Today I got a request to sign ten copies of my new book, Fully and Creatively Alive. The request came from a friend who read it and wanted to share it with many of his family and friends. An author can’t ask for more than that: someone who likes your book and wants to share it. So he sent me the names and descriptions of the people for whom he wanted me to sign. It is, to say the least, an inspirational list.

Here is some of what my friend said about his favorite people to whom he wanted to give a personal gift (edited for clarity and to protect anonymity):

• For my inspirational pastor who a creative thinker and preacher. He has the heart of 10 men and always looks for ways to reach people and grow them up.
• For my other inspirational pastor. He is creative and gifted in music and fine arts. He and his wife have served several years on a national youth leadership team.
• For our 24 year old son, who graduated from college with an engineering degree. He works for a large corporation in Fort Collins, CO and is learning how to work really, really hard. He has thought about studying for the ministry, but I hope he stays in the industry for a while and really learns lots about life. Love that kid!
• For our 22 year old daughter. She will graduate from college this December with an engineering degree. She would love to work for Disney, but has failed to get any attention so far. She is creative and loves theatre. She is on the hunt for a job, and excited to be finishing soon. Love that kid!
• For a former co-worker, and frankly the real reason I went to work at the organization. She is on fire, dynamic, passionate with a background in journalism and worked for Warner Brothers, ABC, and who knows, before coming to our organization. She left a year and half ago to launch her own creative, marketing, and production company. Lord, she hit it out of the park. Actually, she already sold her company. However, they retained her and her whole team. She is also charged with developing tools for missional churches. Tom, she is really amazing.
• For a  friend that I’m helping write his first book. He has a business mind that is second to none. He is an evangelist in his business world. I think he will be a consultant one day, and conference speaker. He could really be a blessing, and has 2 or 3 books in him.
• For a writer friend who lost her job. She is thinking about launching a web presence that helps to support young moms. Just an amazingly positive and uplifting person.

I wrote my friend back and told him I’d like to meet and/or work with every single one of these people. They are inspirational in so many varying and different ways. I’m so happy that I might have the opportunity, through my book, to be just a small inspiration to each and every one of them.

In fact, the way my friend writes about each of these people makes him an inspiration to me. He’s a person that inspires others. He’s a person others want to be around. I’m certain that he’s an inspiration to the ten people he’s gifting with books.

What if you had to write down the ten most inspirational people in your life right now? Who would they be? Why would they fit in that category? Why don’t you tell them? Maybe even share a little gift, like a book, with them?

Why don’t you take a moment right now to write down the ten most inspirational people in your life at this very moment?