What Inspires Me

I have had several people tell me that my bravery to overcome obstacles and my bravery for wanting to enjoy my life have inspired them. Either to put themselves out there and share their gifts, or to do that one thing that they have always wanted to try but were to afraid of what others might think if they tried it and failed. Or even sometimes to just start that internal journey of evaluating their own souls and finding what brings them their own personal bliss.

But for every person who has told me I inspire them there are just as many who ask who inspires me. So today I want to share a couple of links to some amazing people and their blog sites or vlog sites and show others those who truly have helped me become the person I am becoming with each and every passing day.

People who have decided that surviving is not living and have decided that following their own bliss is something that has value not only for themselves but also for their own personal journey.  People who I follow or who I watch and listen to. People who have helped me clear the fog often surrounding my brain and helped me see clearer regarding what is reality and what is fear based. The fear based and only holding me back from the things I enjoy and living the life I was born to live.  Or in the immortal words of Star Trek, Fear is only created to be overcome.

I have written about overcoming obstacles in your daily lives.  How sometimes those obstacles help us grow and become wiser and stronger for the journey ahead. But I also feel it is important to understand what is behind my desire to find my own personal bliss and to helping me with the road map of my journey that often remains a mystery for those without a network of friends and family or mentors that can guide you along the way.

First I want to mention Dawn Kirk,  this amazing lady although I have never met in person I have spoken with several times via the internet as well as I read her blog and watch her vlogs.  I am amazed at how strong she is even in the face of adversity and never gives up, even when most would say I am not making a difference and stop trying.  I will include a link to her sites below.

Dawn Kirk Imagine the shift Vlog Site

Dawn Kirk Imagine the Shift Blog Site

Dawn Kirk Facebook page for Imagine the Shift

Another amazing woman I have had the pleasure of knowing offline as well as reading her blog and always enjoying the many recipes and advise she shares in them is Lady Feri. Now that isn't her birth name but it is the name she writes under and is known by, She is a wonderfully strong and courageous woman who has taught me over the multitude of years that I have known her how to grab life by the horns and live it to the fullest. I personally do not think this woman is afraid of anything.  She is self employed success who goes where she wants, does what she wants and follows her own personal bliss on a daily basis.  She has inspired me to be braver to to take chances when they present themselves in my life in order to expand my horizons and live the life I was born to live.

Help by Lady Feri

Another less public person but just as important is a volunteer with our canine Rescue, Rose Burrow. She is our Director of Creative Arts.  That title means that she is our go to girl for handling anything having to do with PR or artwork or even fundraising.  She is an amazing person who has taught me to embrace my wild side and instead of hiding my head in the sand to actually go for it when my dreams need to become a reality.  She is my friend as well as my coworker and the editor of an online magazine called White Gloves and Latex Gauntlets.  This publication showcases local talent and what is going on within the artist community.  She has been a close friend and a sister by another mother to me for almost half a decade now and I am very thankful to not only have her guidance but to also to borrow her own personal strength from time to time.

White Gloves and Latex Gauntlets Facebook page

Another female that has inspired me whether she realizes it or not and is rather adult in nature is a website known as the twisted Broad. She is never afraid to address issues that others may shy away from. Sharing her knowledge and her experiences in hopes of encouraging others to take a walk on the wild side, or just communicate with those in their lives in hopes of improving the quality of life of her readers. She has a blog and a vlog sites and I adore watching her new videos or even just reading her status updates. 

Twisted Broad Youtube channel

Twisted Broad Facebook page

Another person who inspires me and makes me strive to be a better happier person is Dawn Spalding and her charming husband Adam.  They have even in these tough economic times started their own business and are working together as a team to make it a success. Their company cleans aquariums and I have known Dawn for many years prior to them beginning their company and she has always been the most honest straight shooting person I have known.  She inspires me because through it all she has taught me that true love, not the hollywood kind of love but a real partnership between two people can survive anything and that if you want something bad enough you have to work your butt off to make it happen.  She is an amazing person and she is one of the many intelligent people who motivate me to be the best I can be and to stretch myself to accomplish what I want out of this life.

The Aquarium Nerds Facebook Site

Another amazingly strong person who inspires me is Carolyn Dickerson, she runs a website called Look great, lose weight, and save money.  Her website is filled with tips and tricks on how to look your best and feel your best even when you are operating on a budget. I enjoy watching her vlogs and reading her latest articles. To me she is a super woman. 

Look great, Lose Weight, Save Money Website

Carolyn Dickerson Channel on Youtube

I have also been inspired by many people within my family who I admire their strength and courage. My youngest daughter Patricia Drach is very young but still an inspiration to those who know her.  She began her own photography site and is working towards making her dreams a reality.

Patricia Drach Photo facebook site

My middle daughter Amber Kolaski has written and self published her first book.  To me that is an amazing demonstration of determination to make her dream of being a writer a reality. She juggles the many responsibilities in her life with her dreams and goals and has a never give up mentality about it.  As well as publishing a blog sharing her insights and experiences as being a mom of multiples and learning to multitask on several different levels.

Fire Riders by Amber Kolaski

Amber Kolaski Blog Site

I am blessed to have surrounded myself with amazing and intelligent people.  I have chosen wisely when deciding who I would allow within my inner circle of friends to only pick those who not only understand my desire to be more than I am today but to encourage me to be all that I am capable of being.  There are many others that I draw inspiration from but most of those people are very private and don't feel the need to share their gifts with websites or blog sites or even a vlog or two.  I truly appreciate those as well.  But this handful of folks are just a sampling of the amazing people I share my life with and get my inspiration from. 

Sometimes it may simply be something said in a passing conversation, or perhaps it is watching them overcome obstacles and issues that would cripple the average person and stalemate their desires to reach their end goal.  But I draw inspiration from a wide variety of people and a very wide variety of places. From the television shows I choose to watch through the books I choose to read.  I don't allow negative people to limit my abilities nor do I allow them to feed off my creative energies.

If you want something you have to work at it, that includes being happy.  You have to decide what is in your best interest and in the best interest of those you include in your circle of friends.  You have to take an active participation in your life and in the choices you make or you will always be at the mercy of those around you.  I have learned that life lesson from watching these amazing people and many like them.

I am pretty sure that many of my readers thought when I labeled this blog What Inspires me that I would mention famous people or religious groups. I am inspired by those around me who are just like me, who do what they have to do and deal with the ups and downs of living a real life. Who plug away day after day pursuing their dreams and following their own bliss.  Who are role models for me to watch and learn from.  Who in my eyes are living the life I want to live and helping me figure out exactly how to go about doing that.

I hope my blog today has given you some food for thought. I hope that you click on one or more of the sites I have shared and see if perhaps these folks can help inspire you as well.  That you take each day for what it is a gift because our time on this planet is not guaranteed and  if you put off following your bliss until you have more time, more money, or more knowledge many times that day never arrives.  You don't have to be rich or famous to inspire people, you don't even have to be the best of the best. If you are out there living that dream, showing others that it is a doable thing. Many times they will join you on that journey and even help you learn first hand what works and what doesn't.

Until next time blog buddies, stay safe, stay sane and be happy.

 

I learn a lot from the dogs I share my life with.

They have taught me that there is nothing on this planet that cannot be solved with a nap and a full belly.  They have also taught me that when life gives you an opportunity for happy experiences you should grab it with all you have and hold on to that happiness. If it is a run in the yard or a nap on the sofa. To live in this moment, but to dream of next week and to always be as happy as possible.

Loving Yourself enough to do what makes you Happy

I haven't written in a while because right now my life is filled beyond capacity.  It is filled with happy memories and new experiences and new feelings. Both about myself and my life in general.  But I had the time today to give an update on my journey towards finding my bliss.

Sometimes it isn't easy doing what makes you happy. You may encounter obstacles in the least expected places. Sometimes well meaning friends and family members may feel the need to label your needs as selfish. They may even feel that you are in some way doing a disservice to them because you are stretching out and touching new horizons.  They may feel threatened because you are doing things they only dreamed of but were never brave enough to try for themselves.

Don't be disheartened by this negative feedback.  Take it for what is worth. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. Pursue what brings true joy to your life. Be that taking some new chances or simply being brave enough to show your real face to the world.  Never apologize for being brave it is a rare quality not found in many.

Never allow the feelings of other to stop you from being happy. People come and go in your life. Even family members can become distant with time.  But you are the only person who has to live your life day to day.  You are also the only person you have to answer to in the long run. 

Do what makes you happy as long as those choices bring no one any real injury.  Perhaps you cannot give as much of your time to your favorite charity or participate in those family activities that you have once been a stable aspect at. But in the long run finding your own bliss will make you a much better person. More centered and more stable for all those who remain in your life.

You cannot be happy with others until your first learn to be happy with yourself.  You cannot center your world around another person no matter how much you love them. Children grow up and move on with their lives. Parents grow older and die and loved ones may come and go.  Those are changing aspects of your life.  They are not stationary nor are they permanent.  Nothing in life is guaranteed, not even our next breath.  So why put off your dreams until another day when there may or may not be another day in your future.

I am not saying to quit your job and move to Tibet to follow some Eastern religion. I am not saying to divorce your spouse of several decades simply because at the moment they may not quiet fit into your ideal world as you see it. I am saying take time for yourself. 10 minutes a day or one day a week, or something that makes you a priority.

You don't have to be a slave of the universe you only have to do what makes life more bearable.  Something I have learned in the last year of this journey of self exploration. I am far more capable than I originally thought.  Yes many things still scare me and yes I am still not quiet brave enough to do all the things I want to try, but with baby steps I am approaching those things with a new perspective.

We as human beings evolve and change with time, and experiences. We learn new ways to approach problems and new ways to interact with our global community.  There is no right or wrong way to approach something, only ways we haven't tried or ways we did and that didn't work.  We have to think outside the box sometimes and we have to know that although we may fall down or fail we still continue on.

We learn in this life that we are not always right but we are never always wrong.  That we learn as we go and by expanding our horizons and stepping outside our comfortable boundaries we are capable of being so much more than we began.  That life is ever changing and that we as humans are constantly learning. Think about where we would be if ever invention ever created was stopped because their first attempt failed.  How far we would have progressed as a people and as a society if we had patiently waited for our ideas to catch up with our real lives.

Once upon a time being an independent writer took years to accomplish.  And for many it was a dead end dream. Now with the stroke of a key we can publish our ideas and our thoughts and make them publicly seen.  We can write blogs create videos we share on our networking sites and share with the world our brilliance and our failures.  We as a global community are learning to live in harmony with all gods creatures both human and animal and to try to live in harmony within ourselves and our habits. To leave a smaller carbon footprint and learning form others skills that without the internet we may have never been exposed to.

The world is your oyster all you have to do is belly up to the buffet.  You can research any subject that intrigues you via youtube and google or bing at no cost to your household.  You can get ideas on how others have done things via networking sites by simply asking your friends.  You can learn from others and share your own experiences in hopes of encouraging others to follow their own bliss.

Be that in photography, writing, glass blowing, or sky diving.  We can live vicariously through first person videography and feel our hearts race as we try new things and push out towards new perimeters in our life.  We are only restricted by the boundaries we place on ourselves.  The man who says he cannot probably won't.  The one who believes anything is possible will always succeed in the end.  The journey and the direction is up to you.

I wanted to share this for those who are following me or who read my blog to hopefully give them strength and knowledge that failure does not define you, it only helps you figure out what works and what doesn't.  Where your true passions lie and what makes you happy. Discovering who you are is a journey within our own souls.  It helps us define who we are in the bigger scheme of things.  It also helps us expand our knowledge and continue to grow as people and as citizens of our global community.

I am proud to say I have reached my first goal with the blog it has been read over 1,000 times in less than a year.  I am very proud of the blogs I have written and the things I have learned along the way.  I have explored things that terrified me and done things that I never thought possible until now.  I now know that nothing is impossible if I am determined enough and want them bad enough. That the only thing to fear is fear itself and that I will be made better for having taken this journey.

I hope my words give you food for thought. I hope that everyone who reads these words take a long hard look at their own lives and figure out what is working and what isn't. That they on occasion take that walk on the wild side and truly live.  Life isn't about how many breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away.  Live life to the fullest. Never forget that there is so much out there that you haven't tried or tasted or experienced.  Never stop learning and know that you will be a better more rounded person for the effort of this journey. 

Who knows you may even learn that something you have hated your entire life when prepared a different way or approached with a different mind set is now your absolute favorite thing in the world.

Until next time blog buddies. Stay safe, stay sane, and be happy.

An amazing shot I never could have gotten if 

I allowed my fear of spiders to dictate 

what I was capable of.

 

Another Amazing shot I would have missed if I 

had not stepped outside my comfort zone to explore 

new boundaries.

Not my photo but one that inspired me on a networking site.  

Hoping that is does the same for my readers.

Babysteps towards the new Me

There has been some pretty major changes in my life of late. I have run out of funding for my education and am having to work through some mental hurdles that have come due to those changes in my life. I made the honor roll for my last in school session, which made me feel a little better about what is going on. But it has left me with no plan and no goal to work towards. I still want to finish my degree but am exploring alternative ways to go about that. I am not very far from having the credits I need to graduate and I plan on utilizing what ever I can to make that happen. But right now am sorting through everything and figure out who I am now and what I want to put as my long term goal.

After my last class I am reanalyzing my goals of being a CPA. I enjoy bookkeeping and financial advising and even taxation and how to advice people to keep the most they can in their pocket and make the most of the money they have coming in, but I do not see myself in a corporate position nor do I desire to have a ordinary run of the mill career. I know this may make it sound like I am unsure of what I do want but sometimes it is much easier to pin point what I don't want than what I do.

I have begun the search for a job that I really want to do. Something to work towards and trying to figure out what steps I need to take to make that dream a reality.  I am enjoying the photography, it helps me to sort things out. I actually took a trip to our local zoo and got some incredible shots of the animals and learned that you don't have to travel to actually photograph more exotic animals.

I have been going through my wardrobe to find out exactly what I have clothing wise, which also helps me sort things out in my head and get my bearings.  I can see where I have been and what I was thinking by looking at some of my clothing choices in the past.  I can remember the things that were important to me last year or before that and know that I am no longer that person.  The ideals and dreams have been stripped away to reveal the bones of my life as it currently is.

As I sort through stack after stack of clothing choices my mind is flooded with memories of wearing this outfit or that to an event shared with my family or for a meeting with those who I once believed held my future in their hands.  I can remember the things that were running through my head and the beliefs I once held firm to.  I can see the changes in my body brought about by healthier eating habits and healthier activities.  I actually walked the entire zoo non stop for 4 hours with a camera bag on my back and never once did I get winded or tired.  That for me is a major accomplishment.  I was so engrossed by what I was doing that I didn't even notice I was wringing wet from the heat and activity, to me it was normal and just part of the experience.

I slowly put each item out for inspecting and trying on. Noticing how clothing that once fit my more rounded figure now hang loose or clothes that once didn't quite look right because of the cut or the style suddenly fit my changing body and mind like a guiding hand helped me choose them.  It is a growing experience long over due.

I have realized that my priorities are also changing and how I feel about some of the people in my life is no longer the same. The core of my world is the same but I now see people with clearer eyes and a more accurate image of them. I understand that we are all human and as such we all make mistakes in the growth process called life.  I understand now that we all have goals and dreams and sometimes those things that are so incredibly important to us means nothing to those around us.  Sometimes we are blessed enough to have people around us who support those dreams and goals and sometimes we aren't.  Depending on the goals and dreams and depending on the people we surround ourselves with.

I have also found that no matter what I am the coordinator of my own destiny and only I can make or break those goals into a reality.  I began this blog as a journal of sorts, a way to track my progress and help me understand where I am and where I am going. To help me help others to be brave and hopefully follow their own bliss into being the people they were born to be.

Be that to take the leap into doing something so totally out of the norm that before they never would have been brave enough to try. Or maybe just to finally let go of their past and begin living for their future.  Either way I help I feel that by doing that I can better help myself and hopefully have a positive impact on my world at large.

I have discovered that although my ideals and dreams are changing, this isn't a bad thing.  That sometimes we think we know exactly where we are headed only to learn that we have taken a turn that lands us in a foreign place and perhaps a better place than we would have ended up at had we stuck to the original game plan.

I am still not 100% sure what I want out of life, but I feel with each passing day I am getting closer and that the choices I have made and the changes I have allowed to occur in my life are for the better.  They have given me a chance to not only get to know myself a little better but to also know those I share my life with a little better as well. I have seen a side of them I would never have seen if I had stuck the main stream ideals I so firmly held to before beginning this journey.

I have seen the changes and thanks to the entries in this blog and the entries in my personal journal I am able to look back and see them more clearly.  I am able to see what is truly important to me and what I need to do to take the next steps to make my life what I want it to be.

I know this may seem like a lot of rambling, and perhaps it is.  But to me it makes perfect sense and hopefully if you are reading this you will gleam something from it that will make you take a closer look at your own life and hopefully make some changes or adjustments for the better.

Change is never easy but at times it is very necessary.  In order to grow as both a person and a human you have to adapt or perish.  You have to master new skills and release old grievances in order to fully live.  You cannot live in the past because is behind you.  You cannot live in the future for it is uncertain. You can only life in the present and take each day as it comes.  But you can plan and dream of what you want and take active steps to make it a reality instead of sitting around waiting for it to come to you.

I still believe that everything happens for a reason and sometimes we just not blessed with enough knowledge to understand why something that feels so incredibly horrible and painful can be beneficial in the long run.  Sometimes change hurts, sometimes it hurts so bad you don't think you will ever get past it or survive it.  But the reality of life is this, life continues on. Days becomes night and months pass far to quickly the older you get and sooner or later you have to stop for a moment and just enjoy the beauty that surrounds us all, I learned that one from the photography.  It has taught me to look closer at situations and to take things for what they are, and at times to change that perspective a little so you can get a clearer picture of what is really going on in your life.

You won't always get what you want, sometimes you will get what you want the least. But eventually situations change, because change is inevitable and you cannot escape it.  People come and go, jobs change and management is replaced with new leadership.  You cannot control every aspect of your life but many things you can change and the first and foremost you have control over is how you react to those changes.

If you need to get mad then get mad, if you need to shed a tear then do so, without the fear that others will think you are weak or that your outburst will be judged by those who love you. We all have bad days even those of us who always do their best to look on the bright side of life.  Know that you are not alone but at the same time you are an individual and that we each have our own dreams and goals.

Never be afraid to follow your dreams, never be afraid to try and make your goals a reality.  Life is way to short to be miserable and if you allow others to keep you from doing what makes you happy you will find yourself regretting listening to someone who wouldn't hesitate to follow their own dreams or do whatever was necessary to make their reality yours.  Never listen to negative people and don't allow their negativity to infringe on your happiness.  Do what makes you happy even if it is only a few moments of your day, or a few hours out of your week.  Take baby steps and learn what you need to do to make your goals your reality.  Take that mountain one step at a time and eventually you will find yourself on top of the world looking back on your path and knowing that although it took you a while to get there that you did it and that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.

I hope my blog entry today has given you some food for thought. I hope that it has given you something to think about and that you make just one tiny change in your immediate universe for the better. Do something so not your norm that you experience an emotion or even a thought that you wouldn't had you stayed within the boundaries we all surround ourselves with to give us the impression of being in complete control of our life.

Take a walk on the wild side and live life. I tell people I don't want to arrive at my grave in perfect condition and an orderly fashion I want to slide in sideways screaming "What a ride".  Follow your bliss because it isn't going to magically appear on your doorstep, you gotta go out there do the work and find that very elusive creature.  It exist but will only show itself to those who believe enough in it and who are willing to do the work required to make it a reality.

Until next time blog buddies, stay safe, stay sane and be happy.

This is a video of famous failures that continued to dream and continued to try to make their dreams and goals a reality. I hope it inspires my readers as much as it inspires me.