I have recently gifted two Inspire keys, one for two really special friends of mine, Zoe & Dannii . Through the last year they both have inspired me way beyond normal realms of friendship. I had been very socially and emotionally damaged by a friend who persistently manipulated and took advantage of me, before cutting off the friendship this time last year. After this, I was anxious for the majority of time having been forced to believe it was my fault and convinced that I was the worst person in the world. It affected my mentality, confidence, and self esteem in every aspect of my life. This also led later to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, which for me is triggered by stress.
The first key receiver, Dannii, has been in my life for about eight years. We were catching up on other things, then the torment I had been keeping secret slowly unravelled. She listened at all hours of the day, gave amazing advice, and treated me to experiences that I'd otherwise would not have had to pull me out of my slump. I have seen her gift keys to various other people, and it's because of her influence that I know about the keys. I feel that she deserves her own gift for inspiring others in ways that no one ever sees or that she never expects to be appreciated for. One of the pieces of advice she gave me was not to be afraid of new people and to trust again... which leads me to Zoe.
I only met Zoe around this time last year when my life felt like it had been broken. She had no idea what was going on, but still picked me up, persisted in forming our close bond, supported me without even knowing what she was supporting, and all the while was working on overcoming her own issues. Because of Dannii reinforcing that it was okay to open up to new friendships I eventually did, to this new gorgeous friend; she is now the truest, most genuine person I've ever had in my life. I am so blessed to have had these two strong and selfless women inspiring me to be strong and to follow their lead - if I can be even a tenth as inspiring as them, I'd be happy!
-Claire
