Inspired Daily

What makes or breaks your dreams?

2007-11-27T15:00:00.001-08:00

Many would say that what makes or breaks our dreams becoming reality are the people we surround ourselves with.
I read once that you are most likely to become like the 6 people you spend most of your time with. Who would your six be? When I made my list at the time of reading that concept, my top 6 were surprising to say the least. Nice people but I didn't exactly want to follow in their footsteps.

It is amazing that people we are not actually that close to (e.g. work colleagues) can have a huge impact on our character and ability to believe in our dreams.

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."

Mark Twain

Ok, so we get that to have the conviction to follow the dream in our heart we need to surround ourselves with big thinkers, the kind of people who champion us on rather than rain on our parade.

But what if we don't have a great deal of choice? What if we work or live with lovely but pessimistic individuals who would never think to encourage us or perhaps even laugh out loud at our dream and ambitions?

I believe that we can choose who we share our dreams with (it may not the be the person you see most regularly) and seek out like-minded people who can cheer us on (and we do the same for them).
There will be naysayers of course. Expect them, don't take them seriously when they tell you why you'll fail and feel blessed that you won't be dying with the music still in you.

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits has written a great article - How to Doggedly Pursue Your Dreams in the Face of Naysayers. Well worth a read.

Never stop dreaming!

Inspired Concepts - Questions

2007-07-16T04:40:00.001-07:00

There are times when you just know a particular idea or concept is for you. It is like God weaves it into the fabric of your life for a time.

For me, this concept was part of a conversation I had a with a friend - she met someone she thought was quite amazing and noticed that they did this, a lot.
Then I heard someone speak about it at a conference.
Then I read about it in a book.
You get the picture.

What concept am I talking about? Asking questions.

Interesting people ask interesting questions. Boring people talk about themselves.
Successful people in any sphere of life - relationships, health, business - ask strategic questions. And they never stop. They never feel they have learnt enough. The feel they can learn from everyone, and they do. It is all a matter of perspective.

I am realising that the kind of questions I ask determine the kind of person I am becoming.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

Albert Einstein

Inspired Quotes - Ruined for the Ordinary

2007-07-16T04:36:00.000-07:00

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.

C.S. Lewis

Courage

2007-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Anais Nin

Be patient with everyone, but above all with thyself. Do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.
St. Francis de Sales

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
Vincent Van Gogh

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.
Rainer Maria Rilke

Inspired Quote

2007-05-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

From one of my favourite authors...

"To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground."

Stephen Covey

Inspired online community

2007-05-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

1,059,680 people in 12,847 cities are doing 987,164 things

http://www.43things.com/ is all about deciding what you want to do, setting goals, sharing them and connecting with others with the same goals

From finishing a PhD, to drinking more water, to starting a band, crashing a wedding and learning to break dance, 43things is a great place to get inspired & keep inspired.

What do you want to do???

Inspired Quotes

2007-05-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion."

G.W.F Hegel

"... for the happy heart, life is a continual feast"

Proverbs 15:15

Inspiration to make a difference

2007-05-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Supermodel, author, UN ambassador & human rights campaigner Waris Dirie on her nomadic childhood in Somalia, her teenage escape from an arranged marriage to an elderly man, and the courage she has found to use her influence to speak out for the victims of female genital mutilation: http://www.empowerment4women.org/culture/respect/issue14_warisdirie.php

The world's oldest student?

2007-05-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Talk about inspiration for life long learning...

When the Kenyan government declared elementary education free for everyone, grandfather Kimani Nganga Maruge enrolled to fulfil his life long dream of receiving an education.
His age upon enrolling?
A ripe old 83...

Read the whole story at Action Aid:
http://www.actionaidusa.org/un_student_home.php

Inspirationally funny

2007-04-30T03:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so perhaps not completely sticking with the theme of this blog, but way too good not to share..

Running anyone?

2007-04-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Need some inspiration to increase your discipline? This ought to do it... the story of the Marathon Monks puts me to shame!

http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2004/s1199164.htm

One red paper clip

2007-04-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

If it is true that:

"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension"

Oliver Wendel Holmes

then this idea has definitely contributed to the stretching of my mind. It isn't recent news, but every time I think of the idea of One Red Paperclip I am inspired by its simplicity...

Don't know what all the fuss is about or want to read about it again? Click on the link:

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/

Inspired quotes..

2007-04-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

"I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit."

Dawna Markova

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa