Inspiration can come in all shapes and sizes, from all different ages, relations and sources. It can trigger a thought, a choice, an idea and it can completely reinvent your perception of life. I was lucky enough, recently, to be inspired by a speaker at an event I attended. I had the pleasure of receiving a prize at the annual Tolworth Girls’ School & Sixth Form Prize Giving, where former headteacher of Tiffin Girls’ School spoke about her success in her career. After the event, I felt truly inspired by the words of the speaker, who conveyed the importance of trusting others but also “trusting your future self”; this was a beautiful message and one that many of us needed to hear with exams in the coming months.
Vannessa Ward began her career as a media lawyer, then changed direction to become a teacher and subsequently a headteacher. Now she is an Ofsted inspector and Education Consultant. She spoke about her experiences with trusting herself and the dreaded ‘imposter syndrome’, which affects even the best of us. This is a concept which applies to high achieving individuals who struggle to accept and internalize their accomplishments, leading to a constant fear of exposure as a “fraud”. She recounted a time when she was struggling with the ‘imposter syndrome’ and consistently battling negativity; her son told her two metaphorical wolves were fighting inside her, one positive, one negative, and the one that wins the fight is the one you feed. This transformed her outlook on both her career at the time and her achievements. I approached Mrs Ward after the event and told her how motivating her words were, and she told me how thrilled she was that it had received such a positive response.
With inspiration in mind, I spoke to some of my peers, family and teachers about who inspires them. It was interesting to hear the range of answers which I received, and who people said motivated them to be the best version of themselves. Tolworth Girls’ School and Sixth Form Headteacher, Mrs Lowe said that she was inspired particularly at a young age by her school teachers, and as a headteacher was inspired by the staff and students she works with. Also, her mother was very engaged with politics and this “has embedded a real desire for fairness and equality for all, you can do and be anything as long as you get a good education”. My friends spoke of the physicists, singers and idols that inspired them, but also told me about the inspiration they found in their parents. My father told me that he discovered inspiration through solving difficult problems and striving to do the best he can in his work. Whilst compiling this article, I discovered that inspiration really is a personal aspect of all our lives, and that no matter what age we are, we all find inspiration in the most unexpected places.
Kathryn Loosley, Tolworth Girls' School & Sixth Form
