Lamisha Serf-Walls

Source of Inspiration

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I have been thinking a lot about inspiration lately, mostly because I have had an unlimited supply of inspirational thoughts, musings, readings, and quotes that I have come across lately.  And as I have been blogging for almost a month now, I have never had a moment where I didn’t have something to write about.  (Fingers crossed that doesn’t change.)  More specifically I have been thinking about the source of our inspiration to continually work towards accomplishing our goals and dreams. Where does it come from?

 

What is your source of inspiration?

Is it purely the satisfaction of accomplishing another goal? Or are you like me and you have this undying need to help make the world a better place one person at a time?  Maybe your dream is to start a business and money is your motivator, but is money going to keep you going?  I am not saying money is a bad thing at all, in fact I love money! (Well, actually I love what money allows me to do.)  But when it comes to your life purpose, your dreams, the fire that burns within, what keeps you going?

If I were to answer that question about my dreams, I guess it would depend on the specific dream.  For instance, wanting to run a mini-marathon is purely for the challenge and accomplishment factor.  The training and preparation needed for such a task also allows me to get into shape and live a healthier life which is an added bonus.  My inspiration for writing a book is partially accomplishment based, but more about the fact that I want to inspire, motivate, and move more people in the direction of their dreams and writing a book that reach the masses seems like a good start.  My inspiration for becoming a life coach is also about reaching out to people and empowering them to accomplish their dreams too.  To think outside the box of “reality” or the reality they have been taught, to find the undying power that lies within when you truly believe in yourself.  Helping others, and being a source of their inspiration has been something I have always enjoyed and it continues to light the fire with in me to just keep going and never give up.

You want to know what else inspires me?  People doing what they love.  When I see someone living their dreams, doing the thing that brings so much joy into their lives, I am more motivated.  I feel good and I know that one day that will be me and I hope that whatever I choose to do, I do it with the joy and zest that I see in others, because it is contagious!

Have you ever thought about the things that inspire you on a daily basis?  Have you ever taken note of the things that drive you to continually give it your all?  If now, now is the time to do so, because when you know what inspires you, you can always turn to those things, people, books, when you are in need of a little pick me up.

So I ask you this…

What is your source of inspiration?

The other side of Rejection

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As a writer much of the writing process revolves around getting your writing published and in order to get accepted, you usually have to go through a lot of rejection.  And while some people can take the rejection in stride as they move onto their next project, I am still learning to look on the bright side.

Today I received an email stating several of my pieces that were under review for possible greeting cards had been rejected.  This isn’t the first time I have received a rejection, and while I am generally a little disappointed, I am usually able to move onward and upward.  Today was a little different.

Over the last few weeks I have been feeling like good news was just around the corner.  I just knew the next time I heard from the greeting card company, that I would be getting several pieces published.  I even had a number in my head of how many I felt were going to be published and a vivid picture of the check I would receive.  Imagine my disappointment when instead of getting a check in the mail, I got a rejection via email.

I was slightly stunned.  I really felt with all of my being that I was going to end this year on a really high note with my writing.  I could just feel it.  I knew that something big was going to happen and since I didn’t have anything else currently in the works (writing wise), this had to be it. Right?  Surprised, disappointed, and feeling a little rejected, I retreated to my office to update my list of pending poems.  It was there I realized I had a choice to make.

I could either wallow in my disappointment, trying to figure out what was “wrong” with my poems, or I could choose to look at the bright side.

I decided to find something positive to focus on, so instead of focusing on the 5 poems that were just rejected, I decided to look at the ones I have still in the process.  I counted almost 75 poems still being considered and of those 75, about 10 are in the final review process and are one step closer to being published.  That is truly something to celebrate.  I also realized while I could choose to take these “rejections” personally, the truth is it’s really not personal and if I have any hope of publishing an article, or book one day, I have to develop a thicker skin.  The business side of writing is not for the weak at heart, and the easier it is for me to take the rejections now, the better I will be down the line.

So where does that leave my gut feeling that something good is waiting just around the corner?  It’s a little bit shaken, but still there.  I still have high hopes of ending this year on a good note with my writing and I have 2 months for that to happen, but if it doesn’t, I will choose to see the good in the situation, just as I did today.

The moral of this story is this: Dreams are magical and perfect creations in our imagination and as they begin to manifest in our reality, it may not always go as planned, but there will always be a choice to see the good in the situation.  And if you make the choice to give up on your dream because of the challenges you face, it probably wasn’t your true passion to begin with.

 

Ease Into It

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The other day I set an intention to get my fitness and meditation practices back on track, and yesterday was my first day back.  I was happy to find nice weather outside as I began my extended walk/jog on my lunch break and that optimistic feeling might have caused me to over-estimate my current fitness level.

As I began I warmed up a bit by walking and with the sun shining down on me boy was I feeling good. I felt so good that I broke out into a jog, thinking I could at least jog half of the total distance.  I was wrong.  I found very quickly that I am much more out of shape than I thought and realized I should probably walk before I run.  And as you may already know  patience is not my forte, and sometimes I have a difficult time easing into things.  As I huffed and puffed, I decided to listen to my body and walk the remainder of the distance, but instead of berating myself and judging my lack of progress, I used it as an opportunity to really enjoy my surroundings.  It turned out to be a very lovely walk, leaving me feeling energetic and focused for the rest of my day, a sure sign that exercise and fresh air does wonders for the mind and body.  I also realized that had I not listened to my body, I would have felt very differently about my new fitness regime and over the course of the day I kept thinking…you have to ease into it.

That thought stuck with me because while it applies to my health and fitness plans, it also relates to my dreams as well.  I often find myself passionate and excited about a new project or idea and I want to dive in head first and I have found that if I do the unfortunate result is burn out.  (My two previous attempts at blogging is a great example.)  And while my passion and drive may never cease (at least I hope it doesn’t), I am reminded that in order for my dreams and goals to last, I have to ease into them.

What does that mean?

In regards to my life coaching career it means allowing myself the space to learn along the way, to plan for unforeseen challenges, and enjoy the ride.  There’s a concept I often forget…enjoying the ride.  I have often been so focused (and frustrated) on getting there, that I have found myself dismissing my little victories along the way and forgetting that the journey is really the best part.  And though I will be extremely proud, excited, and feeling over the moon once my business really takes off, I will feel that way because of all the things I did to get there.  The planning, writing, saving, creating, and all the other wonderful things that go into building a business are all things I want to truly experience and if I were to jump in head first, I might miss everything it takes to get there.

I don’t want to miss that.

I want to take it one step at a time (did I just say that?) in order to not only do it the right way, but the right way for me.  It may not be the way everyone else would do it, but then again I am not everyone else.  I am me.  I am passionate about helping people.  I am creative and I am absolutely in love with the idea of helping people achieve their own dreams and as I learn what it takes to achieve mine, I will be that much better at helping someone else.  Those are the things that excite me and allow me to take a step back and say “I will do this”.

So I have decided that while my passion is what fuels my ideas, creations, and my life, it’s something I want to last and so I will be patient.  I will enjoy the journey as it unfolds, be present in each experience, and keep my vision alive, both for my dream of being a life coach, and my intention of getting my health back on track.  But above all else, I am learning more and more, that life is a wonderful journey, and if you can’t enjoy the journey, the destination won’t mean all that much anyways.

Links that Inspire

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I am always looking for blogs, books, or other material that inspires me to keep moving forward on my path to achieving my dreams and I thought I would share a few with you, in hopes that you may be equally inspired.

When I first began my research on life coaches I found an awesome life coach that not only had a clear vision, but an awesome personality to share with the world. Her passion is contagious, her intentions are clear, and her purpose is ever evolving. I have followed the When I Grow Up Coach (Michelle Ward) for almost two years now and I have watched her business evolve as she has been forced to focus on her own health due to being diagnosed, treated, and in remission of breast cancer. I loved her energy before she was diagnosed and her fortitude and “go with the flow” attitude has done nothing but grow since then. There is no better way to put it than to say she is “amazeballs” a term she uses frequently on her own blog. For her story, her amazing energy, and to find out more about her life coaching business check her out here.

Another blog I stumbled upon in the last year or so is a blog all about designing a life with intention. Jess Lively is a designer and small business consultant that is helping people build their business with intention, something she has done since she started her jewelry line at age 15. I am inspired by her ability to live her life in a way that is very intentional and methodical. Doing what works for her and her husband even if it goes against the proverbial grain. I can relate to her in so many ways, and I am encouraged to continue on my path, even when it doesn’t go along with the majority, and build my life based around the intentions I have set for myself and my family. Our lives are our own, and no one says that you should live it like everyone else. Jess Lively is a perfect example of living life with intention and I am constantly inspired to continue to create and hone my own life intentions the more I read about her journey. I hope you find her equally as inspiring.

The last inspirational person/site I want to share with you is Lilou Mace and her Juicy Living Tour project. I happened to find one of Lilou’s many youtube videos when I was doing some research on the Law of Attraction. I was immediately drawn to her energetic personality and zest for life and became instantly inspired to create that same sense of adventure in my own life. Lilou Mace is an amazing visionary. She shares videos of interviews she conducts all over the world with people who are all working to co-create a world that is more peaceful and loving and shares their stories of how they are changing the world one day at a time. Her spiritual essence is contagious and my motivation is renewed each time I watch one of her videos. Moving from losing a job to finally achieving her dreams, she reminds me of the importance of faith. Having the faith to believe my dreams will become reality even if I can’t see the exact path right now, and as my journey unfolds, she reminds me to live in each moment fully (a lesson I am continually learning every day). I invite you to check out her Juicy Living Tour project and see how your own motivation and inspiration is affected.

I hope you find some inspiration in the links I have shared above, and even if they aren’t exactly in line with your own interests, I hope they show you that anything is possible, no matter what your dreams may be.

What are some links, blogs, or books that inspire you and keep you moving forward?

***Please note all information listed above are my own opinions and I have not been provided any compensation for sharing the links, businesses, or people listed in this post.***

What can you do now???

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It isn’t often that dreams happen overnight.  If it were that easy, everyone would have accomplished their dreams long ago.  The reality is that any goal, dream, or aspiration takes time, patience, planning, and a lot of hard work.  I have often felt stuck or frustrated because my dreams weren’t materializing as quickly as I would like and it seemed that even taking the first step was more difficult than I thought it would be.  So I often ask myself the question, “What do you do when you are waiting for the pieces to fall into place?”

What can you do NOW?

The first thing I did when I realized (and realized again) that life coaching was the path for me, was a lot of research.  I looked at websites for different life coaches to see what it was all about, even though I had a vague understanding of what the job entailed, I wanted to see how others were doing it.  So I scoured the internet for as many life coach as I could find.  This just happened to be right around the time we were planning on moving to SC, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to see if there were any life coaches in the area we were moving to and see if maybe they could use some help in their business.  I learned very quickly life coaching isn’t really that type of business.  I did, however find one woman who was willing to speak with me regarding her experience with her business and the training she went through before starting her business.  After speaking with her I thought I would feel inspired and motivated to keep moving forward, but what I felt was the exact opposite.  I realized the first person I spoke to was in it purely for the money, ironically enough it can be a tough business to be in for the money.

While I was slightly discouraged, the passion for helping people achieve their dreams didn’t stop.  So I kept talking about my dream with some of my friends and realized my best friend knew not one, but two life coaches.  She was able to connect me with one that was able to explain to me her process, training, and overall business and the conversation was wonderful.  I left the conversation feeling more empowered, more excited, and more motivated than I had been before.  I was on my way.

Many months passed with our move and settling into a new area and I began to feel stuck again.  Now I knew what I was meant to do, and I really just wanted to jump right in and do it.  I was mentally ready to begin my training courses, however I had no idea what programs would be best, what the cost would entail etc.  So the next logical step was to research the programs and find the best one for me.  It took me a few weeks to read through the different program options and weigh all of the pros and cons, but I finally found the program for me.  The next step would be to get the money together to begin the courses so I could keep moving forward, but one of my goals along this process is to limit any new debt and to ensure that when I begin my programming I have paid off as much as possible.  Incurring new debt for this purpose was not something I wanted to do.  So, I made a decision to spend some time paying down some of my debt first, and then beginning my program a bit later.  A task that requires a lot of patience and faith.

So that is where I am today.  Part of beginning this blog was the result of the thought…What can I do NOW??  I needed to be able to reach out to people to motivate, inspire, and empower them even if I couldn’t do it through life coaching…yet.  It has certainly allowed me to feel better about moving forward, bit by bit, to reach my goals and while there are still some days when I want to just throw my plans to the side and dive right in, I know that my planning and patience will benefit me in the long run.

The moral of this story is this: Even if you feel you can’t jump right into your goal, find something you can do today that will put you a little bit closer to it and keep you inspired to continue moving forward.  If you want to write a book (one of my dreams), maybe you can begin with writing one page a day.  What ever your dream may be, thee is always something you can do today.  You just have to figure out what that is.

I am a reformed believer that there is always something you can do to put you closer to your goals no matter how far away they may seem.  Each step makes a huge difference and will keep you on right track.

My question for you today is this: What can you do today to put you a little bit closer to your dream?