I just added a new tab to my 2inspired blog. It’s a portfolio of a few of my past writing samples. If you are thinking of hiring a writer for your business, or just curious to know what I’ve been up to, check it out.
August 14th, 2009
A Personal Dream Fulfilled
One of my dreams is to see my name in a magazine. My ultimate wish is to be a magazine columnist. That’s why I was over the moon when I finally saw my name in print. It may be a small step in the publishing world but a big step for a small town girl like me.
If you are interested in reading the full article, go here.
Following your dreams, Freelance writing, Inspirational Stories | 
2 Comments »
August 11th, 2009
Just Say No: How Saying No Can Help You Say Yes to What You Really Want
On the well worn path toward the gold at the end of the rainbow, there will be many sidesteps along the way. Sometimes the road is unpaved and hard and there are no signs along the way to alert you where to go. And then you see a temporary haven, an easy way out, a shortcut towards your dreams. The question is do you take it?
Well if you have been reading my blog for a few weeks now, you know that I’ve favored saying yes in the past. That’s why you might be surprised to now read that I’ve had a change of heart. Maybe it is not always good to say yes to every opportunity. In fact, recently I have relearned the value of saying no.
Sometimes when we’re on our way to fulfilling our dreams it can seem like forever and the gap between where we are now until where we want to be can feel overwhelming. But oftentimes we can’t see how close we are to the end. We’re on our final lap and we don’t even know it but in our frustration we may give up too easily.
When we are feeling desperate, we start desiring anything and everything. You know the feeling you get when you’ve been dieting for too long and EVERYTHING starts to look good! Well that’s what happens when you feel like you’ll never get the relationship, the job, or that plum writing assignment you are dreaming of. Out of desperation you begin thinking of giving up. You might think to yourself, “I might as well just ___ (fill in the blank with your chosen act of desperation) because I won’t ever get to ______ (fill in the blank with your dream).”
Well I’m hear to tell you, “Just Say No!” Although the temptation may be great, taking that low paying job or that high paying job you hate just because you are worried you won’t ever get there will only get you even farther from your dreams. Stick to your goals. Remember why you came here in the first place. And don’t ever let your feelings of insecurites, self-doubt and desperation talk you into saying yes to living a life that’s less than the one that you deserve. You will get there with time, patience, hard work and the belief that you can really succeed. Trust me. Saying yes to opportunities you don’t believe in and that doesn’t fulfill you is less of an opportunity and more of a temporary shortcut, one that will undermine your hardwork and prevent you from living the life of your dreams.
August 7th, 2009
Finding Inspiration in Books
You know the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”? Well I would also say that it takes a village to follow your dreams. There are a lot of people that helped motivate me to quit my mundane corporate job. Although I was passionate and ready, when the majority tells you to stay and fit in with society, going against the grain is difficult to say the least.
And though I am not receiving any Pulitzers anytime soon, I have done better than I expected in a surprisingly short period of time. For that I have a lot to be grateful for and a lot of people to thank. So if I was standing on the podium now, giving my, “I’d like to thank the Academy speech,” I’d start off by thanking my husband, my friends and family that support me, my coach Jaqui, fellow freelance writers and all the books that have pushed me from maybe to, “Yes, I can!” I thought I’d leave a list of resources for those of you looking to take your own leap into dreamville.
- A great book for helping you find your dreams and then giving you the courage to follow them: Martha Beck, “Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live“
- Helped me to discover what kind of artist I was and how that effects the best career for me. Great for other creatives out there: Carol Lloyd, “Creating a Life Worth Living-A Practical Course in Career Design for Artists, Innovators, and Others Aspiring to a Creative Life.”
- Strengthens your intuitive muscle: Thomas Moore, “A Life at Work-The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do.”
- Helps you to create a plan to escape from the corporate jungle: Michelle Goodman, “The Anti 9 to 5 Guide-Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube.”
- This book gave me hope that I can do it on my own, that there were others going through the same ups and downs as me and that we could all come out alive, happy and successful: Kristen Fischer, “Creative Self-Employed-How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs.”
- Absolutely loved this book. It was one of the first books I read about helping me rediscover my dream to be a writer: Barbara Sher, “I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was-How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It.”
- Great book for women entrepreneurs: Lauren Bacon & Emira Mears, “The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business.”
Whew! That was a lot of books. I still have a whole bunch that I’m still reading. Stay tuned for more lists of great resources for creative dreamers like me.
August 4th, 2009
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Read This Before You Go After Your Dreams
When I left corporate life almost a month ago, I didn’t realize how different going on my own would be. I did not know for example, how freeing it would be or how I would suddenly feel alive again. I also didn’t know how emotionally challenging and financially straining it could be. I remember a friend telling me something similar about having a baby. She said she knew it would be hard, but was surprised at how hard. In this way, creating your own business or going for your dream job are a lot like having your own baby. It’s a creative endeavor that requires courage, strength, and perseverance. You love it. It’s yours but no one likes to talk about the hard part. So here’s the realistic side of going for your dreams.
- It will test every ounce of courage you have. It will test your faith. And it will force you to face every insecurity and self-doubt you have about your abilities, intentions and passion. Is this REALLY what you want to do? Be prepared because life will ask you this question over and over again with every challenge that comes your way. Think about this every time, you receive a letter of rejection. Think about how much you want it.
- There are a lot of wolves out there. Not everyone out in the world is nice and friendly. When you work at a regular 9 to 5, you deal with difficult people but you know who they are and what to expect. When you go out on your own, the wolves sometimes are disguised and you never know who you’re getting-the nice old lady or the money hungry wolf. Be kind and courteous to everyone and if you don’t receive that in return, look for the nearest exit.
- You’ll lose sight of your goals. It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the emotional stuff that comes with following your dreams. The reason? Because it’s personal. What’s not personal are the negative reactions of others, critiques you get, and any seemingly misstep along the way. Remember who you are, why you’re doing this and you will remember what you are doing here in the first place. Use that to counterattack any negativity that comes your way.
- You will question your abilities. When life is good, things seem easy. Smooth sailing doesn’t always last, however. And that’s a good thing. Challenges and bumps in the road are there to force us to grow and get out of our comfort zone. In the corporate world I often thought, “This is too easy and I’m bored!” When you start asking yourself, “Am I really good enough?” You know you’re in the right place.
- You will wonder if you made the right decision to leave. No matter how bad the situation was, you’ll begin to question whether you made the right decision by leaving. The fear of the unknown is often the culprit. All it should take is a trip down memory lane to remind you why you left in the first place. Keep your eyes looking forward and don’t look back. Remember that the grass is always greener on the other side.
Growth exists somewhere between being too comfortable and being uncomfortable. Here’s hoping that no matter where you are, you find a bit of good in the bad and beauty in the ugly. 
Freelance writing, Inspirational Stories, Life | 8 Comments »
August 3rd, 2009
Practice Your Happy Dance
I just finished reading The Boss of You by Emira Mears and Lauren Bacon. They devoted an entire chapter about celebrating your successes. An entire chapter! What does that say? Well to me it says being your own cheerleader is just as important as anything else when following your dreams.
This means no more thinking that the happy dance or that bottle of champagne that you’ve been saving, are for when you REALLY strike it big. The little moments deserve attention too. In fact, in their book Mears and Bacon list risk taking and even enduring a rough week as enough reason to celebrate and I agree. If not now, then when?
Sometimes we have this fear, usually us women, that if we indulge in a little celebration, that arrogance that life is really going well will come back and bite us in the behind. But I think that kind of thinking only sets us up for more disappointment. Life has its ups and downs but when we do a little happy dance when things are good, we’re inviting more good things our way. And we can either focus on being grateful for what we do have or suffer in what we don’t. I’d chose the former and I’d advise you to do the same.
After all, the path of a dreamer is a long, challenging one. We’re going to need a lot of happy dances along the way!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRwsTyUPIYE&hl=en&fs=1&]
July 31st, 2009
One Week of Listening to Yourself
We get information overload everytime we switch on our computers. We’re logged on, Facebooked, Twittered, Myspaced, Stumbled Upon, etc. No wonder we can’t decide what to do with our lives, let alone decide what to do right now.
That’s the reason why I decided that for 1 week I would get quiet, centered and focus inward. There will always need to be something to do, something to stress about, someone who knows better than me telling me what I should do. But for just one whole week, I’m going to try and listen to myself.
This means whenever I have an instinct about something, no matter how tiny or quiet and seemingly insignificant, I am going to follow it. This experiment grew out of a desire to see if we really have the answers to all of our problems. You know the belief that the answer “lies within.” Well I’m going to try it.
What about you? Do you have problems like me listening to your inner voice, or are you a whiz at following your instincts?
My hope is that by listening to myself, I will get even closer to my dreams.
Here’s another tool for that as well. Oprah.com has a new application on their website that you can download for free. It’s the O Dream Board, a virtual vision board that allows you to upload pictures from your computer or their site to create the digital version of your dreams. I’ve already started using it and it’s been fun! I’ll let you know if it works.
July 29th, 2009
Saying Yay to the Naysayers!
I just finished watching a very inspirational documentary on PBS aptly titled, “Following Dreams.” Part of what moved me was the fact that it followed 8 people of various ages and aspirations, on pursuit of their dreams.
The thing is, taking the step to fulfill your dreams can bring out the worst in others. It’s kind of like that piece of hair that drives people nuts because they can’t get down. You want to stand out and that makes the ones that stay down with everyone else, uncomfortable. Like one woman from the program says, “When you believe in something, you can get a lot of negativity around you.”
That’s why it was comforting to see that I wasn’t the only one. That there is a band of dreamers like me who would like to scream, “Yes we can!” to those naysayers. And if you are reading this and in the same boat as me, know that you too are not alone. There are many of us searching, struggling, and doing everything we can to fulfill our dreams. Let’s support each other on the journey and remember to be positive and compassionate to those who are struggling too.
The road is not easy. It’s windy, bumpy, scary, unpredictable and there are no guarantees that you’ll come out alive. But on the other hand, if you take this road, you’ve got a great shot at happiness.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXeAIuyEks0&hl=en&fs=1&]
July 28th, 2009
Follow the Beat of Your Own Drum
“Walk away from the 97% crowd. Don’t use their excuses. Take charge of your own life.” — Jim Rohn
I’ve never been one to follow the crowd. I remember being in elementary school arguing with my classmates that their crayon drawing of green grass was incorrect because it did not have the brown dirt under it. Anal, I know!
And while my need to follow the beat of my own drum still stays with me today, I now see how doing so can be beneficial in the long run. Great people are the ones that makes waves and are not always the ones who passively ride them. It made me think, maybe being stubborn has its advantages after all.
In fact, whenever I decide to do something that makes people cringe and cry out, “Why are you doing that?” I kind of think I might be on the right track. I’m not saying of course that I like to be different just for the sake of rebelling. But there is something to be said about the road less travelled. If everyone is doing it, maybe you should ask yourself not why aren’t I doing it too but what else can I do?
If we spend our lives being like everyone else, walking in their shoes, we never get the chance to be the person we were meant to be. We may live a safe life. We may have the support of the majority. But we will always wonder what if. So the next time you are hesitant to stand out from the crowd, remember this. You not only have every right to follow the beat of your own drum but you were born to.
Freelance writing, Inspirational Stories, job | No Comments »
July 27th, 2009
Overcome Fear With Faith and Doubt With Surrender
Fear, a common subject on 2inspired, is spreading like wildfire. Terreece Clarke, from Freelance Writing Gigs wrote about how it affects writing success. Life coach Jaqui Duvall said it was a common obstacle among dream chasers in Successful Dreamers. And now Dr. Oz?
Oprah’s Radio Show host Dr. Oz interviewed Ariane de Bonvoisin, a change expert. In this short but powerful audio clip, he describes fear as “a change demon that prevents you from making change in your life.” Dr. Oz also says that “fear can be overcome by faith and doubt by surrender.”
Although this 8 min clip deals with change such as quitting smoking or losing weight rather than following your dreams, there is a common thread that unites the two. It is the challenge to get through all of our stuff to get to where we want to be. Ariane explains this as many things including acceptance and surrender of the unknown and having patience to get through the difficult times. This also applies to taking that big leap into living the life of our dreams. When doubt comes knocking, do we answer it with fear or with surrender? The way we answer may predict how likely we are to get to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Want to learn more? Take a listen to this short audio and be inspired.