Who inspires YOU?

I have been listening to this set of lectures (better stated I started listening to a set of lectures and then got distracted by a part of what the lecturer was talking about and haven't yet continued the lectures) about finding the career of your heart.

He asks the question..."Who inspires you?"

Rick Jarrow (the lecturer) goes onto explain that the people that inspire you are the key to understanding you heart's desire.  If, for example, you say you want to follow your heart into being a hairdresser, but all of your inspirations come from people who are musicians, then maybe it is time to reevaluate your heart's desire.  That doesn't mean that your heart's desire isn't being a hair dresser, it just means looking at why the musicians inspire you, and figuring out if that inspiration is something that can be found in hairdressing.

When I thought about the answer to the question of who inspired me, the list went something like this...J, my mom, rev G, Einstein, Feynman, Merton, Jesus, Buddha...I keep thinking about it and adding to the list.

What do all of these people have in common?  1)  They are all teachers.  They are all reputedly great teachers. 2)  They have a deeply seeded spirituality.  3)  They live(d) lives centered around what they know to be true.  They followed their heart through their lives, living true to who they are, often times ignoring convention.

I can't deny that I am an engineer.  I can't deny that my mind thinks in logical terms.  I can't deny that I am interested in figuring out how something works and how I can improve it.  I am an engineer.

I am also intensely spiritual.  I can't deny that I am most interested in what people believe about God, life and spirituality.  I want to dig into everyone's belief system and know what they think about the world and creation and such.  I do my best not to ask those questions unless it comes up organically, but I really want to know.

All of the people that inspire me have some of both of those in them.  The intense spirituality and the logic, the good mind.

Will I become a teacher?  Perhaps that is really where my heart's call leads.

Regardless, I think it is an interesting question...Who inspires you?

So blog peeps...I'm interested...if you want...tell me...Who inspires you?