Posts tagged ‘Inspirational Story’

February 24th, 2010

2010 Cloudy With a Chance of Sunshine?

This year was beginning to feel like a flop. The kind that reminds me of my little bunny and how he runs and jumps and then in pure animal fatigue, flops down as if saying, “I’m tired. Now leave me alone!”

That’s how I was feeling too. With being unable to say good-bye to my 14 year old sheltie before she was put to sleep, moving and with a few disappointments, upsets and struggles here and there, I was starting to wonder if the belief that God gives you only as much as you could handle was wrong.

It’s only February and I was already starting to think, “Okay. I had enough!”

Yet, the sun poked through, finally finding it’s way back home. New clients, better opportunities and finally settling in has gradually made 2010’s outlook not so bad after all.

I realized, however, that while those external circumstances have helped me a great deal in seeing the silver lining, staying positive and hopeful are what got me through the worst of it.

Everyone goes through hard times. Yet, there are some that can transform the most challenging situations into opportunities to grow and strengthen one’s faith.

It’s not easy.

Sometimes I think it’s easier to stay in the dark shadows and complain about our situation than it is to step out into the sunlight. Because if we take that risk and take responsibility for our life, there’s no one left to blame but ourselves.

Stepping out of my situation, while painful, is the only real solution to walking an inspired life. I can sit and wait for life to be good to me or I can stand up and risk everything to feel truly alive.

I think I’ll choose the latter. How about you?


CategoryInspirational 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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October 2nd, 2009

My Story

Open doorA friend asked me recently how I find the inspiring people I’ve interviewed here.  I think it’s really all about soul sisters Faith and Fate.  When I first started blogging in 2004, 5 years ago, I did it because the people I knew then were doing it.  Though I started writing since I was 6, I was a bit wary of going online and sharing my thoughts with the world.  But I did, eventually.

My first blog was all about me.  My personal thoughts about navigating my way through my twenties.  A newspaper editor who read it said I sounded like him when he was that age.  So yeah it was more of an online diary than anything else.

I later moved on to blogging professionally when I lucked out and scored a job at Tiny Prints, an online stationery store.  Although I didn’t know it at the time, my experience writing for them and their sister site Wedding Paper Divas would help catapult me into copywriting, web writing, blogging and ultimately the freelance writing world.

On an interview once, I received the most valuable advice ever from the interviewee.  He said, “I believe that whatever job we take now should be a stepping stone to what we really want to do in the future.”  For me this was a revelation.  Previously, I was job hopping without considering my dreams. From then on, I decided I was going to stop floating and get anchored in my writing.  Although I’ve taken the odd job here and there for money, I’ve still held on.

I might be only a pebble closer to my dreams but I’m comforted in knowing that at least I’m doing it.  I’m creating my own reality.  The people I’ve found on my journey came out of nowhere just because I opened myself up to possibility.  I’m actually on Martha Beck’s second book following, “Following Your Own North Star” called “Steering by Starlight.”  And it’s all about the magic that happens when you have the courage to life in.  I think too many people are scared of disappointment, afraid of not being worthy of their dreams.

The truth is.  The fact that we are here means that we’ve already encountered a life’s worth of struggle and hardship.  There’s a reason why we’ve had to endure it.  Everyone has a purpose in life.  Everyone has a dream.  Believe in yourself and know that what makes you unique is invaluable to the world.  Share your dreams with others and open the door to the possibility that life is a lot more magical than it seems.

I did.  And that’s the long winded answer to how I have so much amazing people on this blog to share their inspirational stories with.  How about you?  What’s your story?

CategoryFollowing your dreams | CommentNo Comments »

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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.

CategoryFacing Fears, Inspirational Stories, Stories of Gratitude | Comment2 Comments »

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