My Hero

This woman inspires me daily!!! Stephanie thank you for sharing your life and testimony. You will never know how your story has touched and changed my life.

I ♥ All Of You

Just spending

a late friday night

reading all your blog posts

and

I am amazed

at all the women I know

and don't know.

Happy Mother's Day to all!!!

Keep Sharing All Your Inspirational Stories!!!

You Made Me Who I Am

This weeks submission comes from the lovely Ami. I don't have anyone scheduled for next week, so please email me your submissions :D Don't forget to leave a comment on the previous post to enter the giveaway.

We are made from all the little things that touched our lives along the way and it's such a great idea to focus on those influences.

Of course my parents helped shape who I am, especially my mother. She's amazing and still helps me be the mother I am today and hopefully someday to be a mother like her. But, the person I want to tell you about is a teacher, Ms. Aberle.

I started high school late. I had 4 surgeries my freshman year and I knew exactly one person from my ward and the rest of the 5A school was filled with strangers. I was shy and awkward and didn't seem to be making friends when I went to an after school meeting with a guy I had a crush on and was hooked. It was for debate. I signed up for the next year's class and didn't realize that that one act would forever change my life.

I started the class my Junior year and discovered I had a gift for research and arguing cases. Ms. Aberle challenged me and pushed me. I fought back and learned my own strengths and gained self esteem. By the end of my Junior year, my partner and I had won just about every competition we'd entered and were now the President and Vice President of the school's large debate team. The last week of school that year, Ms. Aberle announced the school would send 2 students to an exclusive debate camp during the summer, 1 boy and 1 girl and she'd chosen me to be the girl to represent the school. It was such a wonderful opportunity and I learned so much.

Senior year Ms. Aberle started pushing me harder than ever. That year my partner and I made it to District in CX debate and the same day I went to prom I placed 8th in state in persuasive public speaking. A week later I won 2 scholarships, one in debate and one from Toastmasters International in public speaking. Combined, they were enough to get me through college.

Because of Ms. Aberle and debate, I gained self confidence and know that I have talents and gifts that I would not have known about otherwise. She didn't allow me to coast through and just get the credit, like I had originally wanted, and forced me to work with people and in situations that were out of my comfort zone. Through her I met some of my best friends. So much of who I am today was shaped during those 2 years in her classroom, travelling on the road competing and leading her team. For that I'm forever grateful!

You Made Me Who I Am

Before we begin this week, I would once again like to invite anyone and everyone reading this post to submit and share your stories. Each week I have been impressed and uplifted to hear these great stories of people who change lives. Email me at inspiredstory{at}gmail{dot}com.

Now, this weeks submission comes from my nearest and dearest friend Janie. My brother from another mother :D Love this girl to death-- and she's got a pretty great hubby too. Read this post and you'll see why. Enjoy!
I have been shying away from the person who comes right to mind when I think of the people who have made me who I am. Of course, there is Mom, and my sister, and the Dad of my youth (not the Father of my adulthood), a few wonderful church leaders, and two best friends. However, the one who keeps coming to mind is Kyle, my husband.

Please stop rolling your eyes! Yes, there is the lovey dovey stuff, but before that and surrounding that is, our friendship and his friendship changed my life.
The first semester of my third year of college my testimony was weak, temptations were strong, and my family was crumbling. Just before Thanksgiving, my father announced he wanted a divorce and would be making his temporary move out of the house permanent. By Christmas I was out of the house an in a very dangerous situation, emotionally and physically. I was drinking, doing drugs, barely staying afloat in my classes, and most definitely not attending church.
That spring a good friend from my previous school came to visit me. It was my good friend Kyle. He stayed the weekend. Before he left he said something to me I will never forget. He said something to the effect of, Janie you are different. I'm not sure what it is, but I think you should go back to your church. I liked it when you were going to church. It made a big difference.
The hundreds of letters my mom had written, the few she had had old Young Women leaders write and one Bishop write did not have quite the same effect as that one small conversation with Kyle did.
I'd like to say I went back to church right away. I didn't. When I eventually did I was joined shortly thereafter by Kyle. We took the discussions together. I needed them as much as he did. My testimony is mine, it is not dependent on anyone, but I thank Kyle for it.

You Made Me Who I Am

This weeks post comes from Ann. Thank You for sharing this inspiring story.

One of the people who has influenced me the most in my life is my Uncle Michael. He has always been the coolest uncle. He was always laid back, never got into a tizzy about things, and he wasn't a yeller or a screamer when conversations would get heated with my grandparents and their SEVEN children!

When I was in Junior High, my oldest sister graduated from college and Michael was the only relative who came for her graduation.... so we got to spend a lot of one-on-one time together. I loved listening to the things that were important to him.... beautiful landscaping, a good solid house, and dogs who loved him no matter what. I kept feeling like I needed to add something to the conversation so I would start my talks with, "don't you hate it when....." After about 3 days of him staying with us at my parents house, he turned to me and said, "Tell me something POSITIVE." I said, "what?" (in my best tween attitude voice). He said, "everything you say starts with 'don't you hate it when' and it's just so negative. The world already has plenty of negative people in it, but not enough positive people."

Isn't it amazing how with the MILLIONS of conversations you have in your lifetime, that just a few stick with you and change your life? Michael changed my life that day but I didn't know that until I was about 23 and life was really throwing me some rotten lemons. We couldn't get pregnant, my organs were shot from years of endometriosis, Jon wasn't ready to have kids yet... and on and on and on... I could see Michael's face in my mind, just as calm and gentle as he always is.... "tell me something positive, Ann".

Fast-forward to today. I no longer beat myself up about how I look or what car I drive. I don't care if my hair isn't perfect or if I'm the only one not wearing make-up. I am CHOOSING to find the positives in life. CHOOSING to spend my time on the things that matter to me. I CHOOSE to get in the pool and do crazy things with my family. I CHOOSE to get sweaty and go on hikes with my family. I CHOOSE to spend time on the couch with my husband watching our favorite movies. I CHOOSE to spend an entire weekend with my sisters and their families. I'm choosing happiness simply by finding the positives in life.

Thanks Uncle Michael.... I love you deeply.

You Made Me Who I Am

Last Wednesday, I asked my fellow bloggers to email me stories of people who have influenced your life for the better. This week is my first installment. Enjoy and keep those stories coming to inspiredstory{at}gmail{dot}com.

This weeks submission comes from my lovely and very talented sister, Kira. She writes:

My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Caywood, was a huge influence on my life. At the time I didn't see how important her influence was but now as I look back I am so grateful for her. In sixth grade my best friends were part of the "in crowd" and we were all in the same class.

On one particular day we were watching a movie. It was about Egypt-- pyramids, mummys---I still remember. During the movie my friends starting acting up a little by dancing like Egyptians. You know the dance, head turned, hands pointing to the side...very silly. Like most sixth graders would do, I gave in to the peer pressure and joined in with them. We were getting a lot of attention and disrupting the movie. Mrs. Caywood asked us several times to stop and then finally pulled us out and sat us by her desk. She said she wanted to take us outside and speak with us individually; she saved me for last. Mrs. Caywood told me that she was disappointed in me because I knew better. She then expressed genuine concern for me and told me that I had so much potential but my friends were dragging me down. Mrs. Caywood had been teaching for years and knew the exact direction my friends were headed. She encouraged me to make new friends. My punishment, rather than detention or a call to my parents, was a new seat assignment. Mrs. Caywood sat me next to a different group of girls and encouraged me to become friends with them. At the time I was upset at her for butting into my personal life and for moving me away from my friends, but as a little time passed I became really close with the group of girls she sat me with and I was grateful she introduced me to them.

It wasn't until high school that I became truly grateful for Mrs. Caywood. The girls that I had been friends with went down all the wrong paths--drinking and drugs, teen pregnancy, some even dropped out and were kicked out of high school. Good thing I stopped hanging out with them.

Now that my high school days are behind me I realize just how important your high school friends are. They have so much influence on the person you become. I am so grateful Mrs. Caywood took a genuine interest in my life. I am grateful she cared about me enough to introduce me to friends who would be a positive influence and who would help me reach my full potential. Thank you Mrs. Caywood.

Calling ALL Bloggers!!!

I am convinced that the world is not a mere bog in which men and women trample themselves and die. Something magnificent is taking place here amidst the cruelties and tragedies, and the supreme challenge to intelligence is that of making the noblest and best in our curious heritage prevail.

~Charles Austin Beard

Our lives are affected by one another. We are who we are because of the people who have touched our lives. I love how ABC does their Person of the Week. It’s uplifting and inspiring to hear of great people and their lives. This is my intention.

I want to hear of great people who have influenced you, who have made you who you are. The obvious would be a mother or father; those are gimmes, but what about the teachers, the friends, the co-workers, etc. I want to hear their stories.

Starting next Wednesday, August 27th, I will post once a week about a person who has changed another’s life for good. Send me an email, including the person’s name, (first or last—depending on the anonymity you choose) a little background history on who they are and how they influenced you, and even a photo if you have one.

Don’t worry about making it too long, just a paragraph or two. Make sure to leave your web address so I can link back to you, too. :D

Email me: inspiredstory@gmail.com

Some people come into our lives for a moment; others leave an imprint on our hearts forever.