Inspirational Advice Essay Sample

In life we are always waiting for our epiphany, the moment when one realizes why they are here on earth and how they intend to lead their lives. My moment came after spending some time with my grandfather, a retired army officer who survived many challenges and even death itself when he was fighting the second world. Being a man of outstanding moral character, hardworking and perseverant, he offered me very important advice on character development and how one should interact with other people so as to be successful in life.
Fighting the Second World War was an event that shaped his character; he learnt the importance of perseverance, honesty, bravery, creativity, obedience and sheer determination. He considers me to be an intelligent and honest person with a bright future ahead of me; this affirmation inspired me a lot and increased my confidence level. He sees leadership capabilities in me and stresses that obedience, consideration for other people’s needs and honesty are the cornerstones of any successful leadership.
‘Bad company corrupts good morals’ has always been his favorite adage and he warned me against keeping bad company. He recognizes that today’s young people are faced with a lot of peer pressure especially from the media, music and movies that glorify crime, drugs, indiscriminate sex and objectify women. He asked me to always remember who I am and what I want to achieve in future, keep my head high and to keep only friend that will help me grow and offer me good advice.
My grandfather is a staunch Christian and he stressed to me the importance of religion in shaping someone’s character. He told me that Christianity served as a source of comfort and solace when he was facing difficulties in life and that Christian values act as a guide to many leaders as they focus on servant leadership using the example of Christ as he washed his disciples’ feet. He also asked me to keep the company of fellow Christians as they will offer me good advice and encourage me.
Working in groups is a very important aspect of leadership and he encouraged me to learn how to work well with other people as man is not an island. He implored me to always respect and value the opinion of other people so that I can gain their respect. Working in groups will also help me to build my confidence and courage which are values that every leader should have. He also emphasized the importance of continuous learning as it will help build my intelligence and also improve the quality of service that I deliver to others.
The great importance of having mentors is not lost on him as he advised me to identify someone whose life and character I admire and ask them to mentor me. My aim should be to achieve what my mentor has achieved or even go beyond their achievement. He noted that all successful people have gotten to where they are by seeking inspiration and motivation from people who have achieved over and beyond what society expected of them and who helped them build their character and acted as a guide on the path to success.
Rome was not built in a day and similarly leadership is not acquired overnight but is built over time. My grandfather believes that unlike the current society’s perception that leadership entails being outstanding in everything, true leadership entails being able to relate with everyone. He told me that the creation of influence is not necessarily achieved through coercion and imposing things on people but through dialogue that creates willing change. He told me that it is only through these habits that I can be able to rise high and have a positive impact on peoples life.
Leadership is not only about titles even though people are obsessed with them, titles only serving as an indicator of the level that one occupies within an organization. My grandfather advices that instead people should focus on service delivery and fulfilling their duties to avoid the development of arrogance and jealousy from other people. He thinks that people should be content with the positions that they have and they should work hard to get promotions instead of being jealous of others.
Charity begins at home and so does leadership, It is nurtured at home and thus my grandfather told me that it is my duty to raise the next generation of leaders through having a positive impact on my children, this has inspired me to live my life now in a way that my future children will be inspired by it.
Family is very important to my grandfather and he advised me to look for an appropriate partner and build a family. He told me that taking care of a family and protecting it builds ones resilience and their leadership capabilities. I am now working hard so that I can attract a good partner and be able to provide for my family as I raise the next generation of leaders.
After spending time with my grandfather, I learnt a lot of things about life and how to build my character. He challenged me to ensure that I tap into the huge potential that I have so that I can succeed in life. I have done away with the negative friends that I had and I must say that my life is better now, my relationships with friends and family have changed for the better and I am happier now. Spending time with my grandfather is the best thing that has ever happened to me as I was inspired to be the best I can be every day and to everyone.