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Can We Banned the Word Inspiration Please?!

  


A couple weeks ago I was hospitalized for a port infection and there went another week of class, to make a grand total of three full weeks of classes missed this semester not including the here and there appointments absences. As I was meeting with a professor this week they mentioned what an inspiration I am to them and all my classmates. First off that always makes me feel super awkward, how do you reply to such a statement? However that's not even the reason I hate that word so much.

I hate the word inspiration because of how people use it. If someone does something extraordinary for example raises millions of dollars for a charity or starts their own charity that IS inspirational.  When the work inspirational is used to describe someone who goes about their life despite crummy circumstances that is not using the word properly. When people use it to describe me it makes me feel like they find my life depressing, like the fact I even bother to get out of bed should be celebrated. They are implying if they had to live in my body an deal with my illness they would not get out of bed.

Quite frankly I like my life and I have goals just like I would if I was not sick. Yes I may have extra challenges to get to my goals but if you do not have goals you are working towards in life what is the point? Why does society expect me to just stop trying? Or deem my life depressing? Its like I am supposed to be sad about my life an mad at the world. How would that help me?

I challenge you to think the next time you call someone inspirational, what are you really implying about their life? Are they doing something extraordinary? Or doing something ordinary under tough circumstances? Because if it is the second case they may not appreciate being called an inspiration.
Life with a Flare's Profile Photo
Being in the hospital isn't all bad, I got to meet Charlie Puth

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