Inspire 'n' Influence

Personally, I love Valentine's Day, it just doesn't love me back. But whether you love or hate Valentine's Day, I think this quote makes you think differently about love altogether. "Love is the absence of judgement." -  Dalai Lama If you can master not judging others for their choices and mistakes, we would all be living in a much safer and calmer place. I'm not saying i've mastered it, but i'm definitely trying!

After watching this video on the secret of self-motivation, I learned about the five-second rule and the theory behind our instincts and subsequent actions. People have great ideas but they believe the reason they don’t act on them is due to a lack of self-motivation. Mel claims the real reason comes down to the way we are built. Our brains are designed to keep us safe and when you act on an idea that represents risk and danger that is the very thing our brain will try to avoid. Unfortunately, we all have to do difficult things in order to achieve anything. Key messages I took from this video: Motivation is garbage – you’re only motivated to do things that are easy. Motivation is never there when you need it. Your mind is designed to stop you doing anything that could hurt you. We all have a habit of hesitating. We are all one decision away from changing our lives. Your life is made up of countless, little decisions, everyday. ...

As someone who loved Robin Williams' stand up comedy and numerous movies, his quote is not only empowering to any writer and communicator (in any form), but it's something to remember before your next discussion with loved ones, friends, family and colleagues. Words have impact. Use them carefully. Strike when it's necessary and take a soft, fluffy approach when it's appropriate. For your career, words can make all the difference between how your colleagues perceive you, which also goes a long way into encouraging promotions. Nobody wants to work with someone who is underserving or underhanded. As long as your character matches what you say, you will get noticed in a positive way.

Here we are. Getting ready for a year of inspiration and influence through learning, reading, exploring and viewing. The first thing i wanted to share with you in 2018 is this rather amazing video of Frenchman, Christian Moullec, who literally flies with birds. This video from National Geographic, shows the amazing beauty captured during Christian's journey but also represents how passion for something can translate into lifelong fulfilment. He takes tourists who come from all walks of life to enjoy this 35-minute flight. What started as a conservation mission has inspired his respect for nature, which Christian conveys to his passengers. As the video shows, getting this close to something so natural in a bird's life is truly a unique experience. Source:  here

When i read this text after someone posted it on FB, i completely fell in love with it. Definitely agree with the idea and think that if everyone adopted it, we would all be wearing smiles on our faces much more often. The world is a fascinating place...you just have to learn to appreciate the life you have instead of that fantasy you imagine. I'm not saying don't have big dreams but enjoy the current moments that make today a dream too!

When i read this quote as part of a promotional email this morning, it really resonated with me. I feel that a lot of us want to take steps in life that are perfectly planned, executed and which always deliver the desired result. As many will have experienced, this wishful thinking doesn't always occur but i think the quote below explains exactly why it's ok to make mistakes and in fact that mistakes are what make up our lives in the first place! "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing". - George Bernard Shaw  

I was born in Europe but raised in Australia and as my family didn't always have enough money to splurge on the European holiday, the visits back to my native nation tended to be on the sparse side of things. None the less, when i did go back i got to see all of my uncles, aunties, cousins and grandparents. Although each trip was unique and successful in many ways, it was my most recent trip that proved to be extremely memorable. I was 24 then and considered a true grown up amongst my relatives. With this new status came different conversations as i learnt from my latest exchanges with my grandparents. It seems the older you get, the higher the ratings become for your family conversations, which suddenly turn from PG stuff (how is the weather? What type of animals live in Australia? What is your favourite food?) right through to the R18+ subject matters (Who are you dating? What kind of illnesses has the family experienced, who passed uni and got a job/who didn't, who died?)...

“Only live up to your own expectations, not those that others have set for you. It’s the only way to avoid disappointment on behalf of all parties involved.” - Flakers

"Try living one day without any unhealthy thoughts. It may be very difficult, but try another day, until it becomes habitual, and life will move in the direction of becoming healthy, vital and alive". - Anonymous Hmmm some food for thought perhaps?

Since Russia will be hosting the Winter Olympics in 2014, the nation has come up with an inspiring campaign as a way of inducing the people with some passion for sport. It may not be the most common place notion but the campaign has attained some interest from onlookers as they watch fellow subway travellers squat for free train tickets. Perhaps the short lived exercise routine may trigger some sporting support after all, if not it has at least put a smile on many faces. Source:  http://tinyurl.com/pdnp4bv

I watched an inspiring documentary on the weekend called "Love on the Transplant List". Without giving away too much detail (in case you decide to watch it), it follows the story of a young couple in England who are in love. The very distinguishing difference between their relationship is that 21-year-old Kirstie suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. The conditions of the disease and the hardships that are endured by the couple are unreal but they also make you realise and appreciate all the things that one would normally take for granted, like breathing. However, the thing that struck me as the most heartwarming is how this couple explained their love for each other. No question about it. They went in to the situation knowing the potential, life-threatening outcome but as the husband stated, he wanted to be with the one he truly loved, even if it was only for a short time, rather than be with the wrong person for a lifetime. That single thought should be reiterated to many people ...

Recently i went to a speech given by Naomi Simson: the founder and CEO of RedBalloon, the online gift retailer selling happiness by way of experiencing fun activities. As a successful entrepreneur, Naomi was there to share her wisdom and tell the room of enthusiastic startups and keen business people all the secrets to her success. From a speech that was entertaining but light in nature, i think it gave us an insight in to her own experiences and hardships, while trying to run a business and continue to be a mother and wife to her family. As it turns out, she wanted to join the bandwagon of the dotcom boom (back when it happened) and try to make some money out of it while still being able to be at home with the kids. "How is that working out for me?" she asked the audience and then answered the question herself simply laughing and saying "not well". It made her busier than ever actually but that is a decision that seems to have been worth the effort. She a...

"You must do the things you think you cannot do". - Eleanor Roosevelt  I think this is advice that everyone can benefit from because let's face it: who hasn't been scared to attempt something at one point in their life. If you answer no to that statement and claim you are not afraid of anything than clearly you are not being honest with us or perhaps even with yourself! To those that know exactly what their fear/challenge is I hope that you will find a way to break past it. I will attempt to do the same.  My fear of heights has kept me from experiencing certain things that I would otherwise enjoy so this is something I will continue to work on until I have a significantly reduced fear of all things found up high.

"When you lose, don't lose the lesson". - Anonymous To lead a full life with no regrets is probably my biggest wish; that and being happy in general. But life isn't always that kind and with the happy times will come occasional shades of grey and perhaps a few thunderstorms that mess things up for you really badly. Those periods where you lose and things don't work out exactly as you had hoped, no matter how much you tried or wanted them to work in your favour, are the times we would run from if we had a choice. Or at least i would - my brain works on a more flight not fight mechanism. This anonymous quote above reminds me (and i hope it will remind you too) that although we don't always win in life; there are always things to be learnt from living the experiences we do so that we can become stronger individuals in the future. The lessons we learn along the road of both good and bad life events are what makes us the person we are today. So think of tho...

"Aim for success, not perfection". "Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life". - Anonymous

"My mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When i went to school, they asked me what i wanted to be when i grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me i didn't understand the assignment, and i told them they didn't understand life". - John Lennon That quote right there, is why John Lennon is just a little bit legendary in my eyes. The man made good music but he also had the sense to know what he wanted out of life and what was important: a lesson that some people miss entirely and others only realise much later down the track. So from John's mouth to your ears, i hope everyone wants to write down that they want to be happy when they grow up. Whether that means you are a five year old, a teen or a grandmother: just be happy!

"A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else". - John Burroughs

“You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses”. - Thomas F. Wilson This quote really sums up the perspective that everyone should have about life; focus on the good, not the bad things that are happening, and you will find happiness will come naturally soon after.

A couple of months ago i went travelling and as expected when you're on holiday; i was in a particularly good mood so it struck me as odd to read this sticker (seen below), on the back of my gourmet juice. The title was enough to deter me (due to its negative inclination) but i kept reading out of curiosity and found that the message actually gives some sound advice.  It spills the truth about life and how we all have a limited, one time only offer, to be here but it also makes some positive suggestions as to how we should make the most of our time. Getting air, educating ourselves, watching the sunset and being more appreciative of everything are some obvious observations and while we can agree that these are true, i think many of us forget them sometimes because we are too busy focusing on all the other areas that consume us daily. As i continued to drink, I pondered about what i had read and I realised that the juice had done its job. It had me appreciating my life and it...

I love watching movies and more than that, i love watching movies that really leave an impression on me long after i have hit the 'off' button on the television. The movies that make me think, feel and weep are almost always inspiring in some way or another, so i thought i would share my top ten favourites for improving your mood. Whether it's a boost in life, love or your career that you crave, these films have all got something special to offer. Feel free to add any that you think deserve to bump one of my top choices out of the list; I am always up for suggestions! 1. Amelie 2. Good Will Hunting 3. The Shawshank Redemption 4. The Intouchables 5. Forrest Gump 6. Working Girl 7. Frances Ha 8. Gattaca 9. The Pursuit of Happyness 10. Slumdog Millionaire Happy viewing!