Keep All of You

"Don't throw any of yourself away.

If you have two or three real passions, don't feel like you have to pick and choose between them. Don't discard. Keep all your passions in your life."

-Writer/ Artist Austin Kleon

from his book, 

Steal Like an Artist: 

10 Things Nobody Told You 

About Being Creeative

What Now?

“What now is not just a panic-stricken question tossed out into a dark unknown. 

What now can also be our joy. It is a declaration of possibility, of promise, of chance. It acknowledges that our future is open, that we may well do more than anyone expected of us, that at every point in our development we are still striving to grow. 

There’s a time in our lives when we all crave the answers. It seems terrifying not to know what’s coming next. 

But there is a time, a better time, when we see our lives as a series of choices, and What now represents our excitement and our future, the very vitality of life. It’s up to you to choose a life that will keep expanding. It takes discipline to remain curious; it takes work to be open to the world- but oh my friends, what noble and glorious work it is.”

-Ann Patchett

What now?

The Happy Secret to Better Work

Check out this fantastic video my friend shared with me.

Enjoy!

-Katie

Courage is Easier Than Fear

Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.

You Learn By Living (1960), 41

Eleanor Roosevelt

Writers, Mountains and Truth

"Imagine truth as a chain of great mountains, their tops way up in the clouds. 

Writers explore these truths, always looking out for new paths up these peaks."

from the novel, Beautiful Ruins

by Jess Walters

Photo: wikipedia

What Engages You? In Life? In Work? At Play?

"The marvelous thing about a good question is that it shapes our identity as much by the asking as it does by the answering."

-David Whyte, Poet

Summer Reading

 

At long last, summer is upon us. 

In honor of lazy days and time for reflection, I wanted to put together a list of books you might consider for your summer reading. For the past few months, as I detailed in a recent post, I've been in search of inspiration-filled books, such as Lynne Twist's The Soul of Money, that seek to reframe one's mindset from a place of deficiency to a place of appreciation. 

I shared my quest for inspiration with several friends and family and they in turn responded with the book titles you see below. All of these books have one thing in common: they've all made a positive difference in the way they view their lives. 

Feel free to let me know what you think of these and any other recommendations. I can't wait to read each and every one of them!

-Katie

A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver

Honeymoon With My Brother by Franz Wisner

Never Check E-Mail In the Morning by Julie Morgenstern

Thrive: The Third Metric of Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder  by Arianna Huffington

The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer

The Total Money Makeover  by Dave Ramsey 

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox

Words to Live By: Lizzie Velasquez

"Use that negativity in your life to make yourself better. 

Use it, because I guarantee you. You will win."

-Lizzie Velasquez

Watch this amazing video in which Ms. Velasquez delivers her inspiring message about defining yourself from within.

Enjoy!

-Katie

Let it Go!

We're big fans of the movie, Frozen, in this house. Someone's either singing about building a snowman, people being better than reindeer, or being the girl we're always meant to be. (When my five year-old son sings the latter while playing a rough 'n tumble game of hockey while in full hockey gear- it's always a lovely juxtaposition.)

I find myself belting out "Let It Go" (not unlike every 10 and under girl in the world- and I just happen to be in my 40's, but whatever) probably because it is such a freeing song and who doesn't like to feel free? And pretend she has the singing chops of Idina Menzel?

So when I happened upon this article by Change.org President and COO, Jennifer Dulski, I was happily reminded of the importance of letting things go and seeing the magic that happens from that release of control. Ms. Dulski points us to the blog post of illustrator/graphic artist extraordinaire, Mica Angela Hendricks (blogging as "busy mockingbird") and her daughter.

This is a wonderful post about the awesomeness of collaborating with our unabashedly imaginative children. So inspiring!

Enjoy!
-Katie

Deepak Chopra: Our Bodies

I recently stumbled across this inspiring article from Deepak Chopra, MD. A practitioner of integrated medicine, Dr. Chopra discusses the benefits of seeing the body as a system vs. a machine, which is the current model we and the medical community at large tend to embrace. 

Whatever your opinion of integrated medicine, I think you'll find the following exert an interesting perspective. As described below, the system model Chopra advocates for comprises both the mind and the body, which, in my opinion, brings us the most comprehensive satisfaction in life. 

He writes:

"Instead of seeing the body as a machine that, like a new car, must deteriorate over time, we should see it as a system that learns, adapts, and improves over time. In short, we need to let the body take care of us, for that is what it's actually doing. The one thing this amazingly self-sufficient system needs from you is better input. A host of things constitute better input:

- Whatever makes you happier.

- Being more relaxed and accepting.

- Strong self-esteem, a sense of worth.

- Being of service to others, giving.

- Showing generosity of spirit.

- Loving, nurturing relationships.

- Any activity that makes you feel light in mind and body.

- Taking time to play, and having a playful attitude.

- Not stressing out other people.

- Devoting yourself to projects that have real meaning and purpose.

- Being self-aware.

- Expanding our awareness. Growing and maturing from the inside.

- Being comfortable with your inner world.

- Working through negative emotions like anger, envy, and fear.

- Self-acceptance.

- Reverence for Nature.

- Faith and a belief in a higher power, whatever that may be.

As you can see, almost none of this is advice you will hear in a doctor's office, and much of it goes far beyond standard prevention, which is based on risks. Of course it's good to avoid risks, but thinking in terms of what can go wrong induces fear, and fear is a very poor motivator over the long run. Becoming happier and more fulfilled day by day is a much better motivator, and as you can see, a systems approach expands our conception of the body to include everything that is mentally, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually fulfilling. That’s the ultimate reason to embrace the new systems model as far as I'm concerned."

So, how can you better your "input" today?

Chalk It Up to Inspiration

DANGERDUST

Take a look at these marvelously inspiring chalk drawings. I don't think I'd be able to erase them every week after all of that hard work, but the artists at Columbus College of Art and Design manage to somehow.

Enjoy!

-Katie

Letters of Love

A daughter gives a moving tribute to her father, from whom she learned the beauty of the handwritten note.
Enjoy!

-Katie

Lakshmi Pratury: The lost art of letter-writing

The Power of Music

Check out this holiday video of the amazing US Air Force Band.
I'll bet you can't help but smile.

Enjoy!
-Katie

Musical Surprise at the National Air and Space Museum

"You'll Never Walk Alone"

I performed this classic song at a cabaret many years ago and it remains one of my favorites. Introduced in 1945 by writers Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the musical, Carousel, the song has been performed by a wide range of singers, from Judy Garland to Elvis Presley to Renee Fleming. It has a sweet, simple, timeless appeal, and, dare I say, songs like this just aren't written anymore.

I post these lyrics for all of you who are having a rough time right now, and particularly for my friend who is battling cancer. She goes in for major surgery tomorrow and I wish her nothing but "golden skies" and an amazing recovery. 

-Katie

"You'll Never Walk Alone"

When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm

Is a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on through the wind

Walk on through the rain

Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on walk on with hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm

Is a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on through the wind

Walk on through the rain

Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on walk on with hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone.

-Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Create Yourself: Shane Coyczan

Good to know there are still people out there who dare to do something fresh and authentic.

Enjoy!
-Katie

p.s. Please be advised before clicking on video link below of the mild, brief profanity

Remember

Making a Difference in the World: Mulala Yousafzai

Like many girls at age 16, I worried about boys, my grades and what I wore. I badly wanted to make the cheerleading team, and fretted over where I would go to college in two years. I cried when I didn't make the lead in the school play and secretly craved being part of the "in" crowd.

In short, life felt rather grim at the time.

This young lady, Mulala Yousafzai, age 16, is fighting for the education rights of young women and for peace in her homeland of Pakistan. She miraculously survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her vocal and very public opposition.

Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Watch her interview with Jon Stewart here.

Peter Buffett On Success

A New Definition

"In my view, success should be defined with reference to the substance of a person’s achievement. What is someone actually accomplishing? Is she helping others? Is he living up to his own unique potential? Is there passion and originality in her approach to life and work? Is there fundamental value in what he’s trying to achieve?

I believe that true success comes from within. It is a function of who we are and what we do. It emerges from the mysterious chemistry of our abilities and passion and hard work and commitment. True success is something we earn privately and whose value we determine for ourselves. The outside world can reward us with money, but it cannot anoint us with this deeper and more personal kind of success. The success we define for ourselves is the treasure that cannot be tarnished or taken away."

-Peter Buffett 

composer,

musician, philanthropist and  

author of Life is What You Make It

For Mr. Buffett's full article click here.

How to Make a Difference in the World

Some great advice for those of us who don't want to sit back and watch the world stay the same.
-Katie
CHANGE YOUR WORLD

Create Your Spark: Elizabeth Gilbert

Ms. Gilbert tells us to: 

1. Keep showing up and 

2. Give our genius a talking to.

Enjoy! (And watch the whole thing- it's worth it!)

-Katie

Elizabeth Gilbert on Sustaining Creativity

The Strength of Kindness

Discovering people's greatest strengths is probably the number one reason I love what I do.  I feel like a treasure hunter sometimes, thrilled at the prospect of uncovering some hidden talents (or, more likely, a unique combination of talents) that someone possesses.

And yet I'll admit that there is one strength- oftentimes learned but sometimes generously bestowed on a few individuals- I tend overlook in the midst of the other more "lucrative" talents. This strength is, simply put, a capacity for kindness. It is one of the most important aspects of a person's potential, but so often gets way too little attention. After all, no adult would think of putting "I am kind" on their resume or business card or use it as a selling point in an interview. Yet how refreshing and effective is this trait to have in our working environments? We all know that when a person is both good at their work and displays kindness to others that she becomes a super star.  Through simple acts of generosity, she leads with integrity and positively influences the workplace.

I wonder if many of us are actually born to bestow kindness, but as we grow older we stop being as outward with our care taking. We gradually build up our competitive spirit to the point that our gentle souls diminish, and our nurturing inclinations take a back seat. We learn to put on an adult armor that shows we mean business, masking that tenderness we may have shown freely as children.

A very touching article in Guideposts Magazine reminded me of that pure, unadulterated kindness that children can bestow.  Jennifer Hubbard, mother of Sandy Hook elementary school student, Catherine Hubbard, wrote an insightful and touching essay about her daughter, Catherine, age six, who was one of the children who tragically died in the December 2012 shooting.  Reading this mother's words (albeit through tears) prompted me to remember what a gift kindness is, and how we cannot ever diminish its power or grow out of our own inclination to share it. Ms. Hubbard allows us to glimpse into young Catherine's life, which centered around her immense capacity and understanding of kindness, even at the tender age of six.

Here is a brief excerpt from this story:

"She could be shy around adults, like lots of little girls. With animals or other kids it was another story, especially with animals. She came alive with love, our own miniature flame-haired Dr. Doolittle. It was as if she couldn't contain her need to care for every living thing.

How many hours did Catherine spend in the backyard with her friends patiently training our old yellow Lab mix to jump over a stick? Hugging her. Picking her up, though she weighed twice as much as Catherine. She had a thing for critters-her pet bunny, her fish, the crickets in our yard on lazy summer nights, even the worms. Butterflies were a big deal. She'd gasp with delight when one landed on her hand, which they always seemed to do. Maybe it was because she'd whisper to them, 'Tell all your friends I'm kind.'

Yes, kind. Catherine knew what she was and how precious kindness is in this world.

Catherine's Business Card

Not long ago she made her own business cards with Catherine's Animal Shelter across the top.  Care Taker, she wrote under her name.  She handed them out to friends and to her first grade teacher at Sandy Hook.  [My husband,] Matt and I smiled at her sense of purpose.

She was never without some kind of animal, usually one of her unbelievably huge collection of stuffed toys. She piled them around her on the bed at night. In the morning she always picked one to put in her backpack for school, as if she had to have something with her to care for, even a stuffed animal."

Visit Site

As tragic and heartbreaking as it is to know that such a lovely life has been cut horribly short, I'm hoping to let Catherine's example of open tenderness remind me to better appreciate kindness: In myself, in my clients and in my own gentle, tenderhearted daughter as well.



Note: Catherine's parents created a memorial in honor of their daughter's love for animal rescue.  They requested that any donations be sent to their local animal shelter. To date, with the generosity of hundreds of supporters, Catherine's vision is now becoming a reality. The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary is under way!