Archive for November, 2009

November 30th, 2009

Feeling the Fear and Doing It Anyway

If you had the opportunity, would you do something you feared most? As I’m writing this, my stomach is in knots, turning like I’m sailing out to sea not sitting comfortably in my chair. Yet, I’m considering doing it.

There have been many times in my life when I had the chance to risk something great (like my pride) for something greater (self-confidence). Like the time I took a job giving speeches to hundreds of people even though the feeling of eyes staring back at me turns my cheeks hot and I hate talking in a group of 5 let alone 200. Yet, I did it anyway.

There were times in my life when I let fear wash over me. Like when I was 6 years old and I chickened out at my grandparent’s surprise wedding anniversary. I practiced my speech for days. I can still see the index cards in my sweaty hands. At the end I was supposed to sing Kermit’s, “Rainbow Connection” while my cousins played the piano and ukulele. I got to the mike and my voice failed me. My mom took me by the hand and I left the stage in defeat. I’ll never forget that moment.

Then there was the time I took an F for my elementary school class project because I was too afraid to give my presentation. I spent weeks planning for it and when the teacher called my name, I looked the other way.

Tonight I’m faced with another one of my greatest fears to risk being made a fool of on national TV. Yet, I’m going to do it anyway.

You might think I’m crazy or foolish. Who wants to stand out like sore thumb while people take cheap shots at me? You know what? I do. I want to do it not because I’m a masochist, but because I believe I’ll get something even bigger for the experience. The chance to stare fear down and do it anyway.

One point for the fearless fool, zero for the fear.

CategoryFacing Fears | Comment4 Comments »

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November 23rd, 2009

When to Say Good-Bye

Oprah’s announcement to end her long 25 year run talk show came as both a shock and a heartbreak to me. As one of her biggest fans and someone who still hadn’t had the luxury of seeing the Oprah Winfrey show live, I just didn’t feel like I was ready to say good-bye.

After my shock dissipated, curiosity set in. What would make a successful talk show host making millions of dollars an episode, suddenly want to say good-bye?

When Kate Gosselin said sayonara on Jon & Kate Plus 8’s final episode (another show I was sad to see go) she was a well of emotion and not ready to let go.

Yet, when I listened to Gayle King talk to Ms. Winfrey on Oprah radio, it seemed like she had no regrets.

I realized, then, that even in her decision to end the show, Oprah was inspiring.

One of the hardest things I think, is ending something good in your life because it’s not right for you. You may be happy, things might be going well, but like Oprah told Gayle on her radio show she knew it was the right decision because she felt it in her bones. How many people can honor a decision like that just because they knew it was the right thing to do?

People might say you’re crazy. There may be a million reasons why you shouldn’t do it, but if you feel pulled somewhere deep to take that leap or to end something that was once right for you but isn’t right now, maybe we need to listen to ourselves.  Maybe we should be like Oprah. Take a chance, believe, and have faith that we may not know the outcome of our choices but can trust our decisions to do what’s best for ourselves.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5o5ENK-jvM]

CategoryFacing Fears, Following your dreams | Comment1 Comment »

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November 19th, 2009

What They're Saying About 2inspired

If you didn’t already know, I’m on Twitter @2inspired and Facebook @2Inspired. I hope you’ll join me there for more conversations and for the latest inspiring news!  So far on Twitter, I’ve been graded a 90 out of a 100. If you are already following me, thanks!

If you’re new to 2inspired or a loyal reader but missed it, take a tour with me now to see what everyone’s been saying about the blog:

Sophia on Life Lessons from Me Five Years Ago: I can’t tell you how much this helped me.

Trust another Asian to be able to finally understand what it’s like to desperately want approval from the people you love the most. I’ve lived my whole life trying to please my father, even though it’s not possible.

And I just took step 9 myself – I quit a graduate program two months in when I realized I really didn’t want to do it. It was painful and felt ragged at the time, but so necessary.

Lisa on My Grandma’s Hands: That is a very emotive & heartfelt account of your relationship with your grandma. Well done for putting it out there.

Raechel on Sacrifice, Sweat & Sweet Surrender: Great post! If we surrender our dreams and plans, then we may be surprised by things we would never even have thought possible to dream about. As writers we need to base our self-worth on how we feel, not what others think because it can be a hard world out there for us…..

Bridget on The I’m Not Worthy Syndrome: I’m a big Cheryl Richardson fan too. Her book Stand Up for Your Life changed my m.o. and my life has been steadily getting better ever since! More opportunities to do work I love and more money for doing it. I stumbled upon your blog researching Cheryl’s current web presence. I haven’t created my own blog yet, but I will be soon. I also want to inspire others to live their dreams but I come at it from a Feldenkrais, Improv, EFT perspective.

Minnie on Do You Have Balls?: I’m glad you disagree with Terry Fator about luck! I also believe luck plays important roles in our endeavors. The other things (skills, talent, courage) are important too, and are more within our controls. Perhaps luck is the embodiment of “things beyond our control.” That’s why we need to belief, as you pointed out. Not only believing in ourselves but also belief that the things beyond our control will carry us through our endeavors. Anyway… just my random thoughts conceived from your insightful writings.

Like the BALLS picture :)

Psychology of Success on Fear of Asking for What You Want: My father told me that there are only two answers that a person can give you when you ask a question, “Yes or No.”

He told him that his father told him the same thing. I never forgot that and it made asking for things a lot easier.

Pochp on Fear of Asking for What You want: Very helpful post.

Knowwhatandwhere on The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Great article and so very true – except for #5 in my particular case. Running your own business is demanding in many ways. But I still believe that there is nothing more exciting than being on this journey – it is a roller-coaster…

Jonalyn on Giving It Up Ain’t So Bad: Hi! i love the blog. i am kinda on the horizons right now. still undecided of things. hope I can sort things out sooner. it’s a nice blog! smile!

Thanks guys for all of the awesome comments! Keep it coming. I’d love to get a discussion going here for all of you inspiring seekers and successful dreamers out there. Thanks for the love guys!!

CategoryReader feedback | Comment2 Comments »

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November 17th, 2009

Successful Dreamer: Annabel Candy

Successful DreamerI believe things happen for a reason and my recent run in with inspiring blogger Annabel Candy is a good example of that. Call it synchronicity. Call it a god wink. Call it mere coincidence. What I know for sure is that finding Candy was sweet synergy to me.

I first spotted her on Problogger. She was a guest blogger, posting the popular, “Getting Over the Blogger’s 6 Month Itch.” I was so intrigued that I ventured over to her site Get in the Hot Spot to check it out. When I discovered that her mission was to help others follow their dreams, I was sold. That’s why I’m thrilled to feature here as this week’s Successful Dreamer! I hope that you’ll be as inspired by Annabel as I was by her. So without further ado, please welcome inspiring writer and world traveler, Annabel Candy.

Where’d you get that fabulously creative name for your blog Get in the Hot Spot?

I set the blog up to put myself ‘in the hot spot’ and force myself to write, so the name came from that idea. But there are a few other meanings of ‘hot spot’ that fit nicely too.

A hot spot’s a lively, active place and I want my blog to be a fun, informative centre for personal development with the focus on helping people achieve their dreams.

My personal dream involves travel and a lot of my readers also want to travel, yearning for warmer climates and exotic places. Get In the Hot Spot is a place where people can come to dream, to learn how to start working towards their dreams and to stay motivated. The idea is that me and the readers each enjoy living in our own personal hot spot.

Give us bit of info about your blog. What was your original purpose for writing it and where do you see it going in the future?

The aim has changed. At first I did it to get myself to write. That worked.

Then I decided to see if I could get 1000 subscribers to convince a publisher I had a readership and get my manuscript published. But I had more fun writing the blog than the manuscript!

I’m still working towards getting 1000 subscribers in a year but I have until March 2010 to achieve it. If that works the next challenge will be to see if I can make money out of my blog because that way I can carry on writing it without my husband complaining that I spend too much time on it:)

I’d love to keep getting more readers and help more people to start working towards living their dream.

What is one of the most important things you’ve learned on your journey to follow your dreams?

If you don’t follow your dreams you won’t be happy. If they don’t work out it won’t matter, you’ll be glad you tried and good will still come from that. For me true happiness lies in following our secret dreams, no matter how big, small or silly they are.

Can you describe a huge hurdle in your life and how you tackled it?

I can think of three big hurdles:
Doing an MA in Design for Interactive Media when I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer was hard.
Giving birth to an 11lb baby at home was hard.
Travelling round Central America with three kids aged 1, 5 and 8 was hard.

But I love to take on challenges. I get stuck in and do it. The hard part doesn’t last long when you look back and the final rewards are brilliant.

When you set yourself a challenge and do it you end up feeling as if you’ve conquered Everest. It’s a real confidence booster that makes you think you can do anything. It gives you a winning attitude which encourages you to challenge yourself more.

Have you ever doubted your ability to be a full-time writer? How have you managed to overcome this fear?

Yes! All the time. I think a lot of writers do.

The only way to overcome doubt or fear is to face it. So I wrote and shared my writing then I got some positive feedback and that persuaded me to carry on.

Like most things writing takes practice. Now I write daily my writing is faster and hopefully it’s getting better too.

What is one advice you wished someone had told you about pursuing your passion and following your dreams?

Go for it. My parents warning me not to become a writer because it was “too competitive”. I want to encourage my kids to do what they love and try things out for themselves. You have to learn by experience.

What do you love best about your job as a full-time blogger?

Two things. When you get a new idea for a post – the aha moment is great.

And I love reading comments from people thanking me for inspiring me and helping them. That’s why I write so it’s great to know when I’ve achieved my goal.

Thank you Annabel for your words of wisdom and inspiration!  Please visit Annabel’s website Get in the Hot Spot 2 be inspired. She would love to hear from you and is open to questions and to assist readers looking to pursue their dreams.

CategorySuccessful Dreamers | Comment7 Comments »

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November 12th, 2009

What Inspired Me About Being a Reporter

I originally posted this on my professional website but thought it also applies here. Even if you’re not a writer, you may be going through self-doubt and insecurity about your chosen career. Read how the process of being a newspaper reporter helped me get over my own fears.

Reporter Notes

photo by: RogueSun Media

I say “acting” because that’s what all writers feel at some point in their careers. That we are all acting, pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes, pretending that we are actual writers when there are days we wonder if we’ll ever really deserve the title.

That’s how I felt on the days I put on my mask and became “the journalist.” Since I got my degree in English not Journalism, I wear that badge with both fear and trepidation. I don’t want anyone thinking that I (god forbid!) am a real reporter less they mock my writing style, scrutinize my copy and laugh behind my back at my poor attempt at journalistic prose. After all, I’m not a real reporter, am I?

While undercover in my sad attempt to protect my weary heart from public attack, I still learned a great deal about life. Whether we admit it or not, the process of writing enables us to become the role we fear-a writer. The amazing thing is that when I learn to accept the possibility of the position, I learned a great deal about myself and about life. Here’s what I absorbed from walking in the shoes of a reporter:

  1. You’ll always wonder if you did enough. I may have interviewed hundreds of people including my list of “must-interview” and stayed longer at an event than I need to, but I’ll still wonder as I’m walking away, “Did I do enough?”
  2. Which brings me to #2…In the words of Kenny Rogers, “you’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run.” Whether you are on your upteenth time of editing your manuscript or rereading your query or staying longer than you should at an event you’re covering because of self-doubt, there is a point when you just need to say, “Okay. I’ve done all I can and now I need to let go and see what happens.”
  3. I’m not special. Okay I might be special to my family and to my friends but to the average Joe, a reporter is just a person with a notepad and pen that’s as appealing as a mosquito in a sleeping person’s ear. While some may flock to you because they want their ten minutes of fame, others can’t be bothered. Did you ever hear Five for Fighting’s song Superman? Basically it’s a sob story about how even superheroes have their bad days. Some days being a writer makes me feel like a superhero leaping over harsh criticism and self-doubt and then I’ll ask a question to someone who can’t be bothered and then I’m suddenly back on the ground.
  4. That life happens in mundane things. Sure there are events that are big, profound and life changing. But I’m learning that it’s the anniversaries, festivals and day-to-day activities between people that makes up a life. Those are the stories that remind me life is more than just events, it’s the people and the relationships that are most moving and that can really change one’s life.
  5. When everything else fails, use your intuition. I’m always extra prepared before I enter an interview for a magazine or an event for a newspaper. I’ve been known in fact to bring two tape recorders, a bag full of batteries and pens, just in case. I also write down questions to every possible person I should interview and could meet. Here’s what I learned. Life never happens the way you plan. In the situation where I over-prepared for the interview with several tape recorders and batteries, none actually worked! When I entered a room filled with people, my original questions went unanswered. But that was a good thing. In the first scenario, I used my intuition and focused on my interviewee and stopped worrying about the tape and in the second, I learned to trust my instincts. While I did talk to my primary resources, I also let go of the idea that I needed to interview everybody and instead focused on being in the moment. The result was that I got valuable information from people I had not intended to meet.
  6. Fake it and it will come. As writers, we are often our worst enemy. We sabotage our abilities not because we don’t have them but because of our insecurities. Here’s what I discovered. If you pretend that you are a writer/reporter, no one will know the difference, least of all you. The thing is, we already have the desire, the ability and the skill, what’s lacking usually is our faith. Fake it and with time the confidence will come.

CategoryFacing Fears, Following your dreams, Inspirational Stories | Comment2 Comments »

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November 11th, 2009

An Inspiring Story: Our Night with Five for Fighting

I’m always amazed by what we can learn in every single moment. Sometimes it’s the most mundane tasks or ones that surprise us because they come when we least expect it. But it just goes to show how every day is a gift and how little we yet know of this world.

Recently, my husband and I have been blessed by a lot of inspiring stories. One of them was an inspiring story that came in the gift of Michael’s Jackson’s movie This Is It. Another came last night when we went to a free concert I won from TheNest. We sat three rows away from the one man band Five for Fighting (John Ondrasik) and feeling moved to tears by his songs, which really capture the human essence and a thread that links these two stories-the ephemerality of life and the importance of love.

One of my favorite songs is “Riddle” which tells the story of a man dealing with his father’s death. His anger over this inevitable loss spawns this heart wrenching question, “Wait, what’s the sense in life?” and his father’s answer, “I guess we’re big and I guess we’re small. If you think about it man you know we got it all. ‘Cause we’re all we got on this bouncing ball. And I love you free, I love you freely…”

Here’s a clip from last night’s inspiring concert: Be inspired!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuieFc5w6PU]

CategoryInspirational Stories | CommentNo Comments »

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November 9th, 2009

Is This It? What I Found Inspiring About MJ's New Movie

While I always had an affinity for some of Michael Jackson’s songs, I can’t ever say I was a huge fan. I was born in the 70’s and grew up in the 80’s so I was around when they came out. But I was more of the Debbie Gibson vs. Tiffany era. Yet, I had always been intrigued by the movie star, from brief glimpses of him through interviews and unflattering shots of him via the media. So I was extra curious when Oprah not only mentioned she had watched MJ’s “This Is It” but also said seeing it made her want to be better. “To see this great artist at work makes you want to be better at your work. You want that attention to detail. You want that kind of perfectionism. You want that kind of drive,” Oprah says.

After watching the movie on Saturday, I can honestly say I agree. I wish I had known the Michael that the movie portrayed. Someone who was a natural perfectionist who cared about his craft but never to the detriment of his amazing team of performers. To be that good at what you do, that much of a star, yet to be respectful and loving to the people who worked side by side with him, is a true gift.

Seeing his dancers cheer and clap if they were audience members not his dancers, as fans not a part of the performance, brought me to tears. Imagine having a boss that you admire THAT much. Imagine doing something you LOVE, that INSPIRES you, that makes you jump up and down and scream at the joy of it, to be grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of something greater than yourself. I think that’s something we all aspire to.

Another part of the movie that uplifted me was seeing Michael’s passion for helping the environment. It was intertwined in one of the songs he sang and what he said to his team. It reminded me about my own inner desire to help heal the environment.

This Is It left me inspired for more and got me asking, “Is this it?” Can we transform our own lives and our world so that we can go beyond the limitations of our negative thinking and heal both before it’s too late?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeADZgjtpY]

CategoryInspirational Stories | Comment6 Comments »

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November 5th, 2009

Inspiring Links

I love to read about others inspiring stories and if you’ve found your way here, there’s a good chance you like reading them too. That’s why I decided to compile a list of sites that feature some of the best in heart warming, happy stories. It’ll lift you up during tough times and inspire you to spread your own joy in good. Happy Friday you all!

  • Guideposts: The people who publish Guideposts magazine continue to enlighten, inspire and give us the kind of stories that makes you want to do good and live better. Their stories motivate us through tough times and instill courage to help people to face every day challenges in their life.
  • Tonic: I recently found this site by chance and am so lucky I did! It’s the feel good news site that I’ve been waiting for. Tonic brings attention to stories that often go unnoticed like the bride who decided after being jilted at the altar, to donate her wedding reception hall. The lucky partiers? A bunch of surprised and happy senior citizens. Isn’t that a news story worth reporting?
  • Beliefnet.com: Okay, I admit it. I too, need inspiration. There are times when the going gets tough and when the tough gets going, I go to this site. Their gorgeous slideshows like, “10 Ways to Handle Change,” have helped lift my spirits and become a more positive person.
  • Oprah.com: How could I forget Oprah? Her shows never fail to inspire me. But her website also provides inspiration after the show is over. Articles like, “Become the Person You were Meant to Be: Where to Start,” has given me the courage to pursue my passions.

This is just a few of the sites that help inspire me. Do you have any favorites you’d like to share? I’d love to add them to my list!

Carmel

CategoryInspirational Stories, Resources | Comment4 Comments »

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November 4th, 2009

Paris Revisited: How Memories Bring Inspiration

Sorry all! I haven’t been 2inspiring lately have I? I’ve been on the road to accomplish and succeed and consequently haven’t spent enough time reflecting on what inspires me.

But what’s amazing is that even when we’re not feeling it, there are tons of inspiring things happening around us all the time. Even simple things like walking through falling fall leaves, autumn’s spine tingly chill, the faint sweet smell of dryer sheets and the tomatoey goodness in a can of spaghetti can transfer me back to childhood. Funny how magic can be found in such simple things.

Similarly, I wrote this a week ago when remembering a trip I took to Paris for the 1st time…

The fresh smell of unearthed earth.  Sounds of our newly broken in sandals traverse the cobble stone and as the occasional horn beeped shaking us into reality, we’re reminded once again that we’re in this breathtaking city.  It was that cliche standing in all its glory that spoke volumes of our present and future.  That mystical Eiffel Tower.  It penetrated deep like the sharp winds that blew dust, rain and heart break in our faces.  How could two souls as poor as we, have this opportunity?  Poor as dirt, yet touching now the soil of history right beneath our feet.  We had 12 hours and counting and we were intent on making them feel like eternity.

Paris Revisited

CategoryInspirational Stories | CommentNo Comments »

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