You CAN inspire others...sometimes without knowing it.

Today, I must (happily) eat some crow.... Where I work out, there's a certain contingent of young, loud, and somewhat obnoxious "gym rats". The kind of guys that can't simply have a conversation, but have to broadcast it to everyone. I'd written them all off to a certain extent...until today. After doing 45 mins of mixed cardio, I was ending my work out with 15 mins of free weights...when one of them approaches me, as I'm clumsily looking for a certain free weight...and says something. Taking my earbud out of my ear, I say, "Pardon me?" "Wow," he says..."you've really lost a lot of weight!" Taken aback, it took me a minute. Then I said, "Uh, thanks." "I've been watching you for a while, I almost didn't recognize you." "Wow...thank you." I said. "You're so focused man, great job!" ...the irony of my opinion of HIM changing, due to the fact that he was complimenting me, is NOT lost on me. But, bigger than that, this interaction today proved to me, again...that you can actually inspire people without even knowing it, when you work hard, have goals, and be your truest self.