I am honored to have Rich, the creator of The Real Mind to be the first one to answer the CALL TO ACTION. I am featuring stories that generous, caring people are willing to share with F.I.T. – these stores have changed lives in the past or are going to change someones life in the future. Read on – I guarantee you will be inspired. Have a story you’d like to share? Email Mike@findinspirationtoday.com.

A Rags to Life-Riches Story

By Rich

“True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self…” – Joseph Addison

Welcome to My Journey

Ever since I began making changes in my life, making exciting things happen, and moving towards the life-styles I thoroughly desire, my friends and the people around me have noted how committed I seem and how driven I come across. That’s good, and in many ways it’s because the jolt I received from myself in deciding to get my act together was so potent that it vividly redrew my outlook on life.

Something else I’m noted for is genuine honesty and openness about where I came from and who I was at that time. You have to understand that it’s a little difficult for me to talk about that, because my past is something I don’t really associate myself with much any more. I’m a very different person to who I was… although I’m incredibly thankful to myself that I finally did make the decision to wake-up and start to grab life by the handles.

Reflecting

Over-time it actually becomes increasingly challenging for me to really deeply reflect on the place from which I began my, for want of better terminology, personal development journey. The reason being – I develop at such a rapid pace these days, every month I’m working on something new, bettering myself in some new way. I’m addicted to improvement, and I absolutely love to death the rewards which it has reaped for me.

In many ways I just see personal development as making the decision to now and forever take your life seriously. You’re not anymore just riding the coat-tails of luck, fate, destiny, or whatever other superstition someone may cling to. I used to walk around just thinking that one day things would all change for me, that some other divine power or fate or something would just make everything better for me.

In words it may sound so simple to take responsibility for your life; you just make that little decision don’t you? Just take up that responsibility. Just accept that whatever happens in your life is entirely down to you. So easy right? You step forth to make things happen for yourself and step-by-step move towards the things which you want.

Except it’s not like that at all. The first point of realization, for me, was an explosive surge of energy and emotion. I did not awaken to my life easily. I did not have a relaxed realization one day that I needed to make big changes. It was a rough epiphany, especially at first. It actually felt much like grabbing myself by the collar and violently shaking, and shaking, and shaking…

Where it all began for me

My life at the time was fairly dismal, and up until that point I had pretty much just, as I mentioned, rode the coattails of destiny. I had little ambition – but for some reason at the back of my mind I had this lazy day-dream that one-day something would just happen and my life would be wonderful and filled with affluence.

I was frequently depressed, and almost always cynical. I used to look for things to complain about, all the time. Then I’d whine to anyone who’d listen about how bad things were for me, about how unfair life had been.

Yuck

So as you can expect, I didn’t have many friends, two or three at best. That’s if you can call them friends – these people, of course, were much like me. Cynical, believing that life is meant to be terrible, and not really doing anything about it other than just letting their lives tick away.

I had recently graduated from Uni, and, out of frustration, quit my part-time job selling CDs in a music shop. I somehow knew I was better than that, even though I had extreme social anxiety, poor personal hygiene, a terrible attitude, and very little foresight.

I had been unemployed for months, chain smoking, and with no sign in sight of getting a job any time soon. I was sat at my desk, tapping another cigarette against the side of my over-flowing ash-tray. I stank, and I knew it. I think I’d not too long ago had a few bouts of contemplating suicide, a low point. Of course, that hadn’t been a rare occurrence all throughout my life to be honest. I’d never be serious and I was just desperate to find a solution to what I knew was a fairly grim existence. And then it happened…

I snapped. I couldn’t stand it anymore.

It’s difficult to say exactly. I had just read my first ever, for want of a better word, self-development e-book. I remember first looking at it and thinking “what a load of nonsense this looks like” but then diving in anyway. It actually wasn’t even that good a book and I’ve never re-read it, although the author did seem to have an inspirational story himself and I think in seeing what he used to be and what he was now opened my eyes a little.

On top of that I had been single for some time – and I was extremely lonely. I knew that I would do almost anything to change that situation, I just really didn’t realize that change is possible, and what changes you need to go about making in order to bring great people into your life.

But more than anything else I just remember that ONE MOMENT. I was sat at my desk, cigarette still smoking in the stacked up pile of ash in my home-made foil ashtray. I had a mirror stacked up against my wall to the side and I had just thought to myself a thought about all the collective dreams I had had in my life – all the things I somehow thought fate would throw into my lap. At that moment I turned to the mirror and saw completely the sobering reality of the situation I was in.

Before then I has just thought that life was supposed to be that way. I thought that it was the world around which changes first, and that if people changed, they changed second. I thought that some people were lucky and had good, fun, indulgent lives, and other people just had to wait for their luck.

And then I realized all that was nonsense. For the first time ever I knew deep to my core that *I* needed to change MYSELF.

Change Began with the Mirror and a Moment

I didn’t stop looking at my reflection for over an hour, perhaps longer. I had locked eyes with myself and I couldn’t move. I remember that my face looked very red, I think the blood was rushing around my body. This was by no means a simple realization. It was a highly charged and intense experience.

The thoughts cycling through my mind were all the same topic: “I have to change, and I have to start right NOW!”

I slept terribly that night. But in the morning, I began taking action…

Just a little disclaimer: I don’t want anyone reading this to go out and throw themselves into a staring competition with themselves in the mirror expecting to experience this kind of revelation. It doesn’t happen like that (although if it does, I’d love to hear about it!) – this is my story, this is what happened to me.

When you begin taking responsibility for your reality you learn a lot about existence, a lot more than you knew before. One thing you learn is that everyone’s story is different – it’s useful to hear what other people did, but then you adapt from it your own path and your own way.

In the next few months after that event I found an office job, cleaned myself, took up karate, lost weight, gave-up smoking, and began learning how to make my life into whatever I wanted it to be.

Over the next few years my social circle and romantic life exploded with great people as I learned how to be charismatic, confident, charming, and genuine. My income shot up as I changed jobs twice, each time leaving with a high quality reference and, more often than not, a lot more responsibility than when I first started.

This is What I Can Tell You

Let me make this very clear – NONE OF THIS WAS EASY. None of it is easy. If right now you are like I was, then I do have some great advice for you. But do not be like 90% of the people who read Law of Attraction and watch The Secret and believe they can pull magic things into their life without putting in tons and tons and tons of effort.

The trick to effort is motivation, and the trick to motivation is to look deep down in yourself, find what you really really really want more than anything, and then to realize that you can get it, work out how, and start TAKING ACTION.

If you are reading this post and this blog, then you already have an interest in improving yourself and challenging the reality around you. If that is the case, I can only urge you to continue doing so. The best advice I can give you is to before anything else learn how to be a socially affluent person to be around, and then make friends with people who you want to be like. That is definitely one of the best places to begin.

That’s not just a case of popping out and being a “pleasant” person and shaking people’s hands. It’s more than that. Learn about social dynamics, learn about the kinds of things people enjoy in social situations, push your comfort-zone by learning how to tell stories and jokes, observe people and see how they act, read personal development books, join new groups where you have a fresh slate on which to paint your personality, do everything you can to inch closer to that person you’d like to be….

NOW is the time to begin.

And one more final piece of advice. Never be too hard on yourself or expect things to happen too fast. You will need persistence, and dedication, and patience. If you expect things to happen tomorrow and get frustrated when they don’t you’re setting yourself up for a crash – don’t do that. Have patience, keep pushing, and let your development just happen at whatever speed it happens.

What am I up to now?

I’m in the process of setting up several home businesses. I’m currently in the process of upping and moving to Spain. I’ve got a flourishing social calendar and days which are packed to the brim with meditation, romance, business meetings, work which I love, and, of course, parties. I absolutely love my life, and I crave further success as much as I crave the air I’m breathing.

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Today I woke up, threw on some sweats that were lying beside my bed, and walked outside to snag the mail from yesterday. Mind you, I live in Ohio and in early March it’s still supposed to be cold outside, but not today! As I walked outside, immediately I was hit by the warmth of the sun and felt the crisp, clean air enter my lungs. I couldn’t ask for a more inspiring, wonderful feeling – knowing that I had the entire day and the freedom to make the absolute most of the day at hand.

Why don’t we have more feelings like this? I didn’t have to try – I just felt it. I was inspired.

Here is a method that I use to open my life to more inspirational moments like the one I experienced this morning.

1. Recognize You

Unfortunately, for many of us, we have days where our thoughts are dominated by the hot work issue of the day, or some other pressing thing that probably means very little in the greater scope of life. Those days are simply unavoidable and they happen to all people – but don’t let them get the best of you.

What would happen if you willingly and knowingly disconnected yourself from the pain or problem of the day? From personal experience and practice, and perhaps common sense, I’ve learned that this disconnect brings me back to the present moment and allows me to think clearly.

You can do this too – but you have to do it and be deliberate about it.

2. Open ‘Em Up and Observe

To be inspired means many things and it can be different for everyone. Appreciating your surroundings is a great practice to get in to. For me, I started being a bit more observational – and I recommend you to try it. In times mentioned above, problems, unpleasantries, etc. – I spend a little time really gathering and processing all aspects of my surroundings. I have found that in doing so, in return I get a clarity and a mental power to change my outlook and perspective. Make it practice to take in a moment, situation, etc. – realize your settings.

3. Gratitude is Key

Not long ago I began to get into a practice of giving gratitude. I don’t do it everyday, but the point is that I do it. Giving gratitude is one of the best, most rewarding ways to start off your day. It particularly works well when we are faced with adversity, when we need something, anything to get us past this present hurdle. After you disconnect yourself from your pains and problems, after you’ve taken in your surroundings, you can now begin thinking through things you are grateful for. I like to start with my health and some of the things I know I personally take for granted. So I start with being thankful for my health, and then it snowballs from there. It’s not always the same routine either, the things I am grateful for are different from day to day. Doing this on a regular basis shows you how dynamic your life is.

4. Treat Yourself

It’d be nice if taking a simple little approach like this totally eradicated your pains and problems – but I’m happy to break it to you, that ain’t gonna happen! This process changes your perspective and inspires you. It’s free, and you can do it whenever you want. You control what happens upstairs. Our brain is amazing – use these methods to squash common self-limiting thoughts. With the right frame of mind, right attitude, no pain or problem should be getting you down for long.

Heck, you can get good at this, that all of a sudden you’re going to find all kinds of opportunity and the bright side of these pains and problems that once hindered you.

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#14 – Get Organized

“The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious.” ~Marcus Aurelius

Sometimes when I need to clear a mental block or simply get started on a difficult task – I will first get organized. For my whole life, I’ve been the type of person that will walk over something on the floor ten times before I’ll take the time to pick it up. So in the places that I try to be productive, which is mainly my office, I have the tendency to let paper piles and inboxes grow wild.

I have learned that If I simply get organized, resetting myself in a way, I get inspired to knock off that next thing on my list. By organizing, cleaning up, filing, clearing the inbox, etc. – you gradually clear your mental inbox as well. You alleviate pressures and open up your mind to some creativity that usually gets blocked by the unorganized crap flying around in there.

There’s no doubt, that if you feel stagnent, or that progress is tough to come by, getting your life organized can be a catalyst to greater action. Clutter and useless stuff lingers in our workspace or home and slows productivity and advancement.

Get organized. Clean up your office or your house and get organized. File, throw away, figure out what you need, etc. to put yourself in a position to move forward in a positive direction – this will inspire you to take on what’s next. Sometimes clutter and useless stuff lingers in our workspace or home and slows productivity and advancement.

20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #15
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #16
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #17
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #18
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #19
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #20

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Intro: This was initially one post listing out 20 great methods or things you can use to find inspiration in your life. I have decided to expand upon each one (in no particular order!) because so often we read “how-to’s” and different things we should do in list forms – and typically no action is ever taken. I wanted to talk in more detail about how I interpret and get inspired by each one.

#15 – Be Present for the Sunrise

“Through the blackest night, morning gently tiptoes, feeling its way to dawn.” ~Robert Brault

Assuming I’m not burning the midnight oil, I’m a morning person. I love waking up knowing that most everybody else around me is still fast asleep. What I’ve learned, is that there is an enormous amount of energy to be drawn from simply being present in the early morning hours.

Whenever I am on vacation, I always tell myself that I will either stay up very late or wake up early to witness the sunrise. The beautiful thing is that you don’t have to be on vacation to watch the sun come up! It’s a wonder of nature that we are blessed to have every day.

Witnessing the sunrise is just one of many perks to getting up early. I’ve found that I am extremely productive when I get up early. I get things taken care of that I otherwise might not even get to – or would push off to another day because of the Monday through Friday 8-5 obligation.

Wake up early – check out the sunrise – and you’ll be all juiced up to…

• Read. My best reading comes in the morning. I used to read at night before bed, but I last about three pages before gravity pulls my eyelids down.
• Review yesterday and plan today – morning is a great time to hit the reset button and figure out what needs to be done that day
• Get that excercise in that you otherwise won’t
• Catch up on personal emails
• Catch up on your leisure activities that you might tend to neglect because life gets too busy once the day starts

You get the picture. Becoming an early riser has it’s many benefits. I know a lot of people that get their best work done very late at night – so this may not work for everyone.

Even if you are a late-nighter, give it a shot, you might be surprised at the power and energy of our sunrise.

20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #16
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #17
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #18
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #19
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #20

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Each post begins with a quote – and then you will be taken through a thought process beginning with Initial Thoughts, then Digging Deeper, and will finish with What To Walk Away With.

I hope you enjoy this series of quotes, I sure did enjoy writing about them, and find some quotes that have a lot of relevance to your life

1. How You Can Sleep in a Storm
2. How Your Decisions Cause Problems
3. The Simplicity of Discipline
4. Your Dreams Demand Your Attention
5. Be the Best at What You Do
6. Risk the Unusual – Don’t Settle for the Ordinary
7. Find Out What Lies Beneath the Surface
8. The Power of Gratitude
9. The Little Things – They Matter!
10. Why Your Life Experiences Matter
11. Take Action – You Won’t Regret It
12. How Optimism Creates Opportunity
13. A Twist on Attitude
14. Turn Your Failures Into Successes
15. Understand the Messages You Send
16. An Approach to Taking Action
17. Why Your Future is in Your Hands
18. How to Think if Failure Didn’t Exist
19. Change Your Paradigm – and Move On!
20. An Approach to Reach Your Potential
21. Eliminate Negativity and its Power
22. Success is Hard Work, Not Luck
23. Is Your Attitude Contagious?
24. How to Easily Transform Your Thinking
25. The Pursuit of Your Dreams

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When you get into the world of blogging, you go through a period of indulgence in numerous other blogs that cover similar subjects as yours. Maybe that period never ends or maybe I’m just a personal development, inspirational, and motivational junkie, which could very well be the case. A common topic I consistently read is in regards to taking action – and how critical it is to any type of success in life.

What is the number one word you always hear be associated with taking action?

Now. Not tomorrow or next week. Not next month or next year. NOW!

It’s a common topic because it’s an issue and a road block for many people – and one that is holding many back from attaining the life they truly want. Ideas get lost, motivation subsides, problems persist, and normalities of life get in the way of the actual taking action part. There are a few people very close to me that I can quickly think of that seem to have this very problem year after year. Life doesn’t seem to change because they have the same problems, same behavior and same results – and true happiness isn’t near or on the horizon. And you and I know – if there is one thing in life that we have a limited amount of – it’s time.

Using F.I.T. as an Example

I want to use myself and this blog as an example of what taking action can lead to – which is something greater, something you don’t imagine when you first begin.

First, let me say that this blog is still in its infancy stage, so in no way am I boasting about the accomplishments of this site (check back with me in a year or so!). I was laid off from my job in May of 2009 and the job search began immediately. I quickly learned that it’s nearly impossible to search for a job for eight-plus hours every day – you could do it but you’d go insane! I stumbled upon this article on Steve Pavlina’s website. Just a side note – I don’t agree with everything on his site – and actually don’t really visit his site anymore, but the point is what I took away from this article.

I was motivated to take action. Motivated to do something. I began to harness the power of simple action. Here are some of the questions I asked myself:

1. What do I like to do? What are my true passions?
2. What am I good at – what are my God-given talents?
3. How can take those answers from the first two questions – and use them in a medium that involves other people?
4. Would someone that doesn’t know me find value in what I have to offer?

With limited financial resources, my answers to those questions led to starting a couple of blogs. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always enjoyed sitting down and writing. Whether it was a school paper, or just writing in a journal, I’ve always found enjoyment and a peaceful feeling while writing. On top of that, I’ve always believed in positive thinking and using your attitude as a vehicle to greater things. So I came up with the idea of a site on inspiring others.

I began reading and diving head first into how you even begin to develop such a thing. I knew nothing about websites or blogs at the time, but I did know that if I got started – time would take care of my lack of knowledge. I borrowed a “How to for Dummies” book from the local library on various web developing coding languages. There, I learned the basics of HTML and CSS – the two programming languages I use today to get F.I.T. to appear as I want it.

Today I have a few more than 50 posts on this site and as I mentioned, it’s still in its infancy stage. The point is that I was at ground zero, nothing, and I just took the simple action to go get a book from the library.

You Won’t Know if You Don’t Take Action

Taking action will do more than just get something started for you. I do believe that simply getting started is often the biggest hurdle for many to overcome. But what you’ll find if you begin, today, not tomorrow, to take action is that you acquire learning experiences. One experience leads into another. If you begin to rack up the experiences via taking action, you’ll begin to notice that the actions you take have more direction and are much more deliberate. They begin to have more of a purpose, more of a meaning.

Have you ever told yourself you were going to do something – and then a few days or weeks go by and that thing you were going to do is all but forgotten? I sure have – this happens to me all the time. It’s something I’m working on improving, but no doubt does it happen. So I’ve reflected back upon these moments and dissected why there is a disconnect between my desires and actions. I’ve realized that there are certain times, or situations that create a sense of clarity and we get inspired and motivated to do something. We get the ideas in our head.

If you are a sports fan – it’s similar to the curse of the Sports Illustrated cover. As the curse goes – if you land on the cover, you’re destined for injury or failure. In reality, extraordinary play on the field has garnished enough attention to warrant a cover appearance. However, extraordinary play on the field is sure to subside, hence there isn’t actually a curse – it’s only natural for one’s play on the field to not be amazing all the time. Well, feelings of clarity while inspired and motivated are sure to go away. So they are only good if you take action – by doing so you have something, a foundation, maybe it’s something tangible you can look at, etc. If you don’t take action in some way, that moment of clarity, that sense of “I’m going to get my act together and take some serious action on losing weight” is lost and then nothing but a waste of your energy.

You’ll never get today back. There is never a better day to take action than this one. Time goes fast, doesn’t it? So quit thinking about it and talking about it, and just do it!

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Intro: This was initially one post listing out 20 great methods or things you can use to find inspiration in your life. I have decided to expand upon each one (in no particular order!) because so often we read “how-to’s” and different things we should do in list forms – and typically no action is ever taken. I wanted to talk in more detail about how I interpret and get inspired by each one.

#16 – Travel

When you are getting ready to take a vacation – don’t you feel like you need it the most as it nears? Getting out of your routine, your town, and your house can be quite an inspiring and enjoyable experience – and that’s why we want vacations more than ever as they draw closer on the calendar.

It’s a dream of mine to one day be able to travel the world at my leisure. If I am fortunate enough to be able to do that, I don’t plan on visiting the same place more than a few times – as I want to see new place after new place.

Immersing yourself into a different culture can be a highly rewarding and interesting experience. You will learn more about the world we live in and the impact of your experience will most likely go home with you – providing for ongoing moments of gratitude and inspiration.

I’ve been fortunate to do some traveling while in college and a bit last summer – so far I’ve visited 13 countries. This summer I traveled through Guatemala and Honduras. The trip was very inspirational and rewarding, while difficult at times. Exposing yourself to a developing country is an awesome way to gain some perspective on life and learn about yourself.

Even if you aren’t a very social person – you’ll never forget some of the people you meet while you are traveling. Even if you are simply camping at a nearby state park, or spending a weekend away with close friends or family – you’ll create memories that will last a lifetime.

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Image by me – from my summer ‘09 trip to Guatemala.

20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #17
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #18
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #19
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #20

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It’s almost comical how short-sighted and uncreative we can get when we are staring down what might seem like an impossible, unimaginable situation or problem.

Here are a few things you can do, thought processes you can adopt, and methods you can use to turn your so-called “problems” into anything but…

1. Understand that everything in life is temporary

Much of our daily life is full of temporary relationships, feelings, jobs, etc. Let’s take a look at someone losing their job, it’s common for people to become upset and even devastated when they lose their job. Yes, it’s frustrating and it’s not fun to lose your primary source of income and have to find a new job. Sure, you’ve got reason to be upset and feel sorry for yourself a tad. You could sit around and think about how great your inter-office friendships were, and all the reasons that fuel your agony. Your mental state continues to regress if you follow this path of thought.

Now…Distance yourself from your negative thoughts.

Have perspective: You weren’t going to have that job forever, were you? No, you weren’t. Why not give yourself a boost of confidence and believe that you are more qualified for a higher paying job? Who says you can’t start your own business? Growth and life as a whole are built upon a foundation of experiences – realize that a new career or job environment might just be the greatest thing that ever happened to you.

2. Your problem is not new to this world

It has been understood, handled, and conquered at some point in the past. It’s also common for people to think that their problem is unique to them and them only. You know, their situation is new to this world and there are no answers out there. If you reach out to someone like this, they may simply tell you that you just wouldn’t understand.

Well…Fortunately, life’s problems have been dealt with millions of times by people of all types, backgrounds, ages, etc.

Have perspective: Instead of thinking that you and you only can comprehend the difficulty of your situation, understand a couple of things. Your problem has been recognized and conquered before, by people that have the same problem, but at a higher level of severity. Know that there are millions of people in the world – and through technology and the willingness of others to share – it’s so easy to find information and other people that know EXACTLY how to conquer your problem.

3. Slow your imagination down

How much of your problem solely resides in your imagination? The truth is, probably more than 90% of it. Our mind is an amazing weapon, but we have a tendency to let it get the best of us. We isolate ourselves and confine our problems to our own little worlds.

Wow…It’s crazy how far we can let our minds wander from reality.

Have perspective: Rather than use our mental energy and thought to let our imaginations grow our problems. Use that energy to share your feelings and thoughts with someone you trust that can broaden your perspective. Getting outside of your imagination allows your problems to become more acceptable and solvable.

4. Realize what you have with gratitude

In moments where we let our perspective fly right out the window, we also tend to forget all else that is positive in our lives. I can tell you, in moments where I’ve let my mind and a situation get the best of me – it’s been very helpful to take a step back and distance myself from the problem at hand. After creating some mental space, you’d be amazed at how your perspective changes once you let yourself realize all the skills, or health, or family, or friends, or opportunity that you do have – regardless of your specific problem that you’ve let dominate your mind.

So…You’ve convinced yourself you aren’t happy, now you need to remind yourself of your fortune based on what you do have.

Have perspective: When a situation arises in life that you didn’t ask for, don’t panic and let it overtake you. Do what is necessary to distance your mind – talk with friends, take a trip, go bowling, read, whatever it is that can serve as an outlet – and then spend time listing out all that you can be thankful for. If you are fortunate enough to have your health, start there. Be thankful for the ability to walk, to breathe, etc. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you start to feel better about where you are.

5. The larger reality

While you struggle to accept this problem or are in a state of denial because something terrible has happened in your life – there always remains a larger reality. It’s really easy to not allow yourself to have a vision beyond your problem. In the grand scheme of life, chances are that your problem is only a hiccup, and remember it’s definitely only temporary. The larger reality is that you are one of billions of people on this earth.

I’ll quickly touch on a person in my life that I’ve been lucky enough to befriend and get to know. For three years in college, my roommate was a kid from Rwanda. During the Rwandan civil war in the ’90s, he was separated from his parents, brothers, sisters – and the majority of his extended family was brutally killed. He arrived to the states after a family friend found him at a refugee camp. He began his life in the states in an orphan home with nobody, he knew not a lick of English, and managed to graduate from college in four years in computer science. Talk about overcoming obstacles. Now, this is a man that has some perspective on life. And I know he doesn’t sit around and get upset because he’s is still separated from his entire family.

Yes…Getting to know someone less fortunate and from a different background can be very eye opening.

Have perspective: It helps when you can learn from the stories and challenges that people have overcome. Most people don’t give themselves enough credit relative to their potential to overcome and grow. There are millions of amazing stories out there of people that have made it through impossible situations. Is your problem impossible? In the grand scheme of life and of this world – is it really that big of a deal? Getting acquainted with the larger reality is a great tool for gaining perspective.

Image by pagedooley.
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Happy New Year to you fine folks out there! A small preface to what’s quoted below as it’s more lengthy than the norm. My father gave me a book over the holidays called “Have a Little Faith: A True Story”, authored by Mitch Albom. It’s an inspiring book detailing Albom’s journey of befriending two men of faith in different religions and in different communities. While reading, I stumbled across the below excerpt that was highlighted yellow – and it was the only highlight in the book. After reading it over, I understand why it resonated with my father.

“My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will be not be cursed with the aching throb of unfullfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of ‘I could have, I should have.’ We can sleep in a storm.” – Rabbi Albert Lewis

Initial Thoughts

Exactly what you’d expect to hear from a man of wisdom. An overriding and somewhat generalized statement about bearing the fruits of a life lived the right way. I bet we’ve all heard similar advice from grandparents, coaches, teachers, etc.

Digging Deeper

Find your passion, treat people the right way and you’ll be a happy camper. In many ways, it’s as simple as that. Equally and most certainly opposite, in many ways, life isn’t so simple and it’s easy to lose sight of our faith, our family, our friends, our passions, and the overall direction of our lives.

The message is about keeping life simple by doing the right things and understanding what is important to you. And if you can become disciplined (tend to things that are important in life) , live by defined values (are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith), then you will be able to sleep through storms.

What to Walk Away With

Life sure can get crazy. We all have wants and needs. Most people, including me, will say they are busier than ever and that there isn’t enough time in one day. Which is why every so often, it’s important to digest an excerpt like this one. Getting back to the basics of faith, family, friends and passion as your foundations can be very rewarding, as well as challenging at times, but the rewards will outweigh the challenges.

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Intro: This was initially one post listing out 20 great methods or things you can use to find inspiration in your life. I have decided to expand upon each one (in no particular order!) because so often we read “how-to’s” and different things we should do in list forms – and typically no action is ever taken. I wanted to talk in more detail about how I interpret and get inspired by each one.

#17 – Lose The Routine

Sometimes in life we have a tendency to get comfortable in our daily, weekly, and even monthly or yearly routines. In the light of and for the purpose of this discussion on inspiration, the habits that we develop over time, good or bad, become repetitive and part of the routine.

Have you ever heard that you should do something that scares you everyday? Or, take some type of action each day that takes you out of my comfort zone? I’m sure you have – and if you haven’t, you sure have heard them now! The significance and purpose of doing different stuff lies in the potential for something to gain via a new experience. These new experiences are typically the driving force behind change and new ideas – alternatively, the inspiration.

Do something small – wake up extra early and take a walk to do some relecting or deep thinking. For many of us, in our busy lives full of information and noise coming from TV’s, phones, radio, the internet – we don’t set aside any time for ourselves to think about the day ahead, or the day before, or even what is happening in the now.

If you’re not a reader, find a book that you think you’d like to read. If you’re not active, take a walk or go for a run. If you want to quit doing somthing, stop! And yes, you have both the will power and the time because you make the decisions in your life – nobody else decides how you spend your time but yourself.

20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #18
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #19
20 Ways to Find Inspiration: #20

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Image by Wandering Angel.

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Thanks for reading!!