Are you the type of writer that wants to inspire others? It’s not a bad goal to have. In fact, many writers want to tell their stories because they feel they can help make a difference in the world. Want to find out how to write pieces that inspire? Here’s a guest post from Anne McCrady.

There is an old folktale I often tell about three stone masons hard at work. When asked what he is doing, the first laborer says, “I am cementing stones.” In answer to the same question, the second man considers his endeavor and explains, “I am helping build a great wall.” The third man, when asked what he is doing, looks off into the distance and sighs. “I am part of a team of artists building a beautiful cathedral!”

A lifelong writer and social activist, I am passionate about community members connecting for their collective good. In trying to encourage those with resources to collaborate with those who have needs and ideas, I have found that when I reframe individual situations as part of a larger endeavor, I am more convincing. In fact, I have come to believe in the idea that every Good is part of the Greater Good!

You can take advantage of this idea yourself. As you write, keep in mind that people long for significance. If, as in the story I told here, you can help people connect their personal, corporate or organizational “stones” with “cathedrals,” you can inspire them!

Here are a few ideas I use to help people embrace the Greater Good:

1) Widen Your Lens – Explore and celebrate the Big Picture context of situations, events, people and opinions – The more we see, the more we can be!

2) Keep an Open Mind – Be more effective by constantly thinking, learning and asking questions – The more we know, the further we will go!

3) Have a Gentle Heart – Use emotion and morality to guide your efforts and connect with others – The more we care, the more we can share!

Whether you are writing for corporate or personal impact, helping your readers recognize the significance of their efforts will endear you to them and optimize their endeavors.

Anne McCrady is a writer, speaker and blogger at www.InSpiritry.com/wordpress. Her poetry and creative nonfiction appear in literary journals, anthologies and in her own award-winning collections. She also shares her heart-warming ideas with a wide range of audiences as an inspirational speaker and storyteller. She lives and writes in East Texas under the shade of ancient trees with her family physician husband, Mike. Her web site is InSpiritry.com.

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