Life is all about living and I want to share what each day means to me through a special theme I deem for the day. Most days are created from emotions or events that happen throughout the day, but sometimes they may be sparked by something else! TODAY IS... READ MY BLOG DAY!
"...dare to participate in the unbelievable."-- Mary Anne Radmacher Live with Intention
"Don't be like the rest of them darling."-- unknown
In the past few months I've been confronted with this idea of writing a bio in six words or less. The original idea spurred from Ernest Hemingway, after someone asked him to write a story in 6 words, to which he said: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." After reading about so many people who have done this too I decided it was time that I write my own; I thought I would contemplate over it for a while, but in less than six seconds I had my six words...
"Defying the status quo... DREAMING BIGGER!"
It's your turn. What would your six word bio be? I'd love to know. Leave your 6 word bio in the comments... I would love to read:)
"I learned... how to respond to 'You can't do that.' Why argue? Just do it."
-- Mary Anne Radmacher Live with Intention
"Don't let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big. They aren't." -- unknown
“I wondered what could
happen if the rich of the world would share with the poor… without holding
back, giving their all and believing that the Lord would provide more as
needed.” – Katie Davis ‘Kisses from
Katie’
“God wanted us to care
for the poor, not just care about them, but to truly take care of them, and
many of us were not doing so. God told us to love our neighbors as ourselves,
but so many of our neighbors were starving to death while our tables were
filled with abundance.” – Katie Davis ‘Kisses
from Katie’
When I come to a stop, I hunch over the steering wheel and
weep. How could we let this happen, how could I become numb to such tragedy? Watching
statistics scroll across a screen, my
mind goes blank, my heart becomes numb and I have found myself checked
out thinking it’s just a number, until I am slapped violently with the
realization that that number, is not just a number, but a child’s beating
heart, a babies starving cry, my fellow
brother or sister screaming for affection. I am saddened beyond belief and I am
mad as hell.
“For the first time in humanity over one billion people are
chronically hungry.” Please read this again, and this time, let your mind try
to wrap around what this means, “For the first time in humanity over one
billion people are chronically hungry.” If you’re like me, one billion people
is almost impossible to imagine, so think of it like this, every 60 seconds, 10
children die from starvation. I don’t know about you, but I cannot sit by
knowing that this kind of suffering is happening in our world. In a world where
we are more obsessed with celebrities, fashion, and the Prince of England’s
wedding than we are about injustices, world tragedies and the dire needs of
dying children. In America we are overly blessed with the abundance of food,
clothing, shelter, communication, entertainment, wealth; I could go on and on
we have so much stuff. We are a community that feeds off of greed. We never are
satisfied with what we have or content with having less, instead we stand in
line to buy the newest iPad, the greatest new video game, or camp out for the
limited edition electronics; needless to say we already have all of these we
just want the best of the best, because that’s what we deserve right? Well I hope that one day, and I hope that it’s
sooner rather than later, we’ll wake up to realize that all our material
possessions are just that, things that clutter our lives and take away from the
true values of what we have in our lives, like our friends and our families. Our
material possessions cannot be taken with us when we leave this world, and for
most of us, we’ll be wanting to discard of them soon anyway we when get word that
Apple is coming out with the iPad4. I long for the day that instead of camping
outside a movie theater to be the first to see the midnight showing of Hunger
Games, we’ll be sitting around with friends on weeknights staying up past
midnight, sharing in ways to end world hunger. Instead of athletes going on
strike because they are not making enough money, they will donate a large
amount of their money to take a strike against the injustices of the world. I
dare to dream that instead of waiting to buy the newest electronic device to be
put on the shelf the minute the next great thing comes out, we will question
what is truly best for the consumer here; and what is it that we should
actually be consuming. I would like to challenge each and every one of you that
takes the time to read this to think about what it is that you are starving
for? Is it food, or is it the idea that you’ll have everything you ever wanted
if you could just have X. Then before you go to buy that one item that will
make you the happiest you’ve ever been, contemplate what it would mean if you
decided to give up your material possession for something as wonderful as
filling the belly of a starving child; helping to end world hunger and making
that child the happiest they’ve been knowing that someone in the world cares
about them and they are loved. Just think, as you’re day dreaming of buying “X”
that young girl in Africa is daydreaming of eating a meal tonight. While you’re
in line, waiting for the newest toy to be released, that young boy in India
stands in line wondering if there will be enough food for him to eat. And as
you pull out your credit card to buy another useless item you don’t need, think
about using that card to help a child in need by using it to give more by
having less. Please don’t let the statistics be just that, a statistic, because
if we don’t do something about it now, sooner rather than later, you or someone
you know very well could be one of those statistics that the world turns their
back to, saying, oh it’s just another number. While you scream, I’m more than a
number I am a child of God. If it was your mom, your sister, your dad, your
brother, or Jesus standing on the street corner holding a sign that read, “HUNGRY,
PLEASE HELP” could you walk away? I didn’t think so, please don’t wait, they
need our help now. Your 60 seconds has started and I hope you're willing to say enough is enough; I'm doing something about this.
To learn more about ways to get involved in ending world hunger, please e-mail
change@25inchange.org saying "I WANT CHANGE". This is associated with Pathways Church in Denver, and their valiant effort to help end world hunger.
“Miracles aren’t what
other people do. They’re what each of us does. They’re what happens when
ordinary people take extraordinary action.” – Regina Brett ‘Be the Miracle’
“I wanted to give even
more. I wanted to do more for the people who needed help and I wanted others to
rise up and do the same. I didn’t want to simply care for these people, I
wanted to advocate for them. I wanted to raise more awareness for these
voiceless unseen children.” – Katie Davis ‘Kisses from Katie’
"Don't wait for people to smile. Show them how." -- unknown
'tinate' the Bari word for 'thank you'
This March weather has been so wonderful that today I
decided my transparent skin could use a little color so I got out for a short
walk to enjoy the rays as they beat down on my whitened shell. As I was walking, I see this guy start running at me from across the street... I'm looking
around thinking maybe he's charging to embrace his long lost lover but soon
realize he is making a B-Line right for me. I can feel my palms get a little
sweaty as I get a little nervous, unsure of his intentions. He stops
me, totally out of breath, and asks "Do you have a lighter?"
"Unfortunately I don't" I respond, trying to mask my fearful
chuckle... "Sorry," I say as I begin to back away. He smiles and
says, "You look... I mean... um... I really like your outfit." He
stumbles over his words as if there were stones lining the inside of his
throat. I smile, thank him, and quickly walk away trying to stifle my laughter,
hoping to get as far away before he hears me laugh out loud . Did
that guy just tell me he liked my outfit, I thought to myself? That's awesome:)
There I was nervous that this man was going to chase me down to hurt me, but
instead he did just the opposite, he had me grinning the rest of the walk back!
Laughing at the hilarity of the whole scene, I find myself replaying thoughts
just moments before. I had been begging God to give me something to smile
about, seeing as work is making me pretty drab; and not only did He listen, He knew
just how to deliver. Through comedic relief, God knows me so well and he loves
me so much that He told me a joke in such a way that I could appreciate. I am
grateful for this moment as it reminds me that even through the mundane, life
is always good for a laughJ Looks like the jokes on me!
"If you're not making someone else's life better than you're wasting your time." -- Will Smith
"Be happy -- it's the taste that lingers." -- Mary Anne Radmacher
"Every so often do one small thing to enhance someone else's life." -- Regina Brett 'Be the Miracle'
As I sat in church last night I listened to Gil, my pastor, talk about being "Bummed" in the sense of vision. He referred to this state as the state of your vision where you have not only come to the brick wall, but you've hit the brick wall at full speed. At the beginning of your vision, he explained, you are so excited, you're jacked up! You have this newfound purpose for living and you can't wait to get out in the world and make it no longer just a vision but reality. Before you are able to make this happen, you have to fully understand your vision. In doing so, we often question, is this a vision I created for myself or is this a vision from God? When we are certain that it's a vision from God, we must surpass the fear and jump into that purpose wholeheartedly! But as everyone knows, what goes up (JUMP) must come down (FALL) so although you may have taken the jump it's likely you might suddenly get the feeling like you're falling in every direction possible. But this is where it gets really good... God is making sure that you're committed to this journey no matter the struggles, disappointments or brick walls you may stumble upon. He wants to know that you're committed to pick yourself up and climb over the wall that moments before stopped you dead in your tracks. In my experience, I think this might be God's way of preparing me for a journey that I cannot even begin to comprehend right now; a journey that will be filled with many fumbles, stumbles and great brick walls, but in the end a journey that I'll be able to look back on with the world and know that I was created for it! As I listened intently to Gil sledge through this topic of being bummed something resonated... Do you have someone in your life, that as you struggle through the phase of being bummed, will tell you, "Get off your butt, wipe your tears, and get on with what you were created to do?" As cliche as it is, the lightbulb came on and I thought of my parents, especially my dad. What months before I saw as criticism and denial, I now recognize as his old fashioned way of handling situations when I was hurt as a child when he would say to me, "Walk it off!" So that is just what I am going to do, I'm going to get back on track, knowing that my vision lies before me, and the only way that I'll ever get there is to continue through the struggles, climb the walls, and be brave enough to "Walk it Off"!
"To live boldly suggest, that you can outfit your soul for the journey of your dreams or for the unusual demands of particular day." -- Mary Anne Radmacher "Live Boldly"
"I felt a sense of liberation and strength knowing that this was an effort worth trying with all my heart."
-- Lynn Hill
To check out Gil's sermon, please visit www.pathwayschurch.org or click on the link below:
"Word birds -- Winged thoughts that fly out of my daily experience and come to roost as poetry."
-- Mary Anne Radmacher "Live With Intention"
"I absolutely love to read, and when you love to read, the whole world opens up."
-- Regina Brett "Be The Miracle"
I spend a lot of my time reading, I love to read (this could quite possibly be the biggest understatement). A good book to me is words to my soul, fuel for my mind and the most powerfully inspiring tool that turns the cogs of passion inside my heart. Sometimes I'll read books and find myself so immersed in the pages that I become one with the book. I get so involved with books that I tend to write all over them, making them no longer a space of organized verbiage and thoughts, but instead a well painted upon canvas with my own ideas, questions, and underlined passages of inspiration! I recently stumbled upon this quote by a man named Stefan G. Bucher in his book 344 Questions, "...a tattered, busted-up book -- filled out, and scribbled upon -- means you've found out new things about yourself and you're inspired to take action." Those 25 words were so powerful to me, for they not only represented my relationship with books, but the kind of romance that I want my readers to have with what I write. As so many of you know, writing is a passion of mine. I write to respond to the life I so long to understand. I write because I don't know how to be silent. I write because I have thoughts, questions, comments and lessons I need to not only be able to say but share with all those who are eager to listen. I write because that is what I am, a writer with a capitol W. I write because I am inspired by others words and wisdom and I want others to be inspired by me. I write because my life is a classroom, and the only way I know how to share my lessons, is through the written words of my soul. I write because this is what God made me to do, he gave me the gift of the written word, and if I cannot write, than I cannot live.
What is it you were meant to do? What gift did God give that was only intended for you? Remember this, if you don't do it, it will never be done.
"My mission is to inspire and be inspired. Inspiration is the word of my mission."
-- Mary Anne Radmacher "Live Boldly"
"If we do everything else but one thing, we will be lost. And if we do nothing else but that one thing, we will have lived a glorious life." -- Rumi
P.S. A few months ago I read this short e-book called "The Writers Manifesto" by Jeff Goins. I was not only impressed by his words, but also intrigued by his willingness to share what it takes to be a writer in this competitive dog-eat-dog world. Recently he sent an e-mail to his followers, offering the first 100 people who responded to the e-mail two new free e-books about writing (with the agreement that we would share them too) So as promised, Jeff, I thoroughly enjoyed "Every Writers Dream'... very inspiring and motivating! "The world needs this. More than you know. We are waiting for your words. Longing to be changed by them." I loved that quote from it. And "Before Your First Book" had some great direction and lessons to be learned from you. Thank you again for sharing. For those of you that want to check them out, Jeff has given me permission to share this link with you. Enjoy http://goinswriter.com/get-published
"...We're done here. Now go do something that matters" -- Jeff Goins "Every Writers Dream"
“God didn’t put those
thoughts in your mind and on your heart for you to turn the other way. He put
them there because He knew YOU and only YOU could do them. So pick yourself up,
dust off your dreams, and go out there and change the world.” – ACB
“Dig deep and ask
yourself what your purpose is…” – Lee Cockerell “Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a
Life at Disney
“World changing
leaders know they are not the best but they care the most. The world isn’t
looking for anymore experts, what the world wants, what the people want, is
passion and a heart.” God has unlocked the door to my heart and given me the
key to open the way towards the vision and the purpose that he created me for.
I am no expert, in anything I’m afraid to admit, however I know that I care the
most! It seems that the past few months I have left this idea of being an
expert take me over and get me to doubt the purpose that I know I was to fulfill
but as I listened to Gil preach tonight, I knew that the ideas that once filled
my head were now filling my heart and the time has come to JUMP! As he created
the perfect metaphor between vision jumping and high dive jumping he told the
story of when he was a boy and being catapulted off the high dive into the deep
end. Before he jumped, his babysitter asked, “Want me to count to 10?” Shaking, he nodded yes. “When I get to zero it’s
go time” she replied. And as he said this, he asked, do you need God to count
to ten? My knee jerk response… YES! There have been times in my life that I
have made sacrifices, some much bigger than others, but nothing has scared me
to my core like this decision to JUMP completely out of my comfort zone into a
whole new way of life. “If you don’t have to come outside yourself to obtain
whatever it is that you are after… your vision is not big enough and it is not
a vision from God,” Gil subtly stated this evening. There it was again,
undeniable evidence that it wasn’t what I had for dinner that burns my heart,
but the vision that God has placed in my soul and carved into my very being that
continues to pull at my heart strings and ask “Are you ready?” I know that God
will be watching me, ready to see me make my splash on the world, as he reminds
me “JUMP. You’re the person I made for this.” So tonight, as I stand up on the
high dive and look down at the waters of fear below, I ask God to count to ten
knowing that when he reaches zero… it’s go time.
“What in your life is
calling you? When all the noise is silenced, the meetings adjourned, the lists
laid aside.. What still pulls on your soul?” – Terma Collective “The Box”
“The real test of a
man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself but when he plays
the role that destiny has for him.” – Stevie White “Boots on the Ground by Dusk”
As he described the
movie to me I was intrigued, “Instead of money you have time so you don’t spend
your money you spend your time”. Say no more, the cogs in my head started
turning and I began contemplating what I would be willing to “spend” my time on
so I agreed to go see the film “In Time”. As I sat in the theater and stared up
at the screen listening intently to this scene I found myself replaying the
moment
Henry Hamilton: ’For a few to be immortal many
must die.’
Will Salas: ‘What the hell is that supposed to
mean?’
Henry Hamilton: ‘You really don’t know do you?
Everyone can’t live forever, where would we put them? Why do you think there
are time zones? Why do you think taxes and prices go up the same day in the
ghetto? Cost of living keeps rising to make sure people keep dying. How else
could there be men with a million years while most live day-to-day? The truth
is, there’s more than enough. No one has to die before their time. If you had
as much time as I have, what would you do with it?’
Will Salas: If I had all that time; I sure as
hell wouldn’t waste it.’
Henry Hamilton:“If you had as much
time as I have, what would you do with it?”
What a question? We’ve
all heard people say, “If I had all the money in the world I would…” but have
you ever thought about if that money was your time? Thinking about my money in
this way, seems to make my time that much more valuable. If every purchase
costs me days off my life I have to believe that I would not choose to live the
way that I live life now. I am convinced that I would choose to live my life
more deliberately, spending nothing on unnecessary purchases but on things that
only added value to my priceless time. I can only imagine glancing down to see
my eternal clock ticking seconds off my life everyday and not doing the things
that I was made to live for. As I think about this I think to myself, this is
how you should live your life right now. No day is promised to you and your
eternal clock is ticking, taking precious seconds off your life at every
moment; do not waste those sacred seconds for those seconds soon make up
minutes, which turn into hours, that suddenly become days and before you know
it years have passed and you are left wondering… where did the time go? So
begin living today as if there is no tomorrow and do not waste any more of your
precious time!
“The price of anything
is the amount of life you exchange for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
"Run away from toxic people. Instead surround yourself with others who are positive, who support you and want you to succeed." -- Gayle King
"Life has a way of giving you it's nectar one beautiful moment at a time... Life gives you the opportunities to appreciate it, but it is your job to wrap your arms around these opportunities." -- Justin Spizman & Robyn F. Spizman "Don't Give Up... Don't Ever Give Up ~ The Inspiration of Jimmy V"
"Positive thoughts, we're thinking positive thoughts." Those were the exact words she said to me as we walked into work today. I'm so unhappy with my current job that those around me have to remind me to think positively; who is this negative nay-say that cannot seem to see the silver lining? I typically would refer to myself as a very positive and upbeat person, however it seems that the moment I walk into the building my first thought is, how do I walk right back out? Negativity 101! YIKES. Unfortunately I think that this little negative spell has been brought on from many of my past decisions that I am just beginning to see the effects of. As I begin to approach my 26th birthday I am looking back over the past couple of years and wondering to myself what it is that I have truly accomplished and what it is that I am living for? Besides coaching and the i have. i give. Project, I might argue that my past couple of years have not really chalked up to much, and I really have nothing to be proud of and say, I did that for them. (I hope that you're not reading this feeling sorry for me right now, this really is not a pity party) All that I am trying to say is that when I was younger, at least when I was still in college, I can vividly remember thinking to myself, when I'm 25 I am going to have X, Y and Z and I'm going to be able to consider myself successful. Here I am, 2 weeks away from turning 26 and the only thing that I have is a F. (Again not looking for your sympathy) I haven't done anything that I am overtly proud of yet, I haven't landed my dream job, my dream husband, or my dream life; instead I happen to be finding myself right now just dreaming about what that life would look like. I'm dreaming about a life that I could not only say, "Just livin' the dream" but really mean it! I reflect back over my past decisions and I feel ashamed, cheated and mostly irresponsible for not taking my life by the reigns and running with all the wonderful opportunities that I was given. Luckily for me, and everyone out there thinking the same thing, it is never too late. We can reach behind us, grab hold of the reigns and take hold of our lives. We are the commanders of our own ships, and we direct the sails. So stop sitting idly by and wondering if the tide will ever change, grab hold and chase your dreams the way that you were intended to; with gusto.
"Plot your course, because only then can you start heading toward your destination." -- Justin Spizma & Robyn F. Spizma "Don't Give Up... Don't Ever Give Up ~ The Inspiration of Jimmy V"
"...Release the dead weight of what I hope will happen -- and fully embrace the possibilities of what is happening." -- Theresa
“It wasn’t that I had not seen the truth. I had. But I’d failed to find the courage to act on it.” – Oriah “The Invitation”
“….my real dream was that one day I would write something that people would read.” – Kathryn Stockett “The Help”
What would you do if you were not afraid? WOW! I could feel the heat rise into my cheeks as if someone were roasting coals inside my soul. What would I do if I was not afraid I thought, before I could even give the question deep thought things just starting pouring out of my mouth.
—Write a book
—Quit my job to pursue a career I love
—Open my heart knowing it could be broken
—Get my masters
—Pursue my dream of CampHope
—Dream BIGger
—Believe in myself and the talents that God has given me
—Start my own business
—Write for my job
—Become a teacher
Believe in myself and the possibility of accomplishing my dreams
—Surf
—Challenge myself daily to step out of my comfort zone
Inspire others to dream BIG and to GIVE more
—Give everything I have
I would love to say that I this question has given me the strength to begin on doing my list but fear still has a death grip on me. I believe that until I am willing to allow faith to take over and push my fears aside I will more often than not be finding myself holding back because I am afraid. I must remind myself… What has FEAR done for you lately? Hold nothing back and pursue your dreams. What would YOU do if you weren’t afraid? DO IT NOW! There is no better time than today to begin on doing the things you have always dreamed of doing. Don’t let a little four letter word stop you from becoming the person you were designed to be; be that person!
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” – unknown
“Act as if it were impossible to fail and it will be.” – unknown
“Organization is about recognizing
what ‘enough’ looks like and feels like; about holding things loosely while
learning deep appreciation for the comfort, convenience, beauty and
functionality that objects offer. When I clutch, grab, or hold something too
closely or tightly, instead of creating a feeling of safety and security, what
grows is a sense of anxiety and fear – that the object will break, be lost or assert
its importance in some other way.” – unknown
“It’s
not too late… the angel said.
Even
though the world’s a mess…
Even
though you’re not as young…
Even
though you’ve made mistakes and have been afraid
It’s
not too late…
And
then I saw the world through the angels eyes…
I saw
the colors I could paint
The
bridges I could build
The
lives I could touch
The
dreams that I could still come true.
And it
becomes very clear to me…
That is
not too late.”
– Ron Atchinson
Well it’s
a new year and with each New Year comes a fresh new start, a new look, a new
hope for a better year than the last and typically new year’s resolutions. I
myself usually do not set a new year’s resolution, but it’s a new year. This
year I didn’t contemplate creating a resolution; I didn’t sit and stir over
what my new year’s resolution would be or even give thought to having one or
not… I knew that this year, 2012, I was having a New Year’s resolution and was going
to dedicate the year of 2012 to organization. I know that sounds pretty broad,
and in reality pretty boring, but organization means much more than just
ensuring that I have a calendar and my closets and drawers neat and tidy. This
year my resolution to be more organized is not just about the way that my items
are organized but more importantly my life. This is going to be a year of big occasions
and hopefully even bigger dreams and I need to be fully ready for all that lies
ahead. As part of my resolution to become more organized I plan to utilize my
time better, improve my financial situation, figure out the next steps of my
future and take action, write down my goals and my dreams, dream bigger than I
did in 2011, and figure out who it is I want to be and what it is I want to
leave in this world to make it a better place. My hope, obviously is that my
resolution will help me become more organized, more focused, more determined,
more dedicated and overall a better me than I was in years past. I believe that
is what New Year’s resolutions were set out to do, to make you a better rate
version of yourself than you have ever been. To help you change something in
your life to make you the best that you can be. So this year, 2012, may you
take a moment and really think about what it is that will make you the greatest
YOU, YOU can be? Maybe your resolution is to get healthier, lose weight, save
money, fall in love, or maybe you decided like I have in the past that New Year’s
resolutions are a waste of time; whatever the case, may you allow this year to
help you grow into a better person and may you find the gift in challenge and
change. I hope that the year of 2012 brings you great joy, unimaginable love, exuberant
laughter, a clean slate of health and the love of God to fill your heart. Happy
New Year!!!
“Do you
need to say ‘no’ to the good in your life, so the great has room to enter in?” –
unknown
“Real
courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and
suffer change and stretch consciousness.” – Tom Robbins “Another Roadside Attraction”
