Posts tagged ‘dreams’

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?

April 5th, 2010

How I Made My Own Dreams Come True

The # 1 thing people ask me is, “How do you get all those people on your blog?”

What I think they mean is, “You’re not famous. You’re not that special. You work at home all day so how do you get all those inspiring people to take time from their busy schedule to spend time on 2inspired?”

I know. I get it. Because I’m pretty astounded too.

I started blogging because at the time I was quite fed up. I spent most of my life working at jobs that went from, “eh?” to “EEEEEHHHHH!!!.” In other words, the blah jobs and the “I’d rather do anything else than this” job.

After I was officially in my thirties, I decided that I’d rather risk being poor than taking a job I hated. With that, I opened the door to the possibility of writing again.

I think my first stint as a writer was poetry in elementary school. I started creating my own little newspaper where the top events was a leaky pipe or a sunny day. I got involved with our school’s newsletter and “worked” as an editor when computers were big, bulky things with no pictures. In high school, I joined the newspaper staff and surprised myself by winning a journalism scholarship award-one of only a handful in the state.

‘Til today, I still believe that I won solely based on my one strength. No, it’s not my writing skills, but something I share with Ryan Seacrest. It’s my A for effort.

I truly believe the reason why fiction and nonfiction authors, life coaches and past Olympians visit 2inspired is that I have a passion and that passion makes me high on E: E for energy and effort. It’s also on the graciousness of the people who I meet that makes 2inspired possible.

Well, plus, I ask.

Most people don’t believe that if they ask, they might just get what they want. I ask because my crazy desire to inspire others is greater than my fear of being rejected. I’ve experienced a million and a half rejections in my life and I’m still standing. Most of the time, I surprise myself by getting exactly what I ask for.

I think this goes back to Martha Beck’s Joy Diet and desire. Some people are so afraid of disappointment that they would rather hide their wishes in a closet, then lie them out so the world can see them. Maybe I’m just a little less scared of that. That’s all it is really.

If you want to make your dreams come true, don’t wait for someone to hand it over to you. Don’t wait until you feel good enough to deserve it or until you think you’re talented enough. Don’t wait or else time and the world will pass you by. Work today, one foot in front of the other, and your dreams will be that much closer while your fears will be that much farther behind.

If I waited for permission, for a sign or something that says, “Now you’re ready! You’re talented enough so people won’t laugh behind your back and talk about what a fake you are.” I’d be doing the same thing I did for most of my career. Sit back, watch life happen outside my window and let fear take over.

My point is this.

I’m not any more talented than the next person. What I have is a strong desire to make a difference to others, inspire them while I face my own fears and share the experience through my writing.

I just hope you realize that you can do it too. Follow on that path of whatever it is that makes your heart soar. Allow yourself the chance to shine and live out your dreams with wild abandon. Because really. If you don’t do it, who else will make your dreams come true?


January 20th, 2010

What are your dreams telling you?

I awoke from another symbolic dream a few days ago. I was fleeing from fear. A fear with no shape, no specific face or form. It was a compilation of every man’s fear-snakes, gun shots, and dark shadows. A long corridor led me to a door. I ran with heart pounding, beads of sweat racing down my face and an intensity so strong that I felt it in my every being.

The door was a way out. I opened it and slammed it quickly. Although I could still hear the sounds of fear getting close, I suddenly felt safe. I took a brief look around the room to get some bearing of where I was.

It was a cluttered space filled to the brim with everything you could need to survive-a bed, shelves, TV, clothes, etc. I felt warm and comfortable there but it was also stifling. There were just two windows which were frosted so I couldn’t see out of them. I felt claustrophobic and had an immediate urge to leave so I opened the door. As soon as I did, I saw fear lurking in the hallways and the sound of it took my breath away. I closed the door again and woke up panting.

It took me a few minutes in this waking world to feel safe again. And another few to decipher this nightmare of a dream.

I realized that the room was my comfort zone. It was safe. It had everything I needed to survive. It was devoid of fear and it was comfortable there. But there was no room to breathe. I knew the instant that I fled to it that it was safe to stay where I was, but in order to grow and be free, I needed to step outside my comfort zone and face my fears.

The message? My dreams were telling me, “Wake up and get moving! The world is waiting for you to tackle those fears.”

I love how my dreams talk to me, reminding me that no matter how scary they are, choosing to face my fears rather than hide from them is integral to fully living life. In the end, I realized that I didn’t want to choose a safe, but stagnant life. I didn’t just want to survive. I wanted to thrive.

I think we all have dreams (awake and asleep) that define our destinies. What’s key is setting an intention to remember them and prepare for it by keeping a journal nearby. I think that if you’re open to it, your dreams will be the bridge connecting you to the life you’ve been dreaming of, the authentic life you’ve been searching for.

June 22nd, 2009

Hearing Voices: How to Tell Which One You Should Be Listening to

RomeSometimes I hear voices in my head and no I’m not psychotic.  Listen up cause you might be hearing them too.  They’re the voices that tell you what to do.  But I’m not talking devil on one shoulder and angel on the other (although they might look like that to you).

I’m actually talking about the voices that sound like this, “What makes you think you’re talented enough?” versus “You need to go for it now!”  They both may sound like your voice but they definitely have different personalities.  Let me explain.

When you have a strong inclination to do something whether it’s to quit a job or leave a relationship, the voice is bold, confident and all-knowing.  It’s like the side of you that’s not afraid of anything, that truly believes in yourself, that is unwavering.  

However, there’s another side that often comes out when we try to follow our dreams.  It’s the voice that’s a bit shaky, anxious and desperate that says, “Don’t do it” out of fear.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear that we’re not good enough.  Fear that we don’t have what it takes, so why even try.  It’s this guy, small, insecure and powerless that tends to end up with all the power because we often let it.  We give in to our fear and ignore our instincts and eventually he runs our lives.

There’s another alternative, however.  I’ve learned that whatever voice you begin listening to, the stronger that voice becomes.  If you continue to question yourself, allow doubt and fear to control your decision, the easier it will be for fear to creep into your life.  On the other hand, when you face that fear, go with your instincts and listen to that voice, the easier it will be to follow your dreams and your heart.

So the next time you’re faced with a difficult decision or a fork in a road, remember to tune into who’s talking.  Then, make a conscious decision to listen to the voice that’ll lead you to your dreams.

June 11th, 2009

Blissful Dream or Perfect Nightmare? You Get to Decide!

When my 9 to 5 is quickly putting me in humdrum mode, I dream about what I would do if I could do anything.  Sometimes I’m Carrie Bradshaw typing away on my Apple laptop and having lunches with friends and other times I envision working at a magazine.  Have you ever let your inner child loose too and imagined what it would be like if you could live the life of your wildest fantasies?  

If you have, I bet you never thought that you could actually make that dream come true.  And I’m talking everything from a chocolatier to a TV Producer.  “If you dream it, they will come.”

There’s a company called, “Vocation Vacations” that let you test-drive your dream job for one to three days.  This way you can actually make your dreams come true, experience the job for yourself and in the eyes of a mentor and then decide if it’s still a fantasy or a nightmare.

The downside?  The price is a bit steep ranging from $549-1199.  However, this might be worth the investment if it saves you time and money and furthers your decision to follow your dreams.  Check out their website for more info.

June 8th, 2009

Reach for Success

I subscribe to newsletters from “Green Career Central,” written by its founder Carol McClelland, PhD.  It’s a great resource for anyone looking into a new career and specifically for those on a hunt for an eco-friendly one.  In her recent newsletter she included a link to a video about the “8 Secrets of Success” by Richard St. John.  The video was so compelling that I decided to include it here.  If you’ve got 3 minutes, take a look see.  You may find answers to the questions you’re looking for.  I know I did!

[ted id=”70″]

June 1st, 2009

Magic Bubbles

It’s amazing what happens when you start making decisions based on what you want versus what you think you should do.  Suddenly, things begin to fall into place and that’s when miracles can happen.  

Oprah is a great example of someone who follows her true calling and has had several instances of pure magic.  It’s a great reminder of what happens when we take risks to follow our dreams.  She said once that after seeing a guest on her show make massive magical bubbles she also felt like blowing bubbles.  Then, when she went up to her office she saw a bag filled with a bubblemaker from Tiffany’s.  She thought someone had put it there because of the show but found that the bubblemaker had been sitting there the whole time.  

I wholeheartedly believe that if you take steps to create a clear vision of what you want for yourself, these dreams can come true.  Though the miracles may seem small, I believe that they are constant reminders that life is magical, if only we take the time to tune in and appreciate them.

Like what you just read?  Have some inspirational stories of your own?  Post a comment and/or subscribe to this blog here.

May 19th, 2009

See Your Life Unfold Like a Movie

Maybe I haven’t entirely let go of my favorite TV show Scrubs yet, because today I thought about another poignant piece featured in the last episode.  J.D. was watching his life as if it were a movie.  Specifically, imagining all the amazing possibilities his future could bring like getting married, having more kids, and making memories with his closest friends.  That image gave me goose bumps not because I was vicariously living through his character, but because it hit close to home.  

It got me thinking about the importance of dreaming and visualizing fantasies of our own future.  Obviously, no ones life turns out exactly the way we want them to be (unless you’re psychic), but it’s dreaming that helps motivate us and leads us to our goals.  

The best part?  You’re totally free to be the producer of your own movie without the fear of being judged or criticized for what you want. That means in my dreams, I can be a successful Carrie Bradshaw wannabe making enough money to buy tons of clothes not to mention shoes and enough time to hang out with my friends on a daily basis and still come up with witty, intelligent copy on a daily basis.  Aw, to dream.  It may not automatically make me a star but it’ll surely give me the chance to be the star in my own future movie.  And that kind of reaction, well that can inspire real dreams to unfold gradually.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=War9m52LrV4&hl=en&fs=1]

May 16th, 2009

Faith Keeps One Foot in Front of the Other

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I had a lightbulb moment when I realized that ALL people regardless of social status and class, go through moments of uncertainty.  

Though it’s easy to get lost in the familiar tunes of “woe is me,” it also doesn’t really suit your cause.  If your cause is to fulfill your dreams.  I just got this a few days ago as I was typing away thinking about how that BIG space in front of me that points to my future was still empty and I still didn’t understand how I would get from where I was standing to where I wanted to be.  I started to fantasize about all of the successful people in my life and the ones on TV and thought about how they were so lucky that they had life figured out and didn’t need to think about these things like me.  And then it hit me!  They still had challenges like everyone else but maybe that mountain in front of them is that much bigger because they had already climbed all those bunny slopes before then.  What a wake up call that was.  

I thought about Oprah’s story the one that she tells of not knowing whether she could make it on TV and the funny moment when she pronounced Canada CON-YA-DA and started laughing live on camera.  That’s when they put her on a morning talking show and in an instance she knew that that’s what she was meant to do.  It reminds me a lot of hiking.  When you see that mountain up ahead, sometimes it’s hard to struggle and put in the effort especially when there are days you doubt whether you’ll make it.  But I realized that all you need to do when your in moments of self-doubt and uncertainty, is do what Finding Nemo’s Dory says, “Just keep swimming…” and somehow that blank empty space in front of you will transform into steps, tiny at first, but then it’ll become clearer and more certain and soon you’ll be there-right at your goal!

May 7th, 2009

A Wink in the Right Direction

I first began tracking my “signs” when I read a book called When GOD Winks on Love: Let the Power of Coincidence Lead You to Love by SQuire Rushnell.  It was a tiny little book with a BIG message!  It’s all about observing signs from God which Rushness calls a “wink” that tells you when you’re heading in the right direction.  I actually began taking notice of these signs as far back as 2004 and notated everything from having a water bottle almost hit me on the head when I was extremely thirsty to finding a Masters program in a topic I was interested in while perusing a newspaper.  Five years later, I’ll admit that I haven’t really been dedicated to my search for signs.  That’s why when I had a “Godwink” moment today, I couldn’t wait to share it here.

Recently, I’ve been feeling the effects of modern day busyness.  I often feel like my body can’t quite catch up with my mind.  And the end result?  I get sick and need to take time off to recuperate.  And I know I’m not the only one.  Lot of women feel the pressures to “have it all”: great relationship, successful career, perfect family life.  And as Cher would say in my favorite 90’s movie Clueless, “As if!”  

Recently, I wondered how I was going to continue to work full-time, exercise, write new articles and keep up with two of my blogs.  Then, I got it!  Literally.  I got the answer to my prayers in a package that came from Amazon.com that I wasn’t expecting.  And the title?  The Life Organizer: A Woman’s Guide to a Mindful Year.  The book is all about how to obtain your dreams and written for the busy woman.  I know I must have ordered it, but I honestly don’t remember doing so.  All I know is that I’m grateful to have received the right book at the right time in a Godwink and am SO looking forward to receiving more!