Today’s not my day for posting on 2inspired. But if you’re interested in seeing what other posts I’ve got, check out not2shabby for wallet-friendly ideas. I’m also a guest blogger on The Life Uncommon today. Go there to read my, “5 Creative Ways to Get Unstuck” to get motivated. Happy Mother’s Day! See you guys back on Monday with fresh new posts.
May 6th, 2010
Fulfillment of Wishes
That’s the angel card I picked today. And it was spine-tinglingly true! Several months ago I created a wish board. Actually you may have seen the newer version. One of the things on it was a blue Nissan Altima.
I’ve been needing a car for about a year now. My old black 200sx was pushing its limits at over 100,000 miles and leaking oil. There just didn’t seem to be the time to look for one or the money to fund it. Then, this past weekend my husband and I finally went car shopping.
You might have already guessed. But there it was-a blue Nissan Altima. Just the one I had been dreaming about for months. It was above our budget so I thought it just wasn’t the right time or the right one. But I got coerced to staying at the dealers for 5 hours! Five hours of negotiating my dream car. I don’t know where the energy came from, but I was able to bring down the price of the vehicle thousands of dollars below its Kelley Blue Book value. After we left, I was hungry, tired and lost my voice, but I did it! I negotiated my way to getting my dream car.
This isn’t a story about material gain. Actually I think the car represents something more important-self-empowerment. Now every time I open the door and get into it, I am reminded that dreams can come true. I’m reminded that I am strong enough to get what I want. And that like Oprah Winfrey once said, “Your home should rise up to meet you,” my car is now doing the same.
Hence, the reason why the car was so appropriate. It brought me hope and reminded me that you really can create your own destiny. And that what you think your worth is represented in the decisions you make, as well as the people and the opportunities that you draw into your life.
It may sound corny, but believe in yourself and your dreams really do come true!
May 4th, 2010
Week 8: The Joy of Laughter
A few nights ago, I was on the phone with my mom. It was 11:30 at night and after a week of freelance work, I was pooped. The kind of tired that makes you slur like a/your drunk. It also made me spontaneously guffaw. Sure laughing while conversing with your parent doesn’t seem abnormal, but it was the context that was odd. I was getting her credit card information and suddenly a giggle escaped from my mouth. It startled me so much that I quickly covered it up with a cough. The strange incident got me perplexed until I read, “Chapter 8: Laughter” of Martha Beck’s The Joy Diet.
According to Beck, we should be hee-hawing and guffawing 30x’s in a day! Laughing clears the tension, unclogs feelings of anxiety and brings you closer to a more authentic life. Since I made that leap from corporate cubicle to work-at-home freelancing, however laughing is harder to come by. I think my unexpected chortle a few nights ago was the result of my soul not getting its daily shot of laughter.
This exercise got me reminiscing about my earlier laughing years. While it was not always fun and games, I remember chuckling quite often. I once laughed and could not stop laughing for no real reason (laughing strategy 5) when my dorm mate was taking a nap. Another time, I cracked up when as a band leader (yes I was a band geek), I forgot everyone’s music in my section. We faked it the entire performance! And there have been thousands of times I laughed at myself (laughing strategy 6)-when I fell down flat on my face or when I took belly dancing for the first time and saw how dumb I looked trying to shake my belly. Beck says we laugh at the most anxiety provoking times, which explains why we sometimes burst out in laughter at the most serious moments. My cousins and I couldn’t stop laughing, for example, at our grandfather’s funeral. We weren’t trying to be disrespectful. I think the emotions were too intense for our young selves and laughing was the best remedy.
Nowadays laughter seems to seep out in surprising places especially when I don’t make the time for a good guffaw. How many of you are doing the same? Taking life just a bit too seriously and not taking fun and laughter seriously enough?
When I thought about the “dramas” in my life the last few weeks and saw it through the eyes of humor, I felt the weight lift from my shoulders. My ‘aha’ moment was realizing that almost nothing was so serious that I couldn’t laugh my way out of.
Try it for yourself.
The good news is laughing is fun, it does not take money and is not hard.
- Make a point to spend time with funny people, watch movies, television shows, read books and articles to make you laugh and see if you find the solution to a pressing problem, feel less heavy and closer to feeling more joyful.
Get started with this:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clw7SAJs_6w]
April 27th, 2010
Finding Purpose Through Tragedy
If you’re feeling stuck, as in you’re stagnating, floating, but not making a real impression in life, then I’d dare you to try something different. You may be treading in shallow waters out of fear.
I tried it this weekend when I did something most introverts wouldn’t dare do-man a booth for 8 hours at a festival filled with several hundred people. Without meaning to, I gained a lot more than a nose tan and a sore behind. I learned not only that there was an entire community out there that I could connect with, but that there was a vast sea of opportunity right outside of my front door. If you can only get past your fears, you may discover your true path and find meaning in your life.
Speaking of which, it’s week #7 of The Joy Diet. And it’s playtime! One of the little nuggets of wisdom that I adore in this chapter is its stress on playing for your career. If you’re still scratching your head in confusion and unclear about your life’s purpose-your career-try answering this question.
Beck asks us, “What did you do on the evening of September 11, 2001?
The reason? In the midst of tragedy, we often are reminded that life is short. Suddenly, life takes on new meaning and we return to what is true to us.
On September 11th, I remember going into work, which was really pointless. None of us got anything done. Except I do remember doing one thing with passion. I sat at my desk and wrote a poem. Then, when I went home that evening, I wrote an article for the local newspaper. Tragedy forced out my true calling. And I think if it happened to me, it might just do the same for you.
This week, I dare you to do something out of the ordinary (whether it’s taking a new class or trying a new hobby), then sit down and remember what you were doing on September 11th. See if doing them will spark a new or renewed interest in your calling and help reconnect you to your true purpose and find meaning in your life.
Book Reviews, Facing Fears, Following your dreams | 
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April 24th, 2010
How Goofing Off Can Make You More Productive
I’m stuck on item #6 of The Joy Diet and would like to stay here awhile please. Making 2 treats a part of my every day has been a blessing. Not just for my soul, but for my wallet too.
Sometimes we get so focused on our goals or obsessed with daily superficialities (iphone, ipads, gossip, buying a home, etc.) that we lose sight of the here and now. This actually works against us and our ultimate goals-to be happy, successful and to feel whole.
I know because I’ve been a workaholic lately. Digging my nails deep into the present and throwing it all in there. I’ve been reading books and articles online, crafting not2shabby things and taking classes all in the hope of making me better at something. I ended up spreading myself thin with nothing left to give and worse-with nothing left to show for it.
Have you ever been there before?
Sometimes like the empty room in a home that needs to be filled we allow worry and fear to inhabit it instead of giving time, patience and faith to let things fill it organically.
Know what I mean?
It’s what happens when an empty dining room table gets replaced with junk or why the fear of no job/relationship makes way for jobs/relationships you don’t want. Out of fear comes desperation and more things we don’t want or need in our lives. Out of faith comes the life we’re destined to live. The latter takes courage to get there.
Goofing off helps.
Last week of The Joy Diet was an easy one. And surprisingly it brought my passion back. I stopped crafting, writing, and reading things related to my career. Instead, I flipped through fun magazines and watched a few episodes of Oprah. It just so happens that I caught two shows related to my passions (Earth Day and a show about people in their dream jobs). It reminded me about my passion to help the environment, why I write, and why I sacrifice time and money to do what I do. It inspired me to write this post and gave me the hope I needed to continue on the journey in faith, not fear.
Here’s a Joy Diet Challenge:
Take an hour or a few hours a day or even a week if you can and devote the time solely to you and your passion. It could be riding a bike, taking a hike, rediscovering your love for art by visiting a museum or watching a movie. Just do something unrelated to your career. Have fun and you’ll see passion, excitement and joy returning to your life-the fuel necessary to help manifest the life of your dreams.
April 21st, 2010
Happy Earth Day 2010!
Earth Day is the one day we have to celebrate someone pretty special. It’s probably not coincidental that it’s celebrated so close to our other mother’s special day, Mother’s Day. They’re two very important people.
But here’s another coincidence or do I dare say serendipitous event-it’s also treat week, the 6th item of The Joy Diet.
How does it relate to this earth-friendly holiday?
Martha asks us to list 10 things that make us smile. I discovered that the majority of what was on my list were things like, “Feeling the sunshine on my face, hearing the sound of the wind as it flows through the trees, digging my toes through the sand at the beach, and smelling that warm salty air of the ocean.”
Surprised? It surprised me too.
I thought for sure somewhere on the list would be winning a large amount of money, taking a trip to Europe, getting a full spa day, or at the very least eating my favorite junk foods. But when push came to shove I realized that it’s the small every day things that cause my frown to turn upside down.
What would we do without our mother earth?
I’d smile a lot less for sure. Anyway you look at it, there is only one earth. I hope on this day, we can all do something big and small (reuse items or use less toilet paper/napkins e.g.) to make a difference to our one planet.
If you’re in need of some inspiration, check out this video from Ted.com. Artist, and photographer Chris Jordan will easily make you rethink your often unconscious, yet unthinkable long-term actions to the earth. He gives us a visual representation of what earth day really means.
In the meantime, I’ll be thinking up new repurposing ideas, trying to shut down my computer more so I can spend more time appreciating the earth. And this week in particular, I’ll be giving myself two treats a day for the Joy Diet. I’m on my way to the ultimate goal of experiencing more joy!
[ted id=279]
April 20th, 2010
Resolutions in Review
Busyness is sometimes a blessing, sometimes a distraction. In my freelance writing case, it’s a good thing. But while I’ve been writing up new magazine and newspaper articles, editing for a few new clients and firming up a few more interviews and book giveaways on 2inspired (stay tuned for that) I’ve also been doing a few other things on my own. There’s crafting, photography, and hmmm…rethinking old resolutions. In fact, I went as far back as 2008 to see what I’ve done and not done on my list. I figured 2 years should have been enough time to accomplish my goals. Let’s see…
Here’s what I wrote:
1. Write more!
2. Spend less.
3. Travel to New York.
4. Write a gratitude journal.
5. Keep a food diary.
6. Volunteer.
7. Spend time doing something fun every day.
8. Create a timeline for my dream career.
9. Meditate at least weekly!
10. Be open to possibility.
Have I resolved those resolutions?
I can honestly say I could check more than half off my list. No. 1 (write more) has grown exponentially since I’ve completely no. 8 (timeline for my dream career). I traveled to New York in 2009 (what a great trip!) and #s 7, 9 and 10 are being accomplished with The Joy Diet. I’ve still got a few items on my list to work on like volunteering and keeping a food journal. But I’m wondering how you did?
Have you checked your New Year’s Resolutions list recently?
One of the zany and sometimes frustrating things about life is that you can’t plan for everything. I was lucky, for example, that I was able to travel to New York last year. This year I may not have been so lucky. Also, there’s things I’ve done that weren’t even a seed in my mind a few years ago-like photography.
My dad has always been a photographer to me. He’s done weddings before. And when I was a kid he was the only one I knew who intentionally double exposed his pictures to get a unique shot.
I never thought I could take a photo to save my life. But I was always passionate about pictures. Pictures that could inspire. Photos that like my aunt and uncle’s wedding song, “If,” (as in “If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can’t I paint you?”) could speak a thousand words. In a college art class, I created a book filled with photos and poetry/essays intertwined, never realizing that one day I’d do the same thing online. Thank goodness for the blog!
Well, I’ve created a gallery of photos and showed them to my dad recently. I was shocked when he said that he knew photography and knew these were good. He also said they were “quirky,” and that I broke all the rules, yet still came up with beautiful photos. Thanks dad!
But I’m still not sure. What do you think of them?
For the rest of my photos, please see my online gallery.
April 15th, 2010
Week #5: Risk
I pulled out a fortune from a cookie a few months ago and it read, “Your courage will reap rewards for you.” It’s a perfect statement to describe this week’s focus of The Joy Diet. In week #4, Ms. Martha had us visualizing our desires, now we have to put our money where our mouth is.
I’ve already been inspired by the Oprah show recently, when Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin empire, was on. This adventurous dude who is one of the most wealthiest people in the world and has his own private island, believes in going for your dreams and he does so in a way that would make most people blush, then faint. Somehow I think he follows this week’s goal to a tee.
Although I’m not Sir Branson-ready, I do feel in the mood to walk through a few first to get to my dreams. It may be the reason why I turned into Jim Carrey’s character in The Yes Man recently. Saying ‘yes’ to something I normally wouldn’t do.
I agreed to walk around my community selling ads for a local newspaper. While I’m not necessarily (I’ll use Sir Branson’s word) virgin in this area, I don’t get excited about doing it. I don’t think any introvert would. But I said, “Yes!” I took the challenge, walking through 15 shops in 1 afternoon.
I’m not going to lie and tell you my life was forever changed, cause it wasn’t. But I did get something out of it. As I willingly took the role as a salesman for the day, I saw people change how they reacted to me. While most of the people I met were kind, a lot of them (who I’ve interacted before as a consumer) went in hiding-literally not wanting to talk to me or were quick to brush me aside. I learned two things: 1) how to become a better salesman 2) that it really didn’t matter how people perceived me. I was just playing a role. They weren’t rejecting me. They were rejecting what I was selling.
It may sound like common sense, but for someone who makes a living as a freelance writer, getting rejected is a daily, soul-crunching experience. Taking a risk and getting rejected for something less personal, empowered me. I realized that like being a salesman, a writer was just another one of my roles. It wasn’t who I was. It was something I did. And in this business we call life, taking a risk, and risking rejection is the only way we can find success and ultimately happiness.
What’s the next item on my risk list?
- Writing a book
I know this one seems kind of wild and crazy. But the good thing is that Martha lets us break up the risk into small steps so it feels less intimidating. For now, I’m going to just research classes on writing books and read other books created by the publisher I’m interested in. Then see what happens next. Hey if I fall and crash and burn, at least you’ll know I gave it my all and tried.
If you really want to find joy and achieve your dreams, you’re going to have to work for it. And this week’s work is all about how much you’re willing to risk.
What are you willing to risk this week?
Following your dreams, Inspirational Stories | No Comments »
April 13th, 2010
The Universe is Funny: A God Wink Midway to Vegas
I’m excited to talk about week #5 of The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life
But here I go. So I was on my way to Vegas when stormy weather made our tiny plane swish up and down until my heart felt like it would stop and my stomach would leap into my chest. Thank goodness it lasted only for a few minutes, otherwise I might have needed that white bag tucked in the seat pocket.
Anyway I was grateful to get off the plane and stood up quite fast when we landed. My relief was only temporarily abated, however, as a man a few rows in front of me decided that it was now safe to start shouting. He yelled from the time we stood up to the time we walked through the terminal and went our separate ways.
What was he yapping about?
He said that other people were being “rude,” because they were in a rush to get out of the plane. “People are so rude these days! Why is everyone in such a hurry? People are going to get hurt!” On and on until I eventually blocked out the sound of his voice. Mostly, I thought it was ironic that he was calling everyone else “rude.”
Here’s why God/the Universe is funny.
On the way back from Vegas, I got on the plane late, thereby having to ask the two men sitting in my row to scoot so I can get to my window seat. I was so exhausted from my trip, however, that I could barely find the energy to speak. I just stared at them instead. The guy sitting at the aisle stared back and gave me a look that if translated would say, “What the hell are you looking at?!” His friend, the guy in the middle, however, smiled and stood up right away.
Although he seemed nice, the middle guy and his aisle friend were loud and sounded rude so I closed my eyes hoping the time would pass by fast. I started to notice that the middle guy would stop talking when I was sleeping, which made me very self-conscious so I ended up keeping my eyes opened. I ordered a drink instead and was surprised with the middle guy reached up to get my drink and handed to me.
When I thought everything was going well, the flight was super smooth and my seat mates were quiet, a storm started to brew outside. Suddenly, the plane shook rapidly back and forth as if we were on the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland. I freaked and was surprised when my neighbor smiled and started talking to me. He said he was just thinking that the plane ride was so smooth, very different from his trip to Vegas. That time there was thunder and lightning and he thought the plane had been hit. We started chatting and I asked him how long he was in Vegas. He said, “Three days.”
Funny I thought. I had just gotten there three days ago too.
After the turbulence went from bumpy to nonexistent, I settled back into my seat. Soon after, I fell asleep again only to be abruptly woken up by the sound and feel of the plane dropping a few feet onto the runway.
The guy next to me turned and smiled again telling me about a time when he rode a plane to Colorado that flew in a fog and dropped down even harder than this.
After we landed safely, thankfully, I got ready to grab my stuff. My neighbor was kind enough to let me go first and helped me to carry my suitcase down from the overhead compartment. But then I heard a strange, but unexpected sound.
He started to yell at everyone saying, “Hey! No one’s going anywhere. There’s no reason to rush.”
I thought to myself,”Could this be the same guy I pronounced as rude only three days ago?”
I followed him through the terminal and heard the exact same statements I heard only a few days before. He mentioned how people could get hurt from tearing their suitcase down and asked why people were so impatient? Then he said, maybe he was getting to be a loudmouth in his old age.
It was the same guy!
I think what the experience taught me is not to be in a hurry to judge people. This guy who I initially labeled as rude and crass ended up being extra nice to me. His anger was out of concern for the people he was with and I was embarrassed for how I immediately judged him.
In the end, I truly believe I met him for a reason and am grateful for the lesson he taught me.
April 12th, 2010
2inspired Inspiration Board
While you’re reading this, I should be in Las Vegas, a place where people risk it big (*a hint to this week’s Joy Diet item). I’ll be posting more about that later in the week.
But today’s inspiration?
It’s the inspiration board. I wrote about it in a front of the magazine article for the May issue of The Writer. And I decided that while everyone else gets organized for the spring season, I’m going to re-envision my dream board. I think it’s a perfect way to keep myself on track, have a visual representation of my goals and stay motivated for the rest of the year. If you’re itching to do your own, you can go there.
As for my board, I’ll share it with you here:
As you can see, topping my list for this month carried over from January is getting tickets to see Oprah at the Oprah Winfrey show, which feels even harder since she’s announced her final season. A house, car, traveling, working on a project with like-minded creative and spiritual people, eating healthily, being financially successful and writing a book also top my tadbit ambitious board (you think?).
How about you? What have you got cookin’ for these next few months?