and the difficulty in balancing work and family.
- Jaime Parent, who is dedicated to helping create more job opportunities, provide better support and improve the lives of veterans who are returning to civilian life.
And there are so many more examples of people I’ve met or interviewed who are taking steps to make the world a better place, whether it’s by improving the patient experience or taking the time to mentor others.
It’s funny, when I really needed inspiration, I didn’t need to look far. I had my husband, who not only gave me support and a shoulder to cry on when I needed it most, but recently turned down a promotion because it would have meant too much time away from me and our children. One of his sources of inspiration? My dad, who despite having a demanding job, was always on the sidelines at my field hockey games, and ate dinner with us every time. His determination to be there for me has helped shape the person I’ve become, and the parent I hope to be.
It’s just more confirmation that inspiration truly is everywhere.
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