Where Do You Find Your Inspiration?

I was reminded this weekend that inspiration comes in many forms, large and small. 

First, the large...

Here in Lake Placid, NY, today was the day of the annual Ironman Triathlon.  Thousands of the world's best triathletes gather to swim 2 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles.  The top finishers receive an invitation to compete in the premier triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, but its the non-elites who inspire me.

These are the people who find time between their jobs, families and every other obligation to complete their training, which, as you can imagine, is intense.  It takes enormous dedication to your goal, as well as incredible time-management skills and discipline.  For me, watching those athletes cross the finish line (as much as 18-hours after they started) is truly amazing.

And, the small...

I'm happy to report my two-year old son climbed his first mountain this weekend.  No help from the baby backpack.  Just some occasional hand-holding from Dad.  We were slow, but we were successful.  And he didn't complain once! 

And if he can take his little legs up a mountain without a word of protest, it really puts the things I complain about into perspective.

Where do you find YOUR inspiration?  Let us know by leaving a comment below.