YOU Run the World

Today I'm reminded of my favorite Marianne Williamson quote, specifically the line: "Your playing small does not serve the world." (It was referenced in 86400: Manage Your Purpose to Make Every Second of Each Day Count in the faithfulness chapter, which talked about having faith in one's self.)

I have big dreams of what I want to do in my lifetime because I wholeheartedly believe that that is my purpose. In sharing those big dreams with one of my closest friends one day, she said "Dani, I appreciate the big dreams you have, but I want to be a regular person." Even though I completely understood that she meant that she doesn't envy the limelight that some people live in, I think that others say similar statements and feel as if a person who is not an entrepreneur or not famous is less than someone who chooses either of those lifestyle. And I believe quite the contrary.

The Big Leap talks about one's Zone of Genius, the zone of being in which you are doing exactly what it is you are meant to do. My friend is in one of the country's top graduate school programs in her field and is a student athlete tutor. From her stories I've gathered that she has the ability to have 200 pound athletes open up and candidly share their life's stories in ways that they don't with other people. She has gotten feedback that she has what one might call it "teacher's talent."

I often joke with her and compare her to characters from movies like Lean On Me and The Blind Side. Those are examples of "regular" people living in their zone of genius and doing powerful things. And I truly believe that she is on that list.

We can all think of examples of that teacher or coach that changed our lives, or that bus driver that made our commute special, or that flight attendant that inspired our love for travel. These are regular people loving what they do and leaving extraordinary marks on our lives. They are no less significant than someone who chooses to start a business or live a life in front of the world's eyes.

The Marianne Williamson quote continues "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." I know I am inspired by people loving what they do, and it is my hope that I inspire others by doing what I love as well. I encourage and challenge you to do whatever it is you love to do with all your heart. And: Dream bigger!

This is just too appropriate to not include:




Photo credit: http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/62952/62952,1185307586,1/stock-vector-man-holding-a-globe-overhead-4092034.jpg

Monday Motivation

Who wouldn't want to quit their job, move to paradise and get paid to change the world? I know that is my dream. I was inspired by reading about someone who actually did it, and wanted to share the inspiration:
"How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise, and Get Paid to Change the World"

Monday Motivation

I do not think that I am the only who sometimes struggles with the fear of being as amazing as I can be. I wanted to share this little nugget of motivation from The Fab Life Project:

"The Will to be Amazing"

Motivational Monday! Blog It Forward

I discovered this great Blog It Forward movement over at Fabulous Doodles (who might I add really does have some oh-so-fabulous doodles). Initiated and organized by sfgirlbybay, this brought bloggers together and allowed each to share personal inspirations. I definitely think that she deserves the Inspirational Blog Award for this major movement. Even though I’m not officially a part of this movement, I really wanted to take part and share it with you too.

God- One of my all time favorite quotes is “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20) My life’s journey is definitely a testament to that. Not only have my prayers been answered, but my life has unfolded in a way that I could not have planned, and I have been blessed beyond my own imagination. Because of that I continue to be forever grateful and think it imperative to fully appreciate and savor every moment of life I’ve been granted.

People around me- Family, friends and even some great people I’ve only met in passing. From the support they extend to me to the example that they each live, the people around me continue to be a huge source of inspiration.

Passion- I love to witness moments when people exhibit the fullness of their passion: like when a singer sings her story in every note, a dancer who extends every move all the way through ever her fingernails, an athlete who performs with every fiber of her being, even someone who tells a story more through her eyes than her mouth. That energy is contagious, and just seeing it fuels my own passion.

Music- I love that music can match whatever mood you’re in and allow you to saturate in it. It can communicate messages filled with feelings and emotions. I recently discovered my true love for music and continue to use it as a muse.

Ms. Fabulous Doodles’ list was so in sync with things that I love, and her pictures are such a great touch. I hope she doesn’t mind if I consider her post an unofficial addendum to my own. (Insert 1-3 of Fabulous doodles’ list here)

What I love about this Blog It Forward movement is that it is spreading inspiration through the blogosphere. Please do share, what inspires you?

A Little Bit of Motivation

Keeping it short and sweet this week. I got a boost of motivation after reading this post about one of Deepok Chopra's spiritual laws of success, and I wanted to share it with you.

Motivational Monday: When I Grow Up

A close friend and I often have a conversation about how even though we are technically adults, we don't feel quite "grown up" yet. Although I still don't think I've made it completely, I decided that I don't have to wait until I'm "grown up" for some things. So in 2010, I'm going to tackle some of those things on my "When I grow up" list (sounds a little like a resolution):

-run a successful business- Although I have been pouring my heart into Her Journey for the past year and a half, in my mind it is still "an independent project." Even with all the encouragement and positive feedback I've been getting, I was still not fully convinced that I am an entrepreneur running a business. HOWEVER, I have accepted it and am wholeheartedly devoted to building this empire now.

-give back to those who gave to me- I've always envisioned myself revisiting all of my old schools once I "made it" and sharing my experiences from my days at the school and the wisdom I gained on my journey to success. Even in my imagination, I just assumed that I would be in my thirties when I was actually able to do so. Then it hit me. I do have something to offer now. Making it through college and still surviving now, despite the "recession" is an experience that I have definitely learned from. It is an also an experience that I can share with those who have not yet started their collegiate journey. I recently approached my high school about working with the students, and they (students and faculty alike) are just as excited as I am. It was not until they introduced me to the students as one of their success stories and they expressed how proud they are of me; that was when it really hit me: maybe I am kind of grown up now :-)

These thoughts have been floating around in my head for a while, but this post finally came to life when I read Jill's "When I Grow Up" post on her Life After College blog, which reminded me of my Life To Do List (which I've added to).

It also so happens that while watching Samantha Brown's 10th Anniversary special last week, I had another revelation. I have often thought about how cool it must be to have a travel show. Not only do you get paid to travel but you also get to share those experiences with everyone watching. It was not until watching Samantha Brown did I actually imagine myself on the Travel Channel on a show of my very own. THAT would be a DREAM COME TRUE! And that's when I thought to myself, "I know what I want to be when I grow up. Me." You know how when we're younger, we think "I want to be like Oprah, or this person or that person" but it just clicked for me that I am exactly who I am for a reason, and while there are good examples of inspiration to look up to, I have something unique to offer. I have to say that that was a great revelation. And I plan to start doing short video clips of my own. I may not be on the Travel Channel, but I CAN have my own travel show...stay tuned!

I actually wonder if I will ever feel like I'm "all grown up." In the meantime I'm having fun "growing up."

Motivational Monday! Monday Morning Cup of Inspiration

You all already know that I LOVE MONDAYS! There's nothing like a cup of inspiration to get me started in the morning. And of course I want to share my inspiration with you.

I love love love to see women doing their thing, and Honey Magazine's Females Freakin' the Industry article highlights a few women, some we know and some we should get to know, making major moves in their respective fields.

Motivational Monday! A New Journey

It’s a new year, and I am oh-so-excited about this new phase of my journey. I don’t really do resolutions, but I do have some goals for this upcoming year. Even though I haven’t written out my list yet, I will definitely be talking about my goals and, more importantly, the steps I’m taking towards those goals as the year goes on.

As you all already know, I LOVE Mondays. Every Monday feels like New Years Day to me: another opportunity to start fresh, and a whole week ahead of me filled with unlimited possibilities. Still bursting with that new year excitement, I’m feeling especially motivated and I want to share some motivation with you.

For me, one of the greatest motivators is positive feedback. During the Best of 2009 Blog challenge, one of the Her Journey team members wrote an entry that really touched my heart and reminded me that what I do every day is not in vain, and that motivated me to do even MORE and be even GREATER in 2010:

December 20 New person. She came into your life and turned it upside down. He went out of his way to provide incredible customer service. Who is your unsung hero of 2009?

Hmmmm..... My unsung hero will have to be Danielle “Miss Journey”. She has pushed me, in her sweet suggestive way, to open up and direct my talents in productive ventures while I'm still waiting to land an internship in my preferred field. She is a mature and driven 23 year old with a vision and a drive taking risks that most people are just scared to take. Some people are just all talk and no action, but Danielle turns hypotheticals into reality. I know that this is just the beginning for Her Journey and Danielle's blossoming career.

I also got an extra dose of motivation from the Motivation Mama’s post on the Her Journey blog today. “…Never practice positive thinking without the positive action of application…” Check out the rest of the post.

Motivational Monday!

For today's motivational message, I wanted to share something I read Hill Harper's Letters to a Young Sister that stuck with me. In sharing a lesson that he learned from his pastor, he writes, "...if you're simply going through something and not using it as an opportunity to grow and learn, then you spend your life going through things." With that, he makes the distinction between going through and "growing through" something.

I just love how such a seemingly minor change in a word made such a drastic difference in the interpretation. It certainly shifted my perspective on difficult situations, and I hope it does the same for you.

And I'll leave you with this quote that I've fallen in love with:
"Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way."
Unknown

Motivational Monday! I Love Mondays!

Contrary to most people, I love Mondays. Every Monday is like a fresh new start, and each one is filled with the unlimited possibilities of the upcoming week. So on this Monday, I'd like to share a bit of my Monday motivation to help you jump start your week with the same excitement that I'm starting mine with.

I'm currently reading Hill Harper's Letters to a Young Sister. In the forward Gabrielle Union writes:

"People too often say that people are a summation of their experiences, but I do not believe that to be true. I believe that it's what we do with our experiences, how we react, how we grow from that makes us who we are."

After briefly sharing her experience with a rape when she was nineteen, she continues:

"According to rape statistics, I was supposed to be incapable of forming healthy relationships afterward, and ultimately to commit suicide. In other words, my life was supposed to have ended because I was raped. What those statistics don't tell you is that you have a choice. You can choose to be a victim and become another statistic or you can make the choice to triumph over whatever adversity you experience."

We have heard this in similar forms time and time again, but it really stood out to me this time because it is so true. So many of our stories start off with a "Once upon a disadvantaged time." I'm sure we could all share a story about some adversity or challenge we faced, but whatever that may be someone else in the world has experienced it as well and has achieved their goals in spite of it. Challenges are inevitable and, to be honest, can be pretty boring because we've seen them in some form before, but it is how you handle it that your story interesting and unique. How do you want your story to unfold?


Happy Monday!

Motivational Monday: "Get Yours" Girls

What better way to start a Monday than with a bit of motivation? This book has been a huge inspiration to me, and I share with you in hopes that it will guide you further along your own journey as well.

In Get Yours! How to Have Everything You Ever Dreamed of and More, Amy DuBois Barnett addresses just that. She creates the quintessential handbook that steers young women through life’s critical transitions. With personal anecdotes and interviews with some of our favorite celebrities, including Sanaa Lathan, Kelly Rowland, India.Arie, and even Hill Harper, Barnett emphasizes discovering the beautiful woman inside of you and allowing her to shine through every aspect of your life.

Barnett addresses every major aspect of a young woman’s life from attracting positive friends to zealously pursuing your career. The text opens with a chapter dedicated to simply finding happiness, which remains the underlying theme. The author emphasizes the importance of finding what makes you truly happy. In sharing her own path to happiness, Barnett discloses her gripping experience of losing her mother but also reveals how her loss forced her to find herself.

This girlfriends’ guide answers many of the questions we have struggled with: how to grab your dream job; how to turn your house (or apartment, or even room) into a space that makes you feel good; how to become financially independent; how to find your personal style. She promotes getting healthy the happy way, without the taboo and stress of abusive diets; She also challenges the reader to reach beyond her comfort zone and to use fear as a motivator rather than an inhibitor. Yes, ladies she even offers advises on relationships. She concludes the book with a chapter on spirituality. Endorsing no religion in particular, she encourages the reader to ground herself with an appreciation of not her existence but also the existence of the life that surrounds her.

Barnett presents her life as an open book as she candidly shares her less than glamorous moments—her dreadful high school style, countless bad boyfriends, divorce, her bummy New York apartment and awful first job, situations that we all experience but which she conquered to become the woman she is today. The reader can trust Barnett’s wisdom because her success serves as a living testament of the advice she shares. A Brown University alumna, member of well-known Black sorority, former Editor at Essence magazine, former Editor -in-Chief of Honey magazine, the first African American as head of a major consumer publication as Editor of Teen People, and happy wife and mother, her achievements speak for themselves. Sharing her own rags to riches story, her perseverance serves as an even greater inspiration than the tips she shares.

Barnett’s approach to the text makes this not just an informative but also an effortless read. She includes quizzes to personalize the message and promise pages at the end of each chapter to help each reader take active steps in applying the wisdom shared. Barnett also enlists the support of well respected celebrities—Kelis shares her bold approach to her personal style and India.Arie conveys her take on spirituality, just to name a few. This book is well worth your while to read, and you will become a better person because of it. Living as an example that we can all admire, Barnett shares information to help us get there ourselves. Grab a pencil because you will want to take notes, take the quizzes and complete the promise pages in each chapter. By the end of it, you’ll trust her as if she really is one of your girlfriends.

The take home message: It’s about you and what you want. Go get it!

I found comfort in knowing that the warm and sharing personality is consistent with the woman behind the book. After hearing her speak and having the wonderful opportunity to meet, I was even further encouraged by her sincerity and her words of encouragement.

This post also appears on the Her Journey blog.