So Inspired…37

I fear the venture
into the unknown. 
But that is part
of the act
of creating
and the art
of performing. 
–Martha Graham, dancer

It’s also part of life in general, don’t you think? 

So Inspired...36

I learned this,
at least,
by my experiment;
that if one advances confidently
in the direction of his dreams,
and endeavors to live the life
which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success
unexpected in common hours. 
--Henry David Thoreau

So Inspired....Words to Live By...35

 

God grant me the serenity
to accept the people
I cannot change,
the courage to change
the one I can,
and the wisdom
to know it's me. 
~Author Unknown

So Inspired...Words to Live By...34

 

All that is necessary
to break the spell
of inertia and frustration
is this: 
Act as if it were
impossible to fail. 
--Dorthea Brande

So, this begs the question...What would you do if it were impossible to fail?

I would run an uber-successful company....MINE, of course!  :)  Ok, now your turn....

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So Inspired...Words to Live By...33

 

Seize every opportunity along the way,
for how sad it would be
if the road you chose
became the road not taken. 
~Robert Brault

Lately I've been doing quite a bit of "seizing" of the opportunities.  It keeps life crazy and busy but it is oh so satisfying to be doing the things that I love.  There seems to be a societal pressure to only do the things that advance your career or bring financial rewards, but how liberating it is to feed your soul with the things that matter to YOU!  And, who knows where following your heart will eventually take you....

More quotes can be found @ Notes from a Cottage Industry

Have an awesome, crazy, fun-filled, inspired week!

So Inspired...Words to Live By...32

 

Everyone who's ever
taken a shower has an idea. 
It's the person who gets out
of the shower, dries off and
does something about it
who makes a difference. 
~Nolan Bushnell

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So Inspired...Words to Live By...31

 

The road to success
is wherever
people need
another road. 
~Robert Brault

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So Inspired...Words to Live By...30

Fill your thoughts
with what
you want to create,
and you will have it. 
--Sanaya Roman

There are SO many "things" (not just possessions but people and experiences too!) that I would like to bring into my life.  But...I'm thinking if this is the view from my deck, I would probably have all the other things I wanted too! 

What would you create for yourself?

Visit Notes From a Cottage Industry to see what other inspiring quotes have been posted this week!

So Inspired...Words to Live By...29

Imagination is the highest kite we can fly.
--Lauren Bacall

It's fitting that I stumbled upon this quote today.  My life has been a little bit consumed by a kite lately.  Actually, the book The Kite Runner. 

I read it for my Poli Sci class and now that I'm writing a paper on it I'm listening to the audio book on my commute to refresh my memory.  I'm so glad that I picked up the audio book.  It is read by the author, Khaled Hosseini and his voice adds so much to the story.  I love hearing his pronunciation of the words I could only stubble over while I read.  I haven't watched the movie yet, but I'm sure I will eventually.  To be honest, I'm a little obsessed with it.  Obsessed with learning more about Afghanistan.  To be even more honest...I'm actually surprised I feel this way.  When I started the class I was kind of disappointed that almost the entire class was going to be devoted to Afghanistan, a country that is always in the news but one that surprisingly I knew very little about.  Now I can't seem to get enough of it.   Even as I'm struggling to find the time to fit this class (and the papers that go along with it!!) into my hectic schedule, I am so glad that I signed up for it!

In the story, Amir imagined that one day he would grow up to be a writer.  He followed that dream even though he knew it wasn't necessarily the occupation his father would have chosen for him.  What do you imagine for yourself?  What dream do you have tied to your kite?

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So Inspired...Words to Live By...28

 

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
~Dr. Seuss

The car is packed.  My son leaves today for college.   Hopefully year 3 won't require as many tears as year 1!  On MY part, of course, not his!  :)

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Have a great Sunday!

So Inspired...Words to Live By...27

Nobody can
make you
feel inferior
without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt

It's really just apples and oranges anyway, right?

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So Inspired...Words to Live By...26

 

The indispensable first step
to getting the things you want
out of life is this: 
decide what you want. 
~Ben Stein

 

The first step is always the hardest...don't you think?

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So Inspired...Words to Live By...25

Don't be pushed by your problems.
Be led by your dreams.
- An0nyomous

What a concept, huh?  It is so easy sometimes for me to become distracted by problems and live in reaction mode.   Struggling to get through the "have to" list and hoping I have some time and energy left for the "want to" list.  I love how this quote totally turns it around.  Sometimes all it takes is a change of attitude!

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Enjoy your day!

Judy

 

So Inspired...Words to Live By...24

 

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.  Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become.  Everything else is secondary. ~~Steve Jobs

I just found this quote and I love it so much that I can't stop reading and re-reading it!   It is SO ME!  It speaks to my creative side.  You know, that don't box me in mentality.   I truly believe that we DO know exactly what we want to become even if we're not quite sure how to get there.

The limitations of time are hitting me hard this weekend.  My summer break is over.  Part of me is excited to begin another school year.  Part of me wishes to stay home and spend my days scrapbooking and living a creative life!  Somehow putting food on the table and paying for 3 kids in college always sends me back to the job.  BUT, I know this is just a temporary gig.  Bigger and better things await on the other side of this detour.

Stop by Notes from a Cottage Industry for more inspiring quotes!

Want to hear more thoughts from Steve Jobs?  If you haven't seen his Stanford commencement speech, watch it here.

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

**Edit....oh, how funny...I just watched this video again and guess what?  The quote is from the speech!  It should have sounded more familiar to me because I've watched the video several times.  Apparently things "stick" better when we see them in print!  :)

So Inspired...Words to Live By...23

Courage doesn't always roar.  
Sometimes courage is the little voice
at the end of the day
that says I'll try again tomorrow.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

cour·age [ kúr ij ]  noun

Definition:   quality of being brave: the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action

Once in awhile, it would be great to hear that little voice of courage first thing in the morning instead of at the end of the day when I'm too tired to act on it!  :)

Be courageous...share your quote on the Notes from a Cottage Industry blog...or, of course, you could always leave it here in the comments.  I'd love to hear from you!

I wish you courageous adventures this week.

So Inspired...Words to Live By...22

The moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too. 
All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

 

I don't like to cook.   Actually, I don't like having to cook everyday meals.   Thanksgiving dinner?  Love it.   Food for a family get-together or party.  Love it!   Baking...I adore it.  But cook breakfast, lunch, dinner?  Count me out.   Maybe I'm just burned out.  As a stay-at-home-mom for so many years, I cranked out some pretty decent meals every day.  EVERY day.   Quite the feat considering I had one extremely picky eater and two others that had, shall we say, a somewhat limited palate. 

For the past school year with all three kids off to college, cooking had become a bit easier.  The hubby will eat pretty much anything.   But now it's summertime and 2 kids are home which means back to the drawing board with figuring out what to fix.

This evening my hubby was working, my son had opted for fast food (I don't complain...he NEEDS those extra calories!) and I was heading out the door to have dinner with a friend.  So to ease my mommy-guilt over eating out while my daughter was left home with a half empty fridge, I asked if she would like me to fix her something.  Her response to "what would you like me to cook for you?" was "I don't know what I want." 

I wanted to scream! 

Actually, I wanted to say..."I can't help you if you don't know what you want!" 

And that, as they say, was my "Oprah A-ha moment."

I have been waiting for some time now for providence to move.  For the universe to rise up and meet me.   For the path to be laid out before me.  BUT providence is waiting for me.  Waiting for ME to decide.  Providence cannot move until I figure out what it is that I really, truly want.   What I am willing and eager to commit to. 

After years of living my life for my kids it's a little daunting (although also exciting!) to make those decisions {somewhat} free of the mommy-strings.   I've had some general ideas rolling around in my head for awhile but I think it's time to get clear...and to commit. 

What about you?  What kinds of things have shown up in your life to help you on your journey?

Remember to stop by Tracey's blog Notes from a Cottage Industry for more inspiring quotes.

So Inspired...Words to Live By...21

 

Life shrinks or expands
in proportion to one's courage. 
~Anaïs Nin

Wishing you a courageous week filled with expansion!  :)

Need more inspiration?  Stop by Notes from a Cottage Industry for more quotes!

 

So Inspired...Words to Live By...20

 

Not all those who wander are lost.

- J. R. R. Tolkien

 

Just got back from a road trip.  SO exhausted!  AND we barely got lost at all!  :)   I'll try to post some pics tomorrow when my brain can actually function!

Remember to hop over to Notes from a Cottage Industry to check out Tracey's quote...as well as a host of others.  Have a happy week.  :)

So Inspired...Words to Live By...19

H2O:  two parts Heart and one part Obsession. 

~Author Unknown

The weather here in Northwest Illinois has been beautiful the past couple of days.  Last year we hardly used the pool at all because it was so cool and dreary but this summer so far has been awesome!   So much so that it has inspired me to work on a few summertime scrapbooks.  These can be found in my Etsy shop!

Remember to stop by Tracey's blog:  Notes from a Cottage Industry to see the list of inspiring quotes for the week!

Happy 4th...hope you get to enjoy the sunshine!  :)

 

So Inspired...Words to Live By...18

 

When you follow your bliss...doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else. --Joseph Campbell

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