100th post!

in honor of my 100th post, i thought it would be fun to share a journaling exercise with you compliments of Hip Tranquil Chick (and if you haven't picked up HTC, a fabulous book by the inspiring Kimberly Wilson, run -don't walk-to your nearest book store and grab it!)

HTC is infused with different ideas for jump starting the life you want. it's packed with awesome yoga sequences to fit your every move, great advice on getting what you want personally and professionally and offers ways to dig deep down and discover what you really want and what really makes you happy.

so this particular exercise caught my eye and its focused on finding your passions.

write 20 passions that bring you pure bliss:

1 reading

2 writing (creative writing)

3 practicing yoga

4 learning about yogic philosophies

5 running (first 5k is in 4 weeks!)

6 traveling

7 fashion, creating looks/outfits

8 cooking, exploring different diets and how they impact my body

9 helping others overcome anxiety

10 holistic health

11 modern art

12 listening to 60s and 70s rock

13 animals

14 coaching, motivating students

15 drawing

16 adventure/challenge

17 meditation and introspection

18 Buddhism

19 learning

20 psychology, studying the mind

write 10 causes that inspire you

1 animal rights

2 environmentalism

3 mental health awareness (MHA)

4 activism for women's rights (NOW)

5 creating awareness about the importance of health (discover and recover, UNICEF, make a wish)

6 global and national antipoverty movements

7 human rights (oxfam)

8 fight against cancer (team in training)

9 creativity and creative arts

10 food drives, clothing drives, etc.

write out your top 10 strengths

1 detail oriented

2 hard working, dedicated

3 writing

4 creating goals, strategic planning

5 creative

6 work well with others/in groups

7 determined

8 decorating/designing

9 public speaking

10 quick study

now, my job is to look over these lists and look for similarities. i'm going to see if common themes emerge or if i can tie things together and bring more of these aspects into my life. maybe i can use some of these ideas to reevaluate my goals and make sure i'm on the right path.

so as i start that, grab your journal or notebook and start your own lists. see if you have anything pop out at you that you may have overlooked. take your time and really search your heart. maybe while researching causes that inspire you, you'll find the perfect charity to volunteer with that will allow you the opportunity to display your passions for public speaking and event planning!

*exercise courtesy of hip tranquil chick by kimberly wilson

* image: english language expert

I'm Inspired

I fell asleep last night thinking about people I admire. When I woke up this morning I became inspired to write down their names and a list of their traits because I was curious to see if they had any similarities. Here's what I came up with:

1) travel ( a lot!)
2) created their own companies
3) their missions are to help people become stronger, healthier and/or more confident
4) they live, breathe, eat and sleep their passions... every day!
5) a lot of them are women

I found this so interesting. A lot of their goals are similar to mine (even outside of these similarities). I feel that if I had the chance to chat with any of these fabulous women I could spend endless amounts of time picking their brains and learning from them. There's far too few people in life that can say "work isn't work, it's my passion." These women inspire me because they fought the odds and the safety of job security to chase a dream - and regardless of whether they are famous for it or not or rich beyond their wildest dreams - they have succeeded. They've strived for something. Set a goal. Felt the anxiety. Pushed past the fear. And are living a dream dedicated to helping others be the best selves they can be! No wonder these chicks totally inspire me.