Three Great Men (And Sources of Inspiration)
September 2nd, 2008 by Michael KwanWhere do you find your inspiration? It doesn’t matter what kind of job you have or what your hobbies may be, because there will always be someone out there who can act as your guiding beacon. You may not necessarily follow in his or her footsteps, per se, but you can derive some sort of inspiration from this mentor or idol that can point you in the right direction.
Following a similar line of thought, I believe that it is important for you to have hobbies outside of work. Yes, it is true that you should love what you do for a living, but it’s also very important to have interests beyond the world of work. It may surprise you what some people have as their side interests. That wild tattooed biker at Sturgis just might be your orthodontist.
With these two concepts in mind, allow me to introduce you to three great men. They inspire me and they provide a sort of entertainment outside of the realm of freelance writing, blogging, and trying to make a few bucks online.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
I know. Most people seem to have an utter disdain for this guy, largely because of the difficulty in interpreting some of his work. It can be pretty tough trying to fight through the language differences, despite the fact that the bard is technically speaking English. But that is part of the reason why I think that Shakespeare’s work is so fascinating. He’s inspired me to blog and if you take the time to decipher some of the themes that he is trying to express, you may feel the same way. Hamlet, as a play, is particularly thought-provoking. Then again, maybe my perspective is a little skewed, seeing how I minored in English Literature in university.
Frank Sinatra (1915-1998)
These days, my musical interests typically lie in people like Kanye West, Nas, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, but there’s something to be said about crooners too. I may not be a huge fan of Michael Buble, but I am a big fan of Frank Sinatra. It could be the influence of my father, who also happens to enjoy Ol’ Blue Eyes. There are (at least) two great lessons we can learn from Mr. Sinatra. First, you should always dress for success (or to impress). Second, always look to your long-term success. How many men can say that they had a musical career that spanned as long as The Chairman of the Board?
Shigeru Miyamoto (1952- )
Good old Shiggy and his eccentric personality. I was a huge fan of Shigeru Miyamoto even before I knew who he was. I’ve been playing Nintendo video games for as long as I can remember, yet Shigeru and the rest of the Nintendo crew continue to entertain me to this day. That could be why Shiggy was chosen as one of Time Magazine’s most influential people at least two years in a row. Every time he develops a new hobby, a fantastic new game emerges. Maybe that’s why Shigeru’s private life has recently become a trade secret.
Who Inspires You? What Are Your Hobbies?
Think of life as an all-you-can-eat buffet. Don’t stuff yourself with the bread, because there are so many other delectable items available to you. Where do you find your inspiration? What hobbies do you have? Which dish will you choose at life’s smorgasbord?
Filed under Arts and Entertainment, Personal Development.
Now I know where you get that “OMG! I’m going to die on this 2 wheeled contraption” look from! Shiggy has it too!
Don’t you know you have to read Shakespeare in the original Klingon to fully appreciate it?
I don’t know that I could pick any one person, or even three, as a source of inspiration to me. There are so many, including my parents and grandparents. I just pick up things here and there. And, too often, it is unfortunately not until someone dies that we hear things about them that prove to be inspiring.
Hobbies? I have so many interests but not enough time (or house) for them all. I also like creating things. As it is, I don’t often have time for any hobbies. I’d like to build things up to the point where I could make a full-time income online, but only need to spend 4 hours or less per day to do it. Then, I could spend more time working on the things I want to do, like writing science-fiction.
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