Lamisha Serf-Walls

Dreamer Highlight: Jordana: My Meandering Trail & Michelle Ward

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dream

I am so excited to share two amazing dreamer highlights with you this week.  The first one is a little different from what I normally share, but is equally inspirational.  Enjoy!

When I first began my blog, I stumbled across Jordana from My Meandering Trail as she was in the middle of preparing for her hike up the Appalachian Trail.  I had no idea at the time what a huge achievement that truly was, but I was consistently inspired by her dream.  In case you were wondering the hike is over 2,000 miles and entails many nights spent camping outside, lots of new people, and lots and lots of hiking.  Just the sound of it makes my legs ache, but I was thrilled to follow Jordana as she strategically documented her plans.  She shared her thoughts on picking her gear, food choices, as well as her adventures as she makes her way up the trail.  So, how did she begin this journey of her dreams?  She just decided to do it.  She researched her way through it.  From talking to others that have hiked the trail to spending early mornings in line to get the best and most affordable gear she could, she did it.  And now, she is hiking to her heart’s content and is sharing her journey on her blog.  While hiking and outdoorsy things may not be your cup of tea, rest assured that her journey will enlighten and inspire.  Remember a journey of (in this case) 2,000 miles begins with only one step.

The other dreamer I wanted to highlight here is Michelle Ward the When I Grow Up Coach.  I have mentioned Michelle several times on my blog and it is partially because it was her blog that really got me thinking about becoming a life coach in the first place and also because her story is so great.  You can read more about how she got to be the wonderful coach she is here.

What she did.  She walked away from what she thought was her dream of becoming an actress and stepped into a space of coaching other creatives to the career of their dreams.  Michelle worked in the corporate world and did her time in the 9-5 job for many years before she finally found her thing.  That thing was coaching others to take a leap toward their dreams.  The inspiration doesn’t stop there though.  In addition to becoming what she calls a woman of the world (read woman solopreneur), she has quit her day job, written workbooks, co-authored a wonderful book, and overcome breast cancer.  She is inspiring for far more than just the work she does.  Michell is creative-life-coaching-amazeballs-ukele-playing-cancer-survior with a spirit that is simply amazing.  Please check out her website and her blog for more inspiring information and tidbits.  She truly is an inspiration for women everywhere.

So, there you have it, two incredible women achieving the life they once dreamt and if they can do it, so can you!

Know of someone who is living the life of their dreams and want me to give them a shout out?  Share in the comments below or email me at lserf13@hotmail.com and I would love to include them in this series.

Dreamer Highlight: Scott Dinsmore and Lilou Mace

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Live the dream

About 2 years ago, I began dreaming of a life where I could do work that I loved and make a decent living doing it.  I wanted to live the life of my dreams and simply be happy.  I wanted to get up every morning feeling excited and energetic for the workday ahead because I enjoy helping people realize the power they have to be happy.  In my search to figure out how I could do that, I stumbled upon a website that proved to be encouraging, motivational, and one of the most inspirational sites I have found.

Live Your Legend 

Scott Dinsmore made the startling discovery that it is possible to live the life of your dreams doing what you love.  He realized that when you find your passion and live it simply for the joy of doing it, you CAN be successful too.  You don’t have to continue to go to the soul-crushing job to make a fortune.  Simply put, he came up with a strategy to help others find their passion and live it, because it isn’t just possible, it is necessary.  Was it always easy?  I am sure Scott will tell you it wasn’t always the easy road, but it was certainly the most passionate and inspiring road.  There are twists and turns and adventures that he loves and now several years after launching his website and company, he is in charge of his time.  He gets to live the life he wants, helping others to do the same.  Check him out and be prepared to be inspired!

I have mentioned Lilou Mace on my blog before, but when I think of people living the life of their dreams I automatically think of Lilou.  Founder and creator of  the Juicy Living Tour, Lilou travels all over the world interviewing spiritual teachers, leaders, and inspirational people in order to share information that would not normally be shared across the globe.  She has done thousands of interviews and is living her dream.

How did she do it?

Well it all started after she lost her job and began wondering what she was going to do next.  After recording her thoughts and experiences the first month after losing her job, she turned her notes into a book titled “I Lost My Job and I Liked It“.  Shortly after, she published her second book “I Had No Money And I Liked It”.  During this time she also began living her dream, by interviewing various spiritual authors, leaders, and teachers via Skype and uploading them to YouTube.  While she wanted to be the next Oprah, her dreams were realized and implemented in a much better way than she could have ever imagined.  She is now living her dream by traveling the globe completing her wonderful interviews and sharing them for free via YouTube.  Not only that, but she does so simply on a donation basis.  All of her travel fees, accommodations, food etc. is paid for via donations made to her via her website.  In addition to interviewing and writing her two books, she has also created several meditations and other items that help her generate revenue to live.  Through implementing the Law of Attraction and living her passion everyday, Lilou has done some amazing things, but the best part is that she had a vision, she believed it, and she is now living it.

It can often be difficult for those of us on the outside of seemingly large visionaries as we are in the middle of creating our own vision.  It seems they have it all together, but one thing to remember is that everyone had to start somewhere.  Scott Dinsmore worked in the corporate world for several years before he finally quit his job to move forward with his dream.  Lilou lost her job and began flowing through life with faith that it would all work out, without ever knowing exactly how it would come together.  The excitement lies in the adventure.  The journey is the fun part and living the life of our dreams is simply the icing on the cake.  I have said it before and I will say it again.  If they can do it, so can YOU!

When Inspiration Fades

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It is an awesome feeling to following your inspiration into action.  The fire is burning and you just can’t help but feel energized and uplifted.  But what happens when inspiration plummets?  How can we invoke that inspirational spark that moves us in the direction of our dreams?

There are a number of things you can do to bring that inspirational spark back into your life as long as you don’t try too hard.  I have found that when I am feeling anxious about something and really feel like I need something to happen almost out of desperation, it makes it that much more difficult to grasp.

Here is what I have found to work for me:

  • Take a break- If you have been thinking about something or have been working on a project for a long period of time and are getting more frustrated by the minute, sometimes taking a step back from it can help you regroup and allow your ideas to breathe.  I find this particularly useful when I am writing or doing choreography.  Sometimes I am just not in the flow and leaving it for a few hours or days can make all the difference in the world.
  • Meditate-You may be wondering how slowing your thoughts can lead to more ideas and creativity, but when you give your mind a little break from thought after thought after thought, you allow the space that is needed for ideas to flow into your consciousness.  Not sure what your next step is in achieving your dreams?  Meditate with the intention to allow thoughts to come and go and if you don’t get the answer you are looking for, that’s ok.  It may come to you after meditation or on another day.  By giving your mind a break you are simply inviting inspiration to come.
  • Read- I love to read and am always reading other blogs, books, and articles for inspiration.  I don’t look for a specific idea, but I find I am drawn to exactly what I need to read at exactly the right moment (similar to the inspiration nuggets).  If you are stuck on a particular writing project, read the work of authors you enjoy.  If you aren’t sure where to move forward in your business venture, research others in your same business and see what they are doing.  This is not meant to replicate what they are doing, but it can often get the creative juices flowing again.
  • Get out in nature- Spend some time outdoors.  Go for a walk, a hike, or a run to get the blood pumping.  Allow the natural rhythm of the great outdoors to soothe your mind and feed your soul.  You may find that as you look at your surroundings ideas come to you easily.  Maybe Mother Nature will provide you with an idea or two as you revel in her beauty.  I love spending time outside and I find it helpful to just get away from the office and my computer for a while to refresh my thoughts.
  • Let it go- I often have a tendency to obsess over a problem until I have found the solution.  More specifically if I want to do something I need to know how I am going to do it.  I am learning that if I just let it go for a while and think about something else, I let go of the resistance that is keeping the solution from me.  Sometimes when you are searching for something you only find it when you stop looking.  (Ever lost your keys only to find them when you stop looking for them 2 hours later??)  This doesn’t mean let go of your idea, your goal, or your dreams, but sometimes we need to allow the Universe to work some magic for us.  So, let it go for a bit.
  • Get happy-Take some time to do something you enjoy.  Read a book, watch a movie, take a nap, or write a list of things you are grateful for.  Often taking some time to do something you utterly enjoy can take the frustration out of a creative block and you might be surprised where your next ideas come from.  I often get ideas or confirmations from things I read, movies, or in a conversation I have with someone.  It is amazing how easily inspiration flows when you are in a relaxed and happy state.  So, what are you waiting for??? Get happy!
  • Be open- You never know where your next inspirational nugget will come from so by simply setting the intention to be open to any and all forms of inspiration, you are inviting those nuggets to flow your way.  Go about your daily routine knowing that your inspiration will return and just be open to what may show up.  You may be surprised to find where your inspiration comes from.

What do you do when you need a boost in inspiration?

The Life Force of Dreams

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Image courtesy of mobilebeat.com
Image courtesy of mobilebeat.com

I think many will agree that the best ideas, inventions, and creations are fueled with a good dose of inspiration.  You know the feeling you get when you just can’t help but act on a given task.  Often inspiration comes as a surge of energy as the mind is flooded with ideas.  Blood begins pumping through the body and there is an incredible excitement and liveliness in the room.  For some, this kind of inspiration gives a burst of energy and then tapers off leaving a very small portion of the initial surge.  Other times the surge is followed by consistent inspirational nuggets that keep the inspiration alive and well.

There are many times when I have had all three scenarios, but it seems lately I am falling into the third category as I follow the inspirational nuggets (as I like to call them) that lead me to my next step.

Before I go any further let me give you my definition of an inspirational nugget.

Inspirational Nugget–a bit of information, a quote, a word, a book, or anything that gives you an “aha” moment that ultimately leads you into action. 

Simply put they are the life force behind achieving your dreams.

I find that my nuggets typically come in conversations I have with others or in books, blogs, or other websites I am reading and they often come at a time when my surge of inspiration is dwindling.  They may be a quote that relates to exactly what I am thinking about for a certain project or I might read something and immediately come up with the perfect words for something I have been thinking about for several days or in some cases months.

The perfect example of this is came when I tried to name my blog.  Before I began my blog (for the third time), I had set the intention of creating something that would inspire others through my journey, but I was struggling to find just the right name.  I had mulled it over for months, making lists of words and phrases that I thought would be good to use, but none of them really jumped out at me.  One day without thinking about my blog directly, the words “Life Once Dreamt” came to me.  I couldn’t believe it, after months of working to find a name, the moment I let go of the need to find a name, it came to me.  And when they did, I didn’t have to think twice about it because I knew it was right.

Let’s look at another example (completely fictional):

Meet Suzy.  Suzy has a dream to start a little coffee shop with tons of character and charm except she isn’t sure where to begin.  She day dreams about what it will look like and every time she steps foot in a coffee shop, she imagines the day she will step foot into her very own.  Thinking she has to do things the “logical” way, she begins asking other business owners how they started.  Did they go to business school?  Were they the number #1 barista at another coffee shop first?  The “logical” way seemed so difficult, not to mention expensive and totally uninspiring.  Just when she was about to give up, she sees a sign for a workshop for new business owners (nugget #1).  The workshop is free and though she isn’t a business owner yet, she thought she might gain some insight into owning her own business.  While at the workshop she meets another attendee (Sid) that quickly becomes her friend(nugget #2).  Together they discuss their business ideas, dreams, and dilemmas.  During one conversation about getting the money together to start her business, Sid shares some information with Suzy about business investors and tells her about an investor she knows about named Jack(nugget #3).  Remembering information about business plans she just read on an entrepreneur blog(nugget #4), she puts her plan together to present to Jack.  Suzy and Jack hit it off and he agrees to fund her business…1 year and 100 nuggets later, Suzy walks into her coffee shop for the very first time and realizes she is now living her dream.

That’s how magical these inspirational nuggets are.  They come seemingly out of the blue at just the right moment providing you with the fuel you need to keep moving forward, often in a direction you never thought about.  Some call it Divine Intervention or the Law of Attraction bringing to us the tools we need to make our dreams reality, but where ever you believe these inspirational nuggets come from, one thing for sure, they should not be wasted.  So the next time you get an inspirational hit, savor it and milk it for all it’s worth, for if you do I promise you will make great progress toward your dreams.

When was the last time you received an inspirational nugget and how did it come to you?  I would love to hear about your experiences.