Tag Archives: inspirational

19. Do What You Love

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Do what you love, you will be better at it.  It sounds pretty simple but you’d be surprised how many people don’t get this right away.  -LL Cool J

One night last week I was down at the ballpark enjoying America’s past time.  The home team was winning so I had a smile on my face.  We were sitting in the bleachers and had some hot dogs; not too bad for 20 bucks. At our stadium they have a big 50/50 raffle that I tend to donate to, there are employees of the park that walk around the isles during the game and help sell tickets to raise money for their cause and also for the cause of one lucky winner.  When the man came by this week I knew I recognized him but could not place him right away.  He looked really happy and I realized that’s why I was having trouble placing him. It was an old roommate of mine and the whole time I lived with him he never looked happy. Sure he smiled, he was happy at times, but his overall demeanor was less than thrilled on a regular basis.

I was so taken back with his 180 degree personality shift I wasn’t really sure how to react. When he came back around later on in the game and I told him he looked really good and really happy. He replied, “That’s cause I love this job! I have always wanted to work for a baseball team.” He went on to tell me he wanted to work for another team eventually, but for 162 days a year he works at his dream job. He doesn’t have the position he hopes to have someday but he is very happy to have his entry-level job.

I think about how he looked when I lived with him and how he looked at his new job and at first thought I am amazed. When I took some time to think about what he said and the situation as a whole It really rang true what they say, “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life again.”  I am following my dreams today which was not always the case and I am certainly not yet where I want to be but I have started to take the first steps to my dream, just as my old roommate has.  My truth today is the same as his, I am doing what I always wanted to do and it makes me happy.

Affirmation:  I am now willing to let my fears fall free me so that I can start to be who I always wanted to be.

Call to Action: I think it is very easy to get stuck in a situation that is “good enough” and never take that risk to follow our dreams.  All dreams that are realized start with small steps and commitment to the path that it takes to get there.  I know you have some dreams, maybe today is the day that you take the first step and feel some of the joy that comes with doing what you want.

job love

Growing up

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“El diablo sabe mucho porque el es diablo, no porque el es viejo” (The devil knows more because he is old, than because he is the devil)   -Mexican Proverb

Last sunday I was graced with the chance to sit in on a small intimate seminar led by a buddhist monk who brought knowledge and inspiration into a group of people that were searching to grow and change.  Just sitting in that space with a group of like minded people always makes me feel like I am walking on the right path.  The message that I was able to take home was a perfect reminder of the why I need to work on myself, be patient, and allow the results to be as they may, instead of how I expect they should be.  

 

In the middle of his talk he told a joke which really lightened the mood and since then I have not been able to separate it from my mind.  He started by speaking of how we all get old and as we age, we change.  He mentioned how today I am a bit more developed and changed than I was yesterday. Which, rolled right into him sighting how he has gotten his wrinkles over the years too.  He then said “I am very grateful the wrinkles didn’t come all at once.”  It got a great laugh and I feel it stuck with several of the attendees based on conversations that we have had over the last week.

 

What I took from his joke, was that I need to be grateful for the time it takes for things to change.  If I truly got everything I wanted right when I wanted it, I may be surprised in the life I would create for myself.  When I was a child I wanted to be older and I hear many people older than myself, wishing that they would be younger.  I realize in this moment I am right where I want to be and I am incredibly grateful that my life doesn’t change as fast as I sometimes think it should.  

Affirmation: I know more today than I knew yesterday, and I will continue to learn and experience the world around me.


Call to Action: Think of how you have changed for the better. Tell us something different about yourself from last week, last month, last year or just some time long before today. Tell us and rejoice in who you have become.

Get EXCITED

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Get EXCITED

“Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.”
-Irving Wallace

I find myself lacking enthusiasm. About a week ago I had a series of phone calls to make with business associates. In the first I spoke in a monotone voice and this associate of mine, also a friend, asked me what was wrong. We were talking about an exciting project, everybody was making money, and I sounded bummed out. I told him nothing was wrong, but then I realized I better change my tone for the next phone call. I dialed the next number took a deep breath and HELLO! I purposely livened up my tone and the conversation went well. I noticed this small change in how I presented myself made a huge difference in how the conversation went.

It is interesting to me that the friend who changed my perspective on the day’s simple tasks by merely asking one simple question, “what is wrong?” This same friend, on a previous job told me to get excited Buddy! He told me to get excited because I was signed up to work with one of the renowned experts in my field. I replied with a “that’s cool” but after getting off the phone I did get excited and couldn’t wait to brag to my friends.

Yesterday I had a series of meetings interviewing people for a job one of which was my friend who keeps reminding me to be enthusiastic. After my meeting with him the rest of the days work went so much better. I was excited in what we were doing, my partners were happy, and everyone finished the day with a feeling of accomplishment. All of this happened because one person was excited and reminded me just with his attitude.

If we all show a little excitement in what we do it will surely rub on those around us.

Affirmation: I am the positive change for those around me. I have lots to be excited for.

Call to action: Please share below some of the little things you may take for granted that ARE worth getting excited over. You can also just share something in your life that excites you, keeps you smiling, or you think we should know.

15. Believe

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“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.”

― Ronald Reagan

Last Saturday I was invited to go help as a volunteer for a nonprofit that is near and dear to my heart. I was under the impression that I would be assisting with some games that included tarps and parachutes, it sounded like a blast. Due to wind, and some other circumstances the activity had changed to face painting. For anyone that does not know me, I do not have an artistic bone in my body, so I thought I would hangout for moral support. About 20 minutes into the project there were more kids than volunteers to paint faces. One of the women looked at me, smiled and said, “You can paint a heart, right?” before I could answer an eight year-old girl enthusiastically came skipping over as I, much less enthusiastically, picked up a paint brush.

While I was painting the third kids face, and saw the joy in his eyes, it dawned on me that the kids did not care about my poor painting skills they were just excited to have their face painted. My depictions of soccer balls, sharks, hearts, and even a batman logo were mediocre at best. My real lesson came as the afternoon was winding down. A very ambitious boy, who just witnessed another little boy get a skull painted on his face sat down and said “I want a brown skull, with fire eyes, and wings, and vampire teeth, and bats flying around his head, and…” the list went on for a mile. My first reaction was “I do not think I can do all of that.” Immediately he and his two siblings exclaimed “YES YOU CAN! We believe in you.” My first reaction was a cynical thought that these kids need to be a little more realistic, and my second was that they must read corny inspirational blogs.

Their excitement coupled with their unhesitant belief in my ability allowed me to paint three more skulls, two of which had fire eyes. I had a ton of fun during that three or four hours of painting, doing something that brought real joy to kids, and it reminded me the importance of getting out of my comfort zone.

It took a bunch of little kids to remind me that I need to believe in myself twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. When I am engaged in maximizing my usefulness in the moment, I get to have an amazing experience.

 

Affirmation: I am capable, capable on making an impact on someone else’s life. I am the positive change this world needs. I believe in myself.

 

Call to action: I was so blown away by the hope and belief that these kids displayed in my abilities that I did not know I had.  They came through as an outer voice for that inner knowledge that says I can do anything!  Well this is your reminder, take some time today to recognize some limiting thoughts and remember, “YES YOU CAN! We believe in you.” You might just be surprised in what you create as a result today.  Please share your thoughts with us.Image

14. Winner

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“The odd were against us, but we deserve to be where we are.” – Steve Gerrard

I was struck by an amazing thought the other day while I was out for a run on a beautiful afternoon.  It came like a flash, and I was filled with this sense of duty and purpose, in that moment I was at perfect peace and was fully aware of the greatness of my life and experience.  The thought that I had was simple and I know that I have had it before but like most things it would stay for a bit and then fade, as a result I would forget one of the most amazing things that truly can inspire me at any moment. The thought “I am truly blessed to be alive, the chances of me getting to be must be astronomical.”  What I knew after thinking that was that I am grateful for this chance today and this experience and I want to make sure that I am showing that gratitude in every moment of my life.

For the past week or so I have been revisiting this idea, enjoying the feeling that comes when I think about how special I really am to have this chance to experience life and also how special everyone else is who has gotten their chance as well.  As usual I wanted to look a bit deeper into what the odds really are, did I really hit the lottery already? Have I already been granted the greatest gift the universe can bestow.  So I hit the internet up for some answers.  First I would like to say that I have gambled in my life and I know that a 1 out of 100 chance is pretty poor odds.  Furthermore my chances of winning the powerball seem so unlikely but they are around 1 in 175,223,510.  Now my odds of being born at this time in history are about 1 in 6000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000, that is 100 zeros if you wanna count.  I would call that the not a snowballs chance in hell number.

But here I am!  Writing this to you and there you are.  We are the winners!  We are enjoying this thing called life. Life is filled with all sorts of experiences but it seems that when I take this idea of how fortunate I am into them, regardless of how they make me feel in a moment, I am still one of the biggest winners this world has ever known.  It seems so easy to get down and live completely separated from gratitude for this gift, but constant recognition of this divine miracle seems to be an amazing way to connect to what is the real truth in this world; You are so special and amazing beyond measure, you make a 1 in a million chance seem like child’s play.

Affirmation:  I am so blessed to be right here right now.

Call to Action: Take some time throughout the next several days to feel how special you are.  With that feeling in mind how will you celebrate your victory?

13. Step to the Plate

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“God gets you to the plate, but once you are there you’re on your own.”

-Ted Williams

Spring is officially here, which is easily my favorite season. Not only because of the weather, but every spring brings us a new baseball season. If you’re like me when you are watching the art of baseball everything just seems right in the world. The perfection displayed on a baseball diamond is a magnificent thing to witness.

Watching the game is one thing, participating is another.  I am writing this because a few days ago, not on the ball field but in the game of life, I was thrown a curveball. The end result was a big swing and a miss.  I immediately found myself irritated, frustrated and mad.  Why did I deserve this curveball?  I try to participate in life everyday and do my best to grow as a person at the same time embracing the the life I have been given.  I thought how dare I get this for my efforts?

After stepping back and reviewing the situation with some close friends of mine I realized that I was not unhappy with the curveball, I was unhappy with myself for not being prepared for it.  After all, is not life full of curveballs?  I would be naive to think that life is full of nothing but fastballs right down the middle of the plate.  Therefore I found myself asking why was I not prepared for the curve?

Upon a little more reflection I also realized that my life is full of fastballs right down the middle.  My problem had become that I was not embracing them as I had thought I was.  I was not swinging for the fences of life.   Today I will fully embrace the easy fastballs that life deals me and be aware to not take them for granted.  I will also prepare myself for that big sweeping curve that will someday come my way again.  With some simple practices of gratitude and humility I will fully participate in all aspects of my life.  With some action and practice no matter fastball or curveball I will always swing for the fences.

Affirmation:  I am ready and prepared for anything that comes my way today because in this moment I am whole, loved and supported.

Call to Action:  It is easy to see how an unplanned and unpredictable situation can really startle us in life but it really is through those times that we get a check as to how rightly we are living.  Have you had any curveballs thrown your way lately?  If so how did you adjust to get a better perspective on them?  Please share so that we all can follow your footsteps of growth and change.

In continuation of building our community of inspiration, I hope you enjoyed our third guest submission. This year, the last Friday of each month a guest writer will have their submission posted.  If you have a thought, stance or story to share please send it to our email @ changeyourlifefriday@gmail.com

12. Connecting

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“Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last weekend I had the chance to travel through several states and log many miles with a group of people in a van.  Over the course of the weekend we were able to go through several stages of growth together since we all had a common goal on our journey.  At the beginning of the trip it was a bit awkward because the group was comprised of 11 people who knew each other mostly as acquaintances.  At some point everyone in the van started to get out of their shells through accepting the group and the role that we all had collectively as well as individually.  The music inspired conversation which turned into jokes and joy for everyone involved.  At some point we also came up with a chant made us smile and turned some heads which finished with the phrase, “No Regrets.” We continued to bond and by the time we returned it seemed that we didn’t want to part since our conversations continued to deepen throughout the journey.

Over the past several days since the trip we have all seemingly found reasons to get together and relive the moments that we shared on our trip and also make new memories together.  I really feel that once we all started to let our guard down and talk about our lives honestly and from the heart our little community began to bond in a very beautiful way.  The most interesting part to me when I look at this experience from the outside is how we all grew once we freed ourselves from judgement and accepted each other and our mission.

I think the lesson that I learned and that I want to share with you is that I find so much growth for myself through the times I spend with others.  I also find that there is not much that is more inspirational than to see someone else grow and change in front of my eyes.  When we left I am certain that we were all thinking about our goal for the trip but I feel that it was in the journey that we found the most growth.  The only way that this can happen though is to get involved and take an active role in the lives that we have been given.  I am so proud of my new crew that took that chance at being uncomfortable and put themselves in a position to show me once again that I am completed by the people that I surround myself with.  Thank you all for being a part of my experience, I love my CYLfriday crew, No Regrets!

Affirmation: Today I embrace my journey. I make memories and connections with all who I come in contact with. I love the idea that all people can be old friends when I let them in.

Call To Action: Share with us a recent time that you have had deep meaningful conversation with someone other that a dear friend. When was the last time you were vulnerable, and the result was something unpredictable and beautiful?

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11. Reach Out

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“Don’t be afraid to talk, be afraid of staying quite.” – Eugene Lebid

I was talking to a friend the other day who proclaimed that her life was ruined, her future was hopeless, and she had no one to turn to. I quickly spouted off a list of family members and friends that could potentially help her. All of which were immediately rebutted with reasons why they could not or would not based on past interactions. I simply replied maybe this time it will be different.

I know the feelings of hopelessness and isolation.   I have been in that same position where I cannot see the light. It usually takes another person to point out that there is hope and the light is very close. I often forget how many people are in this world that I can turn to. I forget that when I need help all I have to do is ask. I forget that I have been here before and it is always darkest before the dawn. By reaching out and being vulnerable, I have grown in many ways. The majority of this growth was ignited by some of the most unlikely people, or so I thought. It is a great joy to go from seemingly hopeless to seeing a world of light and possibilities.

I beg of you to reach out. Talk about what is bothering you. Share your struggles with us and may we help you bear the load. When we keep things bottled inside it only makes us sick. When we share we heal and learn that maybe other people have been in our same situation and can lead us to what helped them.

Affirmation: I am loved. I have someone I can share with. I am a part of a community. I can be there for my friends who need me.

Call to action: Share something with a friend or loved one that you decided to keep to yourself. Maybe they are waiting for your call now. You can leave a comment below about how this changed your life today, or email us directly if you don’t want to talk to any of your friends. changeyourlifefriday@gmail.com

10. Evolution

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“Love is a sacred reserve of energy; it is like the blood of spiritual evolution.” – Teilhard De Chardin

Over the last five years I have been conscious of my ever growing life, and specifically I have been an active member in my own personal evolution. I am fairly certain this process has been going on my entire life, but I also humbly acknowledge I have not always been a participant in the development.

Today I get to be engaged in my personal growth. My greatest growth has come in two forms. First when I realize something in my life that is an internal block to Love, and in response to this epiphany work to dissolve that block. This usually occurs when some “crisis” occurs. It might look like an end of a relationship or perhaps a financial problem.  The other is when I actively find situations that take me out of my comfort zone, and makes me aggressively do some deep soul searching. One personal example is a meditation retreat I attended.

Inadvertently this week’s topic has elements of the last 3 weeks of CYLFriday. The fact is it takes a great deal of self-love and persistence to evolve in breaking down internal barriers, and seeking barriers that I may not be aware of. The process has been such a wonderful adventure I now find it important to pass it on to others. If I am able to take action to be a better me this is the best type of leadership I can give my fellow wonderer on this path called Life.

Affirmation: I draw from the sacred well of life to bring in the Love that helps me to evolve to a new outlook and new me.

Call to Action:  You are an ever-evolving, ever-unfolding expression of love and life.  Take some time to see where this growth has taken place recently, truly take the time to honor that growth and share it with the people around you.  I know the best teachers that I have ever had in my life are the ones that knew and lived their passions.  You are one of those teachers, head forth and find your students!