We All Stand on the Shoulders of Someone

Who has inspired you to become a better person?

As I have grown older, I have come to realize that none of us reaches this point in life alone. We all stand on the shoulders of people who believed in us, challenged us, encouraged us, or quietly showed us what it means to live with integrity.

Some of those people are easy to recognize. A parent. A teacher. A pastor. A Sunday School teacher. A coach. A friend who came alongside us when we needed someone most.

Others have influenced us from a distance. Authors whose books opened our minds. Musicians whose songs gave us hope. Fictional characters who inspired courage. Men and women whose stories reminded us that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.

Today I find myself especially grateful for those who dedicate their lives to public service.

I think of elected officials who accept the weighty responsibility of making decisions that affect millions of people. Whether we agree with every decision they make or not, leadership requires courage, perseverance, and a willingness to be held accountable. Democracy depends upon people willing to serve.

I think of police officers who put on a badge each day, firefighters who run toward danger when everyone else is running away, emergency medical personnel who bring hope in moments of crisis, members of our military who willingly leave their families to protect others, and the countless public servants whose work often goes unnoticed.

I think of people who establish charities and nonprofit organizations because they see a need and refuse to ignore it. They feed the hungry, build homes, care for children, comfort the lonely, protect God’s creation, and remind us that compassion can change lives.

History offers us many examples of servant leadership. Abraham Lincoln reminds me that humble beginnings do not determine our future and that moral courage can change the course of a nation. Theodore Roosevelt inspires me through his commitment to conserving our natural treasures for future generations. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter demonstrated that a life of service does not end when a public office does. Their commitment to helping others became even more visible after leaving the White House.

I have also admired leaders closer to home. Here in Missouri, I think of Lincoln Hough, who was willing to follow his conscience even when it came at personal and political cost. Whether others agreed with him or not, he reminded us that integrity sometimes requires standing alone.

None of these people were perfect. None claimed to be. Yet each, in their own way, chose service over self-interest and responsibility over comfort.

Perhaps that is the lesson they leave us.

We all stand on the shoulders of someone.

My prayer is that I will never forget those who helped shape my life. More importantly, I hope to live in such a way that one day someone might say that our paths crossed, and because they did, they found a little more hope, a little more courage, and a little more grace.

Who has inspired you to become a better person? I would love to hear your story.