I met a young woman on the plane ride home from Boston last Friday. We gave the cursory greetings as we settled into our seats and for most of the flight she read her book and I wrote a scene for my novel. But during the last 45 minutes we started chatting and dove deep into some personal details with each other in a way that only perfect strangers can do. She noticed I was writing and I shared some about my new journey on that path. I noticed the engagement ring on her left hand and learned about her upcoming wedding. We discussed marriage, family and faith and at one point my eyes even brimmed with tears. Her story, what little I know of it, has stayed with me all week and I found myself reflecting on why I was so inspired by her. A few specific qualities stand out, the same qualities I admire and am so attracted to with my own family and dear friends. There are many categories from which to draw inspiration in this world, but these are the five that impact me in the greatest ways.

Kindness

Kindness is deep-rooted in caring for other people, it is selfless and inclusive. It shows up when you pick up something another person has dropped, or when you offer to perform a simple chore to take an item off someone’s to-do list. It is asking the man two rows back who was terrified to fly if he’s okay now that we’re on the ground. It is cooking for those you love, letting your spouse take a quick nap because they need a mental break, or sending a card or a text to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Kindness is handing a young mother a clean tissue because her hands are full and the baby crying in her arms needs his nose wiped. It is volunteering to care for animals who have no voice of their own, serving on your HOA board or the PTA, it is leading a community yoga class in your neighborhood. Kindness is collecting funds for a friend in need or delivering food to their home. It is a simple smile to a passing stranger. Kindness is love in many forms.

Courage

In my mind, to have courage is to challenge yourself or cultural standards. Courage defies expectations and achieves the impossible. I’ve witnessed courage in both loud and modest examples and have seen its tremendous impact in both forms. Courage is choosing to have the surgery that society tells you not to have, knowing it’s the right decision for you and for your family. It is leaving your well-paying career to focus on your passion. It is leaving your well-paying career to focus on your children, or care for an elderly parent. Courage is telling your friend that they’re making a bad decision that they’ll regret later, even if you know it may impair your relationship right now. It is displaying strength for your children in the midst of your own intense grief. Courage is leaving an abusive relationship. It is standing your ground to defend what you believe in the face of criticism. It is attempting something anyway, even when everyone around you tells you it cannot be done. Courage is gumption, moxie and audacity all rolled into one.

Creativity

Creativity takes many forms, and not just the talents we typically think of. I have long been enamored with my friends and family who can draw, paint, craft or sculpt. The images and forms flow so freely and naturally from their hands, it is simply mesmerizing to watch it happen. There are four writers in my life and to each, I admire your ability to capture your stories and lessons to so effectively entertain, inspire and teach us your wisdom. For the photographers I know, each has a unique style but with the same uncanny ability to capture their subject in a full expression of life. I am equally amazed by the musicians, songwriters and vocalists I know personally, blessed with the ability to touch others with their gifts. And for the problem-solvers, whose wisdom enriches us by their unique approach to life and love and business, always outside, around, under and above the box, never confined within. Watching those I know and love achieve creatively always pushes me to want to stretch my own boundaries.

Optimism

I have lived through sorrow, regret, grief and anger with many friends and family and it seems the older we get the more our lives are impacted in further examples of these as part of nature’s due course. But the resilient ones are those who remain optimistic in times of struggle. They don’t fear what is around the corner, but instead press on and believe in their ability to make it through. They take their experiences and use them to form a perspective of what’s really important in life. They focus the energy not on what is lost, but on how to apply what they’ve learned and what is to come. They’re happy, and they’re wonderful to be around.

Faith

To have faith or be strong in one’s faith can sometimes carry a negative connotation in our society. But the people I turn to in times of question or need are the ones who are most surefooted and secure in their faith above anything else. This isn’t about religion or what traditions each person may observe, but rather their confidence in what they believe and the compass which guides every decision in their life. It includes kindness and love as part of all actions; it prompts courage, knowing you are supported to act on what you believe; it encourages creativity in order to contribute to the world around you; and it is steeped in optimism knowing that regardless of what storm you are weathering you will come out stronger on the other side. Faith is endlessly inspiring in its many forms.

These are the inherent characteristics that make those wonderful people in my life who they are, manifesting in beautifully different, individual ways. I am grateful that my life is filled with amazing and inspiring people, and grateful for those whom I have yet to meet.

P.S. To sweet Hillary, if you’re reading this, I wish you many blessings as you start this new chapter of your life. Thank you for sharing part of your story with me and for being a kind, faithful and optimistic woman.