Believe This: There Are People Out There Right Now Just Waiting for You to Show Up
From The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action.
Do it or don’t do it.
It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet.
You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God.
Creative work is not a selfish act of a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.
See also: The Art of Doing Remarkable Things (Lateral Action Interview with Steven Pressfield)
Weekend Roundup: 7 Fun and Inspiring Reads for Living a Bigger Life
10 Online Tools for Better Attention & Focus By Jocelyn K. Glei – Focus is rapidly becoming the scarcest commodity of the 21st century. With that in mind, here are a handful of the best apps for fighting back against the constant distractions of our digital lives.
How I Got My Voice Back By Tara Sophia Mohr – Tara is a writer, a coach and an inspiring blogger. I loved this piece because it’s raw and real and speaks to my own personal struggle to find my voice. If you ever struggle to write what’s on your mind or in your heart, I know you’ll enjoy this.
Samovar Tea’s Inspiring Mission Statement – Samovar is a tea lounge in San Francisco, and when it comes to a business mission statement, theirs is unlike any I’ve read. If you’re into conscious business and bringing more spirituality into business, you’ll love this.
50 Ways to Make a Difference without Spending a Penny By Marie Wilke – Great list of ways to make a difference in the world without it costing you a lot. There’s also a few tips on how to get rid of stuff you no longer use, free up some space and simplify your life a bit.
The First Rule of Doing Work That Matters by Seth Godin – Few people can communicate a big, important idea as poignantly and succinctly as Seth.
The Tao of the Dude – Awesome Insights of Deep Dudes from Lao Tzu to Lebowski. I recently watched The Big Lebowski again, and this was a fun little piece as a follow-up.
20 Types of Blog Posts – Battling Bloggers Block by the original Problogger, Darren Rowse – When it comes to blogging advice, Darren always delivers, and this piece is no exception. Never again let blogger’s block get you down.
11 Bites of Blogging Brilliance to Nourish the Blogger’s Soul
If you want to be great at something, it helps to study those who are already great it. I’ve read a lot of informative and inspiring stuff lately, and it only makes sense to share some of the it. May it be as inspiring and informative to you as it is to me.
Brian Clark: You Must Respect My Authority:
“Good blogging creates authority, plain and simple. Writing consistently about your area of expertise makes you an authority figure within your industry and niche. You will enjoy a definitive advantage over competitors who do not blog, and likely even over those who have been blogging for shorter time periods.”
Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World
I love this. Download it, and get it printed at Kinko’s. Compliments of francesca.
Celebrating Our Diversity
“If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.” – Margaret Mead
This is a guest post from Ellen Schaeffer, owner of One Yoga Center in Foster, RI.
When confused or perplexed by the follies of life, I often turn to nature for clarity. Recently when pondering human differences I looked to nature for a fresh perspective on diversity. Diversity is expected and even relished in nature. The unique growth patterns of trees, changing cloud patterns, the unrepeatable formation of snow flakes and the subtle variation in the shape and arrangement of flower petals. Never have I felt or heard from another that something was inherently wrong with the differences expressed by species in nature. Yet when looking at humanity we often become challenged by or resistant to an individuals unique expression of “self.”
Are You a Perfectionist? If So, Watch This.
Worried about failure. Don’t be.
This is a Nike commercial, and a great example of marketing that makes a difference.
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.”
- Michael Jordan -
Inspiration from Will Smith
If you’re a Will Smith fan, and even if you’re not, you’ll find the bits of wisdom in this video quite inspiring. Here’s one of my favorite quotes:
“You don’t try to build a wall. You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t say ‘I’m going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that’s ever been built.’ You don’t start there. You say ‘I’m gonna lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid,’ and you do that every single day, and soon you have a wall.”
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