Sunday, April 24, 2011

Start

As humans we will always love the feeling of a new beginning. Spring was once celebrated because it was a time of year that signaled that all was well now. The survival mode of the cold and desolate winter and the savings and rationing of valuable resources had passed. Spring in all it's abundance was finally here and it was time to start new, cultivate resources and live freely.

We, as technology driven people no longer have those realities and yet Spring symbolizes all of those things still to us but in new forms. There is still something deep inside all of us that is filled with hope and new beginnings. The feeling of new starts or even a rush of energy to continue on the path we were already on.

So the question I pose is what are you going to do with the natural momentum Spring brings you? What valuable resources have you been rationing? What are you in survival mode about? Be it physical, monetary, emotional or spiritual..what are you going to let go of and live freely for? Now is the perfect time, let go..let yourself start new or reinvigorate what you were already doing with just that extra rush of energy.

Start.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Unbelievable

I remember the first time that I finally got to ride a bike. I had always looked at my older brother from the view of my big wheel watching him ride a bike and thought how very grown up he was for being able to ride this bike that I could not even envision myself ever being able to ride. I would happily ride my big wheel which then upgraded to a Strawberry Shortcake bike with training wheels and I was impressed still with him however I never actually thought I would be in his shoes. When the day came when I finally got on my very own big kid bike and was able to ride it all that filled me was the overwhelming feeling of.."Oh my goodness, this is actually happening! I am where I never thought I would be and yet it is all I ever wanted!"

That is generally how I live my life and always have. I live with a delicate balance of satisfaction for where I am currently at mixed with a longing and daydream for what could be. In the moment I work on where I am at today and try to do my very best to experience each day for what it is. Wanting to work with what I have to elevate me in that moment all the while fitting in a daydream or two that feels out of reach so I don't take it too seriously.

So then, what happens when all that hard work in the moment actually has the power to make that daydream come to a reality? I have that same feeling of.."Oh my goodness, this is actually happening! I am where i never through I would be and yet it is all I ever wanted!"  Something is telling me that this year is going to have a few of those moments and yet I am still so taken back, just like I was when I was a little girl taking off on my first bike ride.

That is the gift of progression. Work hard, daydream and when the time is right enjoy the feelings that come with when things begin to happen for you. I find it unbelievable. I find it inspiring and I am reminded that things can most certainly happen for you if only you have patience and work hard. The unbelievable can become the believable.

Unbelievable.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Trust

Sometimes you have to get through the bad to get through the good stuff. Everybody has their own Everest. Sometimes it is career, other times it is relationships with others, your relationship with yourself, sometimes it is physical or monetary. Many times it is a cocktail of all of the above. What I want you to do is trust.

Within all of you, you hold the most amazing spark and power. What do you want to elevate? What do you want to be known for but most importantly, what do you want to know yourself for? Depending on what your Everest is there are so many different paths and strategies that you might have to take to reach your destination but trust in your instincts and trust that since you have the hunger to get more out of your life in that area that you also have the keys to get there deep within you.

Happiness and fulfillment are within all of our grasp it just might not be something that will fall in your lap. The best things in life and the things that bring you the most satisfaction might not be the things that fall in your lap with ease. Sometimes you really do have to get through the bad to get  to the good stuff. It is in you, don't be afraid to fight for it and take on your personal Everest.

Trust.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

When The Sun Goes Down

It is beautiful isn't it? Somehow amongst all of the wonder of the progressive world with technology and entertainment all of us can agree that the simple act of catching a glimpse of a sunset can stop us in our tracks and force upon us a reverence that only Mother Nature has the ability to demand. A sunset almost is like a reset button on our minds and hearts. It is a simple reboot that in that moment we have so much clarity, so much hope. Whether it be to start fresh, to keep going, to feel the gratitude for something that you have been taking for granted..whatever it be, in that moment you feel renewed.

The last sunset I looked at I had an "Ah-hah" moment. I am happy. I am satisfied but there are still things that I dream about and want that quite honestly I can not have based upon hard work and a dream. When we are young, we truly believe that with a dream and hard work anything is possible. That is true to a point. However, let's say I wanted to be an astronaut..which let's be honest, we know this is just for example because the last thing I daydream about is getting to spend an endless amount of time eating freeze dried gravy and floating around in my own piss. Anyways, we will use that example still..so if I wanted to be an Astronaut and that was my biggest dream and I worked every day on learning space and all the components and logistics of space on my own. Researching day and night, putting all my cerebral energy into that would I be an astronaut someday? No. There is so much more that goes into that training that you can not learn on your own and be successful..mechanics for one thing. If I understand the universe but up in space my craft breaks down and I don't have the training to fix it then I will be pooping in my space suit because I am out of luck. You can't train yourself rocket science and call it a day. You would have to seek out the training and apply your hard work and dedication through that. Only then would you have a chance to make your dream materialize.

So that is where I am. I dream..I work hard. I have gotten myself to a place in my industry where I am known, I am respected. There are Cinderella stories that I see within even our Vice Presidents of my company how they got to the top with a dream and hard work. I seemed to be missing something all of this time though..they did not just work hard. They self taught what came naturally to them but they asked for guidance and help when there was something they were lacking.  There is a very specific job that I want in the next 5 years and I am on the path to that in record time but I am realizing if I want that job and I want to do it well, I need to take the initiative to learn the skill sets that will make me successful. Some of these skill sets are not self taught, this means I will need to seek out education, mentorships..learn from others.

To me this is a new concept. For many of you it is not however self teachings can get you far but relying on the talents of others and learning from them will teach me humility and in the end elevate me father than I could ever do all on my own.

So that is where I am at..my restart button gave me the clarity that I am doing a good job but if I am noticing that I am at a stand still, look towards the talents of others to keep my momentum moving. I am not only doing this in my career but also this week I did this in regards to my fitness. I lost 40 pound on my own with no help from anyone. Researching the things I needed to do and executing them. As I hit a plateau, I am also applying that it is okay not have all the answers but if you have a dream and a drive but you are at a stand still you may need an expert to teach you, seek it out. So I did, I signed up for personal training so that I can learn from someone and take in all their knowledge.

It is okay not to have all the answers. It is okay not to get the results you are driving for once in a while but the question is what do you do then? Do you continue doing the same things you are doing and putting all of your hard work into it but still not getting the results or do you use the community around you and move the needle with their help? Pick the community. Dream big, live with passion, work hard but then..learn. Acquire knowledge. Utilize the community of people around you and ask them to teach you the things that you can not teach yourself. Use their expertise and apply it to your life. Together we can all get each other where we need to be to achieve our dreams. Then and only then will you get the results you are dreaming about.

When the sun goes down.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

One In The Same

Nothing in this world can compare to the way it feels when you just get someone and they get you. Not buying a new gloss, delving in to your favorite decadent treat, no amount of money and no trip can bring a smile to your face quite like a simple connection with fellow man.

Connection. It is what we were all put on this earth for. Connecting with the people around us, listening and understanding them. In turn feeling supported and understood by them as well. We were designed to work as a community, to connect as a community. So how is it that so many of us have grown so far from that very thing? We spend so much time and energy into obtaining things that only isolate us from that very cause. Be it work, obtaining status or objects, being self indulgent or closing out the world around us. It is easy to fall victim.

The majority of last year I did just that. I would work hard and then come home and close up shop. Experiencing little to no connection with anyone around me. Text messages went unanswered, phone calls went straight to voicemail never to be returned again, everything seemed as if it was a bother and I could not get the energy to engage with people. That began to change this year.

Was it that I opened up my heart and mind? Was it that belongings began to hold little meanings to me over time? Perhaps all of it. What I am learning is that out there is a big world with all different kinds of people and that it surprised me every day how the simplest connections can mean everything.  Listen, be there, engage. It is better than any lip gloss, the most decadent treat and the cutest pair of shoes. It means everything.

One in the same.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Watching The World Spin Round

Time goes by with or  without us. Sometimes we feel like time went by too fast or that the time is going by too slow but the fact is that time is a consistent pace and goes by the same beat everyday no matter what. Your perspective, what you do during that beat changes how time feels to you but nonetheless time is unbendable.

So in the next 60 minutes, you will all live a very different existence. While the barista in the coffee shop will feel those 60 crazy minutes felt like 15 minutes, the person easing in to the day with a cup of coffee and the morning paper in that same coffee shop will feel like the next 60 minutes felt like the perfect few hours. So it is not about time, it is truly what you are doing with that time.

In my line of work we have an actual phrase "Work, life, balance". I believe in that with the core of everything I have. I believe that all of us have a need to fill our lives with a blend of those hours that feel like 15 minutes and those hours that feel like mini vacations. Doing things that stretch our minds and our creativity. Doing things that relax us and let us enjoy every second as if it were a decadent treat. We need it all to be balanced.

The world is going to turn with or without you, the seconds on the clock are going to tick in the cadence they will always tick whether your battery dies or not. It is a truth. So, take the time to get the most knowledge you can, build meaningful and lasting relationships and friendships while you can, share your talents and contribute while you have them and most importantly rest. Take the time to simply enjoy your life and each second you are granted.

Watching the world spin round.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Why don't we?

Comfort. It is a tricky bastard. On one hand it is a place or rest, a place of ease. It takes little effort to live your life from a place of comfort. Sounds perfect, right? The downside is that there is no growth, you do not progress or learn. You do not develop. You stay stagnant in the place you have so comfortably built your niche. That can make or break us.

Most of the time, as humans we do not choose to leave our comfort zone on our own. Usually we are prompted by outside elements or sources. A change in life or circumstance. Think of all the new things you have learned in life, the new skills you have acquired over your life and the new cadence you live today versus the way you lived even five years ago. Some of you are elevated and manage to learn, grow and progress all on your own with little to no outside promptings or hardships. To you, you are an example to us all. To the majority of you, when you look back it was mostly based on outside circumstances that forced you to try something simply because you had no choice and then once you adapted to your new setting or situation found that you rather liked it and it has made you the person you are today.

So why don't we take today and be proactive. Try something you have always dreamt of doing. Leave your comfort zone if even for only a moment to tip toe into the you that you had always envisioned. Make the decision to  progress and try something new without catastrophe or circumstances forcing you in to something new. Learn, grow, develop and progress at your hand.

I am at a stage in my life where I feel like the sands in my hourglass are running out at a faster speed than they used to. In my earlier days I grew as a person and took initiative when something bad happened or I was forced to have a hardship to bring me to my new place of enlightenment. Now, I don't have that time. I can't just wait for hell to break loose, for heartache to find me. I have to do this on my own.

It started with my health. That was so uncomfortable to begin, so overwhelming. Some days it still is but I did not want to wait for something to wake me up that I could not undo. I wanted to be healthy because it was the me I envisioned. So I work. I work hard. I am getting there and it is all because I knew that only I could put in the work to achieve what I had dreamed for myself.

I look at the relationships around me. The toxicity level. As a generally compassionate person I tend to befriend everyone. I truly feel that everyone has redeeming qualities and I want to be there for them in any way I can. That gets me into trouble however because of that I find myself getting taken advantage of or the negativity of some suffocating my spark in a way that I begin to lose myself. I can't do that. None of us can. You can not loan your spark to someone when they have lost their own. You can help them locate theirs, but if you give them yours then you are left with nothing and soon you will only feel a shadow of what was once your light.

The perfect balance of life to me that I aspire to is to be constantly growing and learning as much as I can about myself, the people and world around me. I want to live passionately with hunger and satisfaction. I also want to balance that side with comfort and get to relax and enjoy the place I am at in my life at each time. Take it all in. To grow, to enjoy, to live.

I don't have the all the answers, I never will. What I do know though is that those people that proactively elevate themselves. Learning and growing on their own accord are my role models. They inspire me to take the reigns and get out of life what I always intended and dreamt. Nothing gets in their way but themselves and nothing will get in my way but myself. Why don't we take this day and be proactive?

Why don't we?