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Tag: dreams
Not every day is inspirational and not every work is inspired
This month I’m participating in an artist residence program. It’s my first experience like this, and I’m surrounded by trees and beauty and very talented creative people. When I first arrived, I was intimidated. Listening to the other artists’ stories and experiences and seeing their work made me feel like the outsider. I never went to art school, I’m a social worker, I’ve been living in Nepal, I’m a writer.
Determined, I pushed past my insecurities to focus on my work. I came with a goal in mind: it doesn’t have to be amazing, it doesn’t even have to be good, but I want to leave here with a solid first draft.
Most days feel like slogging through a forest. I’ve had moments of brilliance and inspiration, but more days have been clouded in despair and frustration. I decided it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if I think it’s a good story or whether it IS a good story. My work is to simply show up, put in time, and keep going.
If you sit around waiting for moments of inspiration and creative spark, you might be waiting a long time. I want to tell you to fight through it. Fight through the urge and don’t sell yourself short. You deserve to create. No matter your background or experience, make something. Build something. Dream something.
(And if you need more encouragement, check out Liz Gilbert’s Big Magic.)
The value of meeting new people (offline)
Hectic schedules and limited time pushes “meeting new people” down priority lists. But new people can add spark to your life. From work strategies to personal motivation, even brief encounters can leave a lifetime mark. A meaningful conversation can inspire you to try something new, do better work, become a more thoughtful person, or keep going down the right path.
Online we’re exposed to new tactics and images, but face-to-face encounters are more likely to contribute to trust and long-term relationships. These connections help businesses thrive. While it’s easy to forget a screen name, personal interactions build experiences that help tell stories. And in a world where storytelling and marketing drive results, representing your “personal brand” is key.
Meeting new people may also reveal unknown parts of yourself, creating self-awareness of your own expertise and highlighting areas that still need work. There are health benefits, too: improved cognitive function, physical health and creative power.
Our next dinner event is scheduled for May 31 in NYC. Send an email to info@projectexponential.com with details about your current projects if you’re interested in attending. Our dinners match those with complementary interests and skills, and space is limited to preserve intimacy and quality.
13 lessons to be learned from expats
- It’s OK to not understand everything that is happening around you all of the time.
- True friends will keep in touch.
- Don’t compare your life, your successes, your failures or your progress with anyone else.
- Take time to connect with the people around you. See them for who they really are.
- Never stop learning.
- Use social media sparingly.
- Drink alcohol in moderation.
- Build community. Seek out and find those who bring out your very best self.
- If you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to ask.
- It’s always helpful to research and gather information before making big decisions. In the end, however, let intuition guide you.
- Spend time getting to know yourself so you can acknowledge your weaknesses and strong points.
- Set goals that both challenge and inspire you.
- Write. Make time to dream, to reflect, to observe and to record. Situations are constantly changing, and your perspectives will shift as well. Writing your thoughts down can help you stay on track and grow.
Post modified from this Medium article, posted July 15, 2015.
Making time
Too often it feels like our schedules are packed and we don’t have time to do the things we really want to do. I want to encourage you to step back and reconsider.
What if the choices you make on a daily basis could be adjusted, and suddenly you find yourself with an extra hour? What would you do with that time?
What if — instead of pressuring yourself to get it all done — you eased off the gas and settled for eight out of ten, six out of ten? What if you gave 70% instead of 110%?
Write down the goals that are most important to you and the daily priorities you don’t want to lose. Look for places you can simplify and back off.
It’s possible to add hours in your day, but you may have to give something up.
For more help, visit zenhabits.
“You’re not married?”
“Not married! You don’t want kids?” I often receive questions regarding my relationship status. My answer, it seems, disappoints/confuses many, as if some defect on my part has rendered me less valuable or ambitious.
A little under three years ago, I came to a developing country, alone, where I have volunteered as a social worker and teacher. I established an education center, built a solar grid and fundraised to bring clothes, scholarships and learning adventures to friends in need. Before arriving in Nepal, I qualified for Boston the first time I ran the NYC Marathon. I counsel students, entrepreneurs and notable personalities. I’ve traveled to over twenty countries, finished my Master’s at Columbia University, completed an original research project and graduated with honors from CU Boulder. I have started pro-social groups for adolescent delinquents and have a baby named after me. I’ve organized events that have brought people together from different disciplines and have maintained a weekly blog since 2012. My writing has been published in journals and online. I’ve listened to stories of immigrants and middle class families struggling to pay bills. I’m working on a book. Yet the question isn’t about what I’ve done or plan to do, it’s who and when I will marry.
This is a question I receive in all parts of the world, developed and less so. My single male friends, also in their 30s, seem to evade this inquiry. Instead, they are asked other success indicators: work, house, salary, dog. Isn’t it time we see each other for who we are instead of expectations we carry?
Isn’t it time to have conversations based upon the individual, without of assumptions of race or age or gender or income? Isn’t it time we listen for what drives another’s actions to hear what fuels their beliefs, their convictions, their dreams?
If we could listen more and judge less, our world would move closer towards that tolerant, respectful place we all deserve.
“What is your greatest accomplishment?” serves a much better bridge for meaningful conversation.