Inspiration?

I got to thinking tonight....everybody has to have some kind of inspiration to go for what they want.....to push for their dreams. My question to my fellow THP'ers is, what inspires you? I have people that I look up to, like my parents, the story of my favorite golfer, and guys like Steve Jobs. One of the things that always inspires me is his 2005 Stanford Commencement speech.



Another is Professor Randy Pausch, from Carnegie Mellon. Unfortunately, he has since passed, but his story inspires me.



You can watch the whole thing on youtube, it's about 2 hours long.

Maybe this is a pointless thread, but I am really interested in what motivates and what inspires you guys. So, what inspires you THP?

I don't think it's a pointless thread, though my response is going to be a little odd. It isn't even a real person.

Atticus Finch. Yup, the book character. He is everything I strive to be when I grow older, a dedicated family man, a strong willed defender of the weak, and he does it all with a sort of grace that has a strength behind it. I want to be an Atticus Finch.

Mine isn't a person. It's money. I want to make a lot of money so I can retire early and play a lot of golf. Being rich would be fun.

I guess the thing that sums up my inspiration is this Steve Jobs quote:

Well for me it was the words and wisdom of my deceased mother. I thought about turning professional in 2004 after my father passed. My sister was a real nay sayer considering she had no idea I could play golf (was scratch then). She sort of crushed me... considering this was said behind my back to my mother it hurt. It was my mother who told me "Son, if that's what you want to do... do it. If we have no dreams then why wake up in the morning?"

My mother left Hungary in 1956 after the Soviets invaded. She was shot at trying to leave the country and crossed through a minefield. Eventually she makes it to Canada and meets my father. They get married and she taught herself English and became a nurse. She would later on administer dialysis on my dad every other day. My father would go to work and come home everyday and collapse on the floor...sick. They never knew the word "quit" and my father taught me early on that "can't" is not a word. My father taught me values like "if you're going to do something and not see it through... don't start.. never do a job halfway".

Basically, it's my parents and it always has been. I don't know how to stop or quit and like my mother said "it pays to persevere".


Alex

Nicklausfan said:

Well for me it was the words and wisdom of my deceased mother. I thought about turning professional in 2004 after my father passed. My sister was a real nay sayer considering she had no idea I could play golf (was scratch then). She sort of crushed me... considering this was said behind my back to my mother it hurt. It was my mother who told me "Son, if that's what you want to do... do it. If we have no dreams then why wake up in the morning?"

My mother left Hungary in 1956 after the Soviets invaded. She was shot at trying to leave the country and crossed through a minefield. Eventually she makes it to Canada and meets my father. They get married and she taught herself English and became a nurse. She would later on administer dialysis on my dad every other day. My father would go to work and come home everyday and collapse on the floor...sick. They never knew the word "quit" and my father taught me early on that "can't" is not a word. My father taught me values like "if you're going to do something and not see it through... don't start.. never do a job halfway".

Basically, it's my parents and it always has been. I don't know how to stop or quit and like my mother said "it pays to persevere".


Alex

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WOW. That is the most inspirational thing that I have ever heard. Rep added Nicklausfan. That's....wow.

Wow Alex, I am at a loss for words. Amazing.

Alex that is simply amazing. Great story. That is really inspirational. Thanks for sharing that.

Nicklausfan said:

Well for me it was the words and wisdom of my deceased mother. I thought about turning professional in 2004 after my father passed. My sister was a real nay sayer considering she had no idea I could play golf (was scratch then). She sort of crushed me... considering this was said behind my back to my mother it hurt. It was my mother who told me "Son, if that's what you want to do... do it. If we have no dreams then why wake up in the morning?"

My mother left Hungary in 1956 after the Soviets invaded. She was shot at trying to leave the country and crossed through a minefield. Eventually she makes it to Canada and meets my father. They get married and she taught herself English and became a nurse. She would later on administer dialysis on my dad every other day. My father would go to work and come home everyday and collapse on the floor...sick. They never knew the word "quit" and my father taught me early on that "can't" is not a word. My father taught me values like "if you're going to do something and not see it through... don't start.. never do a job halfway".

Basically, it's my parents and it always has been. I don't know how to stop or quit and like my mother said "it pays to persevere".


Alex

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Great story Alex. That reminds me of my mother, who grew up in Germany during WWII, and as a young pre-teen and teen had to hold the family together (she had three younger siblings), while dodging bombs. Sometimes their only meal was a couple of potatoes. Meat was rare. She's 81 now, still works, mows her own lawn, shovels her sidewalks and driveway, and walks 3 to 5 miles a day. I finally convinced her to hire someone to clean the gutters! When I visit her she insists I bring my golf clubs because she likes walking 18 holes with me...and there are a lot of hills on the upper East Tennessee golf courses.

When we came to the US she learned English, got a high school diploma, a college degree, and eventually a PhD at the University of Chicago when she was in her late 40s.

I'm glad that I could share a little bit of who I am with you guys. More importantly share a little bit of the legacy that helped make me the person and man I am today. Without them... I'd simply be nothing. Just one thing to add. I'll never forget being out on the boat with my dad on Lake Erie one particular time. It would be the last time we would spend time together out there (he had amputations). I simply said to him "Dad... I just want you to know that if I'm a 1/3 of the father that you've been to me.. I'll know that I've done something right in my life".

Alex

Nicklausfan said:

Well for me it was the words and wisdom of my deceased mother. I thought about turning professional in 2004 after my father passed. My sister was a real nay sayer considering she had no idea I could play golf (was scratch then). She sort of crushed me... considering this was said behind my back to my mother it hurt. It was my mother who told me "Son, if that's what you want to do... do it. If we have no dreams then why wake up in the morning?"

My mother left Hungary in 1956 after the Soviets invaded. She was shot at trying to leave the country and crossed through a minefield. Eventually she makes it to Canada and meets my father. They get married and she taught herself English and became a nurse. She would later on administer dialysis on my dad every other day. My father would go to work and come home everyday and collapse on the floor...sick. They never knew the word "quit" and my father taught me early on that "can't" is not a word. My father taught me values like "if you're going to do something and not see it through... don't start.. never do a job halfway".

Basically, it's my parents and it always has been. I don't know how to stop or quit and like my mother said "it pays to persevere".


Alex

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Excellent! Not only did they talk the talk, they walked the walk.

Sean said:

Great story Alex. That reminds me of my mother, who grew up in Germany during WWII, and as a young pre-teen and teen had to hold the family together (she had three younger siblings), while dodging bombs. Sometimes their only meal was a couple of potatoes. Meat was rare. She's 81 now, still works, mows her own lawn, shovels her sidewalks and driveway, and walks 3 to 5 miles a day. I finally convinced her to hire someone to clean the gutters! When I visit her she insists I bring my golf clubs because she likes walking 18 holes with me...and there are a lot of hills on the upper East Tennessee golf course.

When we came to the US she learned English, got a high school diploma, a college degree, and eventually a PhD at the University of Chicago when she was in her late 40s.

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Sean:

That is simply amazing and awesome. It really does sound like our mothers were cut from the same cloth. That is awesome that she loves to walk 18 with you... I mean just awesome. The stories from those turbulent days are just mind numbing. Survivors. You take care of that precious woman (sorry..didn't mean to come off like a parent and tell you what to do)

Alex

Nicklausfan said:

Sean:

That is simply amazing and awesome. It really does sound like our mothers were cut from the same cloth. That is awesome that she loves to walk 18 with you... I mean just awesome. The stories from those turbulent days are just mind numbing. Survivors. You take care of that precious woman (sorry..didn't mean to come off like a parent and tell you what to do)

Alex

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As soon as I read your story Alex I immediately thought of my mother. I bet they'd get along real well. Two, tough survivors. Nothing phases her, but then after what she went through what would? A funny story: she called my this past summer to tell me she got her first speeding ticket. I asked her what happened. She said she was caught doing 80 in a 55 zone. I asked her why she was going so fast. She said she wanted to clean the carbon out of the carburetor as she doesn't do much highway driving. She says she does that every once in a while After I laughed, I told her she should frame the ticket.

Thanks for sharing your story Alex. It made me smile, for reasons I think you'll understand.

Whenever I get down on my job or life, I think of my dad. He grew up dirt poor in the depression. Fought in WWII and Korea, then returned to the coal mines in West Virginia. He had five kids, worked the hoot owl shift 1,500 feet under ground and at age 34 put himself through college on the GI bill, obtaining an English degree in 4 years. He eventually got into management with Bethlehem Steel and held positions that only engineers held. I've had it pretty easy.

Prut said:

Whenever I get down on my job or life, I think of my dad. He grew up dirt poor in the depression. Fought in WWII and Korea, then returned to the coal mines in West Virginia. He had five kids, worked the hoot owl shift 1,500 feet under ground and at age 34 put himself through college on the GI bill, obtaining an English degree in 4 years. He eventually got into management with Bethlehem Steel and held positions that only engineers held. I've had it pretty easy.

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Great story Prut. I think that's why Tom Brokaw called his book, The Greatest Generation. They truly were.

Some fantastic stuff in here.

I'd have to go with my parents and my grandmother. My parents have just given me so many opportunities in life (I grew up in quite a comfortable home despite being in a downtrodden area) and I really just strive to make them proud. They're so supportive of everything that I do and I know I wouldn't be the person I am without their guidance and support.

My grandmother is just one of my absolute heroes. She's truly an amazing lady. Toughest person I've ever met. She's a seasoned world traveler, a hard-worker, and one heck of a tough lady. She worked at Verizon for 50+ years (having just officially retired last year at the age of 76 - well..she retired about three different times but kept coming back). She didn't need the money but enjoyed her job. Her husband walked out on her when my mother was just three and my aunt was just born. Up and left. Didn't stop her - she raised two fantastic people and never received any support from him. She has six grandchildren and took us all on a trip to anywhere in the world that we wanted when we were 16 (I went all through Western Europe for three weeks - other trips included Australia/New Zealand, a train trip through the United States for my cousin who doesn't like to fly, a trip to Japan, and two other trips through Europe). When I was in undergrad, she'd ride to my school and we'd go to lunch every week. She has dedicated her life to her children and her grandchildren and it never ceases to amaze me. Huge Steelers fan, also, and she is the provider of our season tickets!

It's been a tough past year for her. She fell at a college football game last fall and shattered her hip. It was a long and grueling recovery (3+ months away from home) but she fought and fought until she was almost back to full strength. Unfortunately, she has a bone-marrow disorder that caused her to develop stress fractures in her back just as she was recovered from the hip injury. The stress fractures came around last March and were a huge deterrent until July. They did a procedure on her to try and fix one of the fractures last July but it resulted in her developing blood clots (which she has previously had). And then the big one struck - she had a stroke in the beginning of August while she was in the hospital. We thought that she would struggle to make it but I never lost hope knowing just the type of person that she is - needless to say, she shows little-to-no effects from the stroke today (and it was classified as a moderate stroke). She was in the hospital that first time for 46 days before returning home for about a month. She had to go back in the hospital because of these awful stress fractures - they were making her suffer. Thankfully, she has an absolutely wonderful team of doctors who finally figured out how to get the procedure done to fix her back at the end of October. The procedure was successful and she is doing so well now. She walks around the house without a cane and is back to her normal personality (she really was so heavily medicated during this whole ordeal that she just wasn't quite the same person). And she's traveling again already! She's in Virginia right now with my aunt. I think of her struggles and just how tough of a person she is when I'm in need of a boost. This lady, who was abandoned by her husband, worked for one company for over half of a century, survived colon cancer, two bouts with blood clots, a broken hip, stress fractures in her back, and a stroke is still going at the age of 77 and is still dedicating her life to others.

I could go on and on about my grandmother. Definitely one of my absolute best friends and the most wonderful person I've ever been around. Seeing her being her normal self was the best gift I could've received over the holidays.