It all started in childhood with Wonder Woman, who showed me that a female superhero could be just as badass as the guys in tights. When I started my career in PR at Days Inn headquarters back in 1989, my boss Carol Bivins was the highest ranking woman in the company. Eschewing the awful floppy bowtie look of the day, she demonstrated that embracing cleverness and creativity would get you much farther than conformity.

In the past decade or so, JK Rowling has topped my list for overcoming her obstacles as a former welfare mother to encouraging millions of kids worldwide to embrace reading.   Then today I started wondering who inspires my desire for wellness – and the answer might surprise you.

At the beginning of my weight loss journey, it was the success stories I read each month in Shape Magazine. I can’t remember any of the names of the real women. But in hearing the details of their lives and efforts to become healthier, it always struck me that if they could do it, I could too. Over the years, I’ve been inspired by acts of wellness both big and small by others around me. Like my mom working with a weight trainer twice a week in her seventies, when that idea would have seemed impossible a few decades ago. Or my friend Monique, who slowly and deliberately lost 100 pounds over a two year period and has kept it off for almost five years now.

The first person who popped into my mind today in pondering that question was Gabrielle Giffords. I’m inspired by her perseverance, positivity and the unconditional love she shares with her husband. She definitely gets my vote in Time Magazine’s "Person of the Year Contest."  But the individual who inspires me most to live a healthy live is myself. I think back to the 25 year-old me who felt trapped and helpless in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and feel her awe in the changes made over time. Zooming ahead into the future, I want to be active, healthy and independent for as long as possible.  When I choose to eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep, I appreciate how good that feels. Because it has become my norm, I’m out of sorts on days like today, where after zealously sampling the treats baked for client holiday gifts last night, a food coma has made me feel lethargic.

Who inspires your wellness journey?  Does that motivation come from an outside source, within or a combination of both?

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. Athletic footwear slogans like Nike’s “Just Do It” or Reebok’s “Because life is not a spectator sport” line can rev up your pace on a treadmill.  I’ve seen friends post images of Albert Einstein, Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr., on their screen savers to inspire creativity, kindness or the knowledge that change is always possible. Heck, my former dentist used to have a poster of a kitty dangling from a tree limb urging one to “hang in there” on his ceiling.  I’m not kidding. While it might have provided comfort for some, the poster just reminded me that I was trapped with a drill in my mouth for the next hour.

Last night, I received a surprising dose of inspiration from Green Day. Yeah, the rock band that has a core following with tattoos and green hair. While three or four of their songs live on my iPod, I didn’t know much about them before the concert. My boyfriend sprung for the tickets, and it was something different to do on a Monday night. Expectations were low.

It turned out to be fantastic. Not just because much of their music was great, and the lead singer is one of the best live performers I’ve seen. What I really dug was how the band constantly pulled their fans out of the crowd to join them onstage.  It didn’t matter if people couldn’t sing their way out of a paper bag, or had no rhythm. They jumped at the opportunity to interact with Green Day, get sprayed with a water hose (that luckily didn’t reach back to our seats) or be showered with confetti at the end. The high energy and spirit of inclusion was infectious. Justin and I happily shouted whatever random song lyrics we recognized and swayed with our arms in the air.

For me, the experience was a parable about life. The lesson is to just jump right in, without regard for how you are going to look to others.  Scared to be the first one on the dance floor? If you start shaking your butt out there, you’re going to have fun. Hesitant to join a Zumba class because you don’t know the steps? Stand in the back where you won’t hurt anyone and just have a great time doing whatever you can.

What has inspired you to do something different lately?