Archive for ‘Following your dreams’

August 9th, 2010

Overwhelmed’s Sinister Uglier Sister

In my last post, I talked about being overwhelmed. What I didn’t tell you is that overwhelmed has an older sister. An uglier, sinister one.

Underwhelmed.

The underwhelmed thrives on your fears. It makes you feel like everything is going hunky dory on the surface. Yet, every once in awhile, something sinister creeps up.

You wonder why your business is slowing down, for example. Or why you keep working and working, but you have nothing to show for it.

It’s underwhelmed. She’s working to destroy you, one boring, one uninteresting feat at a time. read more »

CategoryFacing Fears, Following your dreams | Comment2 Comments »

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August 3rd, 2010

Don’t Be Fooled. Mistakes are Not the Enemy!

I don’t know about you, but I’m not perfect. In fact, I’m far from it. You’ll probably see misspellings and grammar errors here and there. And I’ll admit that some of my posts were 100% mistakes on my part.

And you know what?

I’m pretty ecstatic about it.

And nope I’m not a masochist either.

I’ve just learned something important-you may say life changing-about mistakes over the years.

They are good things!

In fact, I’m almost too thrilled when another error has taken place.

Why?

read more »

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July 28th, 2010

I Saw the Sign: Five Ways to Get Your Life Back on Track

“And it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign. Life is demanding without understanding.”

Pardon me, while I belt a few tunes from a favorite 80’s song. It’s been a rough, downhill slide back into reality after a long and much need vacay.

But thank goodness that I’m a big…no make that HUGE believer in signs.

And I’ve been collecting a few along the way. I think they’ll not just lift me up, but inspire you too, no matter what journey you’re on. read more »

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July 14th, 2010

Feeling like Charlie Brown? Turn Mr. Brown’s Frown Upside Down

Before I get into this post, I have to thank you guys for being so diligent and loyal. Somehow you manage to find me here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and at not2shabby on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

How do I know?

My stats look like a roller coaster ride with lots of steep dips on the days I’m not here and huge climbs when I am. So thanks!

Okay back to my original scheduled post…

What to Do When Discouragement Hits

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July 1st, 2010

A Surefire Way to Burn Out, Pt.1

Yep it’s summer! July 1st only a handful of days left until 4th of July! But before you go firing up the grill and roasting those marshmallows, listen up. Yes you want to soak up the rays of that gorgeous summer sun, but not only should you protect yourself from sunburn, but also from burn out.

Here are a few things you DON’T want to do to make sure you’re not partied out before the party (your dream life) starts:

  1. Put all your party eggs in one basket. Here’s what that means. Yes, you want to become the best writer there ever was or the most successful teacher or talk show host or self-help guru on this planet. Here’s the thing though. Crawling in a hole and surrounding yourself with all things related to your one dream, is not just insanely boring, but it’s one step toward the death of your dream. Yes, it’s important to learn and know everything you can about your passion, but filling your brain up with it is also a surefire way to kill it. Keep informed. Learned what you must. Talk with those interested in your passion as well. But then, go out, chat with non-writers, be among the rest of the world, stick your head out from under the ground long enough to smell the sweet flowers around you. Then, go back and dive in!
  2. Make everyone your God. Yes sometimes I fall for it too. When times get tough, the weak get listening. And at times our ears fall on the grand population whose words swallow our own. While I think it’s good to learn and observe from those we admire, we also need to keep our own thoughts and good advice in check. A successful guru can chant all he wants about his great pyramid or his gargantuan empire, but in reality we need to live our own lives. So unless you want to give up too early on your dreams, listen compassionately, filter and find what feels right for you.

Sorry guys that’s it for now! Will be back next week for more ways to tip the scale towards burn out. I’ll be on an interview so wish me luck. (Trying not too put all my party eggs in one basket here.)

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June 24th, 2010

The Nostradamus Effect

What do you think of Nostradamus? Inspiring predictor? Prophet? A guy who caused a big hullabaloo about nothing? Maybe all of the above? Well, I’ve got another confession to make. I’m sort of a believer. Unless it’s just that the History channel’s got power’s of manipulation greater than Luke Skywalker and can make me believe just about anything. It could be. I never believed those signs saying, “The End of the World is Coming” before.

Whatever it is, it’s got me a little freaked. I keep thinking, “Okay I got 2 years! What can I do with 2 years!!” Well actually according to Nostradamus, we actually have until December 21, 2012 so we’ve got little more than that. Time until outer space attacks, we get consumed by volcanoes and tidal waves and some unknown disease gets us all. {Great and I thought the ending of the Oprah show was going to kill me!}

Actually the effect of being scared out of my mind by tonight’s show did wonders to my sense of motivation. Even if you’re not a believer and even if the world won’t end in a few years, we’re still on loan here. I hate to break it to you, but we just don’t know when we’re going to leave this good earth.

Here’s another thing. Maybe being on the threshold of time can work in our favor. Instead of looking at your life as a large, endless playing field, why not shorten the end date and get cracking on all the things you’ve ever wanted to do? Of course, I’m going to help you a little with that.

Here are a few resources to get you in gear. Let the countdown begin!

  1. If you’re not ready for change, do this: Write it down. You don’t have to do anything more than that. Just getting your dreams down on paper starts a weird-I-can’t-really-explain-it process that leads you to your goals. Want evidence? A little less than 10 years ago, I wrote in my journal 10 things I wanted to do before I died (kind of like a bucket list). I was shocked by what I read. I had totally forgotten what I wrote. Maybe my conscious mind forgot I wanted to travel to Europe and live on the mainland, but my subconscious took over and helped me to manifest it into reality.
  2. If you’re ready and willing, do this: Create a plan. As someone who is a lot more right-brain creative than left-brain logical, I have a difficult time with getting down to business. Sure coming up with blog ideas is like taking candy from a baby for me, but give me a puzzle and I’ll stare at it for days and never touch it. Yet, even us right-brainers know the importance of plan making. So I’ve been doing my own research on how to create a business plan. What I’ve come up with is 1) Mind Mapping: That’s something you can do with traditional pen and paper or online. I’ve used both mindmeister and Freemind. They’re both free. If you’re not familiar with mind mapping, basically it’s like clouds of ideas. You start with one then branch out with others. It’s kind of like a free write, free thought, anything goes way to problem solve. A former boss and mentor told me about it and I wished I used it sooner. 2) Google Docs: Create a daily/monthly/yearly task list of things you need to do to get to your goals and find the satisfaction of checking them off when they’re completed.

I just realized that a few of my goals have already came true. Remember when I wrote in this post that a voice in my dream told me, “find your niche. Then follow, find and develop friendships with those who are doing what you want to do and will help support you.” Well, recently I’ve gotten two emails inviting me to a book group and a healthy lifestyle group. Who knows? This may be the people I’ve been hoping for.

Now it’s your turn. What will you do now to meet your dreams halfway?

*If you like what you’re reading and want to stay updated with future posts, you can click on this link to have fresh new 2inspired posts sent directly to you. Thanks for being an awesome reader!

{photo credit}

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June 22nd, 2010

A Dirty Little Secret

{photo credit}
Over the weekend, I was flipping and flopping through stations when I serendipitously landed on Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs. You know the one where he does a dirty job for a day – things none of us really dream of doing (cleaning poo, picking up owl vomit, etc.) yet, we’re drawn in like a moth to a flame and can’t stop watching it? Yep, that one.

Well, he had a special on 5 things he learned about employment. They were pretty shocking. So shocking, in fact, that I thought I’d reveal one of the dirty little secrets here.

Are you ready for it?

“Don’t follow your passion, bring it with you.”

Ack! What?! You mean everything I have been saying about passion so far has been…WRONG?!

Well. Maybe.

Guess it all depends how you look at it. Here’s what I think. I think sometimes we wait and wait for _________ (inspiration, love, answers) to come before we take action. We think maybe like Chicken Little, something’s gotta drop down from the heavens and hit us on the head before we do anything about it.

Instead, the workers Mike Rowe follows have passion because they found it in the jobs that they were already in. Sure, part of living a happy life in any situation you’re in, is your attitude. Actually that’s a HUGE part of it! That’s something you can control. That means if you’re typing away at a job you dislike, but you’ve got to be there to support your family, for example, you can still have a happy life. There are things you can do in the meantime to keep your head above water. It also means that every job has someone who’s passionate about doing it. Those people are the real deal. They can find energy, excitement and gratitude, even flow in what they’re doing.

What it doesn’t mean is that you have to settle for the rest of your life, doing something you despise or that you’ll never, ever figure out your purpose in life. On the contrary, what it means is that we have choices. We can make the best of the situation we are in now, while still working on our dreams. Yes, you can have passion in what ever you do even if you dislike what you’re doing. You can bring that passion with you on your journey so that one day soon you’ll find out what you’re purpose is in life. The thing is, you won’t know until you go out and try it.

How would you ever know you’re destined to be a _________ (toilet crusher, worm catcher, etc.) or the many other unique jobs there are out there unless you try it? Try it and give your over 100% effort and then see how you feel. Do that and you’ll be one step closer to finding your dream career.

Trust me. I went from private investigator to research assistant, then realized and reconfirmed my dream to be a writer.

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May 18th, 2010

A Few Inspiring Notes

I’ve been hearing a few inspiring quotes a little over here and a little over there.

Here’s a few tidbits I’ve been learning about that I wanted to share with you here:

A few posts ago I talked about Oprah’s recent episode on, “Women, Food and God.” Something else she said really shook me to the core. She talked about how she still struggles with being a people pleaser. That no matter how successful/powerful/wealthy she is, whenever she has to say, “No” to someone, a part of her is afraid inside. It brought her back to a time when she was beaten by her grandmother and was not only forbidden to fight back, but to express her pain. Oprah said every time she is put in a situation where she has to say no, she is reminded of that. She doesn’t just feel bad about doing so, but in that moment she feels like she is a child, a child who will be annihilated.

I wonder how much of us quench our passions and suffocate our desires because as children we were not given a voice or the ability to express our needs. I wonder how much of our dreams are put on hold because of it. How much of who we are and who we aspire to be gets passed up because of someone told us we can’t do it.

Dealing with past fears isn’t something you can do alone. If you’re on a path towards your dreams, but feel stuck, afraid, and uncertain, don’t stop now, keep going. Seek professional help if you need to. You will get there. You just need the support, self-compassion and the help to do it!

If you need some extra motivation, Oprah.com has a great article with advice from 8 top coaches.

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May 17th, 2010

Shunning the Negative Peeps

Oprah’s show last week on the book Women, Food and God really affected me. (For a free excerpt see Oprah.com.) Funny that it wasn’t food or God that were shocking, but her emphasis on women and relationships.

There were two things in particular I found worth sharing here:

1. How our obsessions with ______ (food, clothes, money, etc.) affect not just our relationships with our self and others, but our society and the world as a whole. If all of our energy is going on how to fix ourselves (our weight/body), how much less energy are we giving to the world? I realized that maybe the greatest disrespect we are doing to ourselves and the future of our world is by pushing down our emotions and holding back our gifts. It’s a sad disturbing situation that I think every woman, myself included, needs to change for good. Let’s celebrate who we are! Banish our negative thoughts and fully embrace what we have to offer the world. I think as women we have a responsibility to support each other to be better and live more authentic lives, growing closer to who we are meant to be while leaving our former insecure selves behind.

2. Surround yourself with positivity. When Oprah talked about love and relationships, her words of wisdom were so powerful and moving it brought me to tears. She said when someone isn’t happy for you and your successes, it isn’t about you, it is about their own self-loathing. I think when we improve ourselves, there are still uphill battles to fight and one is the reaction you get from those around you. When you succeed you are a mirror that reminds others of what they haven’t accomplished and what they haven’t yet achieved. We need to learn how to get beyond our ego and refocus our attention on what we need to do instead of flailing in the sunshine of someone else’s success.

These are two important, yet difficult things to master. Yet, they are certainly necessary in the pursuit of your dreams. Surround yourself with negativity (like the phrase misery loves company) and you’ll only be as good/happy/successful as those you’re with. Focus on what you’re not good at and what you haven’t accomplished and you’ll sabotage yourself up that ladder.

How do we empower ourselves?

Be kind. Open up to the possibility of hope, love and dreams. Find positive, loving and supportive people in your life. Connect to something bigger than yourself whether it’s god, the universe, your own inner soul. Then ever so slowly, lift yourself up, and find your own path, the path that will take you one step at a time toward the life you were meant to live and the woman you were meant to be.

CategoryFollowing your dreams, Happiness | Comment4 Comments »

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May 14th, 2010

What You're Doing Right

I’m a big fan of Twitter for obvious reasons. I’ve got almost 400 kick-butt followers from editors and web designers to small business owners to freelance writers. And I even have a handful of my all-time favorite peeps. (Like Ms. Martha Beck who I’m still blushing in disbelief from her words of humor/wisdom in our recent twitter chats.)

The one thing that I haven’t really enjoyed, however, is the number of tweets and articles out there that tell you what you’re doing wrong. Their provocative, grab you pieces might gain tons more attention that this humble blog does, but I can’t help wonder how helpful they really are.

Maybe in the big scheme of things knowing that I should, for example, have my name as a Twitter handle instead of the name of my blog, is a good thing. It’s also good to know that I shouldn’t be a freelancer if I don’t like sitting at my desk or working alone or doing paperwork or working as a business, etc. But what I see less in the Twitter realm is what we’re doing right.

Why are there so many negative articles and posts out there? Can knowing what we’re doing wrong be more helpful than focusing on what we’re doing right?

Maybe having someone bark orders at some is necessary. Maybe we need the knowledge to come straight and clear for us to get it. But for some, I think a little bit of encouragement would be better.

If you’re on the road to following your passion, would you want someone to berate you for what you’re doing wrong or support you and focus on what you’re doing right?

Maybe it’s a preference thing. But for me, on this journey to freelance freedom, I’d much rather read this.

A top 5 list of what you’re doing right, right now:

  1. If you’re reading this, you’re on your way to an inspiring life. Just taking small steps ends up affecting your life in a big way.
  2. You’ve taken risks. Yesterday, I made a big announcement on Twitter that my dream jobs were as a magazine columnist and a book author. I cringed as I clicked on send. But I did it. It was my way of proclaiming my dream. I took a risk and survived it. Congratulate yourself for even the some bits of discomfort you face!
  3. You’re doing the best you can. Life isn’t about perfection it’s about giving everything you can. Even if you’re sitting in a cubicle dreaming of your dream job, you’re doing what you can with what you have. Not everyone can quit a job they hate right away and that’s okay. Accepting your situation and who you are in the moment may be what you need to get through this moment to the moment of your dreams.
  4. You’ve already come so far. I think it takes a lot to get to a point where you can feel safe and comfortable enough to dream. Even a year ago, I never thought I could write for a living and although I’m still far from my goals, I’m closer than I’ve ever been before. Try to remember where you came from and celebrate your small victories every step of the way. You deserve it!
  5. You’ve kept going. Perseverance is a big thing in life. While others give up with the going gets tough, you’ve stuck through. And aren’t you glad you did? Even if all you’ve ever done is to hold onto that dream. You’ve done more than enough. When the time is right, you’ll have the courage and energy to go for it all! And when you do, let me know. We’ll celebrate that victory together!

A few words about this photo: I have extraordinarily long arms and no I’m not selling an ad for deodorant. I just finished a monstrous of a hike in Santorini and as you can see I was pretty excited.

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