Searching for Inspiration

Hey readers!

Inspiration. We are always asked who our inspiration is. "#inspiration" rules the internet with over 34, 983, 094 instagram posts sporting the evergrowing hashtag.

And throughout life, especially during school, we are told we NEED to have inspiration. We need that role model to look up to, and it of course has it's stereotypes. Sporty girls have that female athlete (Sally Pearson...) that they strive to be, and being "Beyoncé" is basically the biggest compliment you can give any teenage girl. Singers. Actors. Athletes. Fashion Icons. In fact, my best friend J just told me she wants to be Kendall Jenner. That's the "typical" inspiration. And there's no problem with that. They are all amazing people doing amazing things in their respective fields.

But I am a bit different.

Maybe it's growing up with Bill, or maybe I'm just that weird.

But I have two main inspirations: Steve Jobs and Stephen Hawking.

Steve Jobs - everyone knows him. He is the co-founder of Apple, founder of neXT Inc. and the CEO and largest shareholder of Pixar. I am struggling to pinpoint an exact reason why I like Steve so much. It sounds odd, but it's just his whole essence. His attitude to life. His relentless determination to influence the world. The movie Jobs is one of my all time favourite movies, and a must-watch, not only for Steve Jobs fans but because it is truly inspirational. Here is a link to the final speech in the film, my favourite moment in almost any movie. (Watch the scene here)

Stephen Hawking is different. He is an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge. He is a genius. Diagnosed with ALS (The cause behind the famous Ice-Bucket Challenge), a form of motor neuron disease. At 21, he was told he had 2 years to live. At 73, he is completely unable to move and speaks through a robot, but he is still alive. Similar to Steve Jobs, I first truly discovered Stephen Hawking after watching the Oscar-Award Winning film chronicalling his life, The Theory of Everything (Watch the trailer here). I just find it so intriguing that he still has an amazing and positive outlook on the world.

It has taken me about four hours to write this post, simply because I have been searching and hunting for a connection between these two people. I watched both of their movies, in fact. But if I had just opened my eyes, I would have seen it. Both of these people wanted to change the world.

And both have achieved this. And what do I want to do? I want to change the world. I want to help people. It may not be through creating a computer or being the smartest man in the world (30 Smartest People in the World), but I will change the world. We all should.

Don't look too hard for that one person you want to look up to. Don't leave this blog post and google "Most Inspirational People." It won't help. When you find your inspiration, you'll just know.

And to my fellow siblings-of-autism, we need inspiration. We need someone we can look to for guidance. We need someone who will help us keep our heads up through difficult times. If you are still searching for your inspiration, don't worry. Don't worry if the person you look up to isn't Usain Bolt or Kim Kardashian-West, because it doesn't matter. Your inspiration should be someone who stands for something you believe in, or someone who makes you want to be a better person.

Because that's what inspiration is to me.

Love,

E.