Three up, three down for my friend Sam Shelby!
Who always makes you smile, and feel inspired to live your best life?
Go tell them you love them. TODAY.
#MojoWarriors #StrongMojo #MojoAlwaysWins
I’ve been holding out on you! (I can’t tell you all my secrets, all the time:)
A few months ago, just before the weather started blazing into the start of summer, I had an unexpected conversation that has 100% changed not only the course of my work life, but I feel like potentially my whole life. (ONE 5 minute conversation!!!)
For real.
So I’ve been plugging away since that day, on this new work that truly fuels me, inspires me, uses my talents/experience, and pays me. I’d been fighting so very desperately for years to figure it out and it is here!
HALLELUJAH THANK YOU, JESUS! (And I don’t even go to church.)
This means you will see big changes here to the Blue Lollipop Road you’ve known for nearly 7 years. I guess this 7 year cycle stuff is for real. I love it. I’ve partnered up with a branding company who I’ll share about soon. They’re working hard to completely overhaul my beloved BLR website into the 2.0 version; cleaner, clearer, and even more alive.
This is big time.
I was going to wait to share this news until closer to launch date, but because of a text conversation today with a friend that made me smile huge, here we are. (Also, I’m awful at staying quiet when I am over-the-moon excited, anyway. I can’t believe I’ve made it this long!)
(My words are in the blue bubbles.)
If you’re still fighting hard to figure out what you love/who you love/how to love/what to do/where to go/how to be…keep fighting, you will figure it out! When you get “there” all battled and bruised from the fight you’ve put up, you will be so good and so happy you’ll be unstoppable. It will feel so much sweeter, I promise. Specific to my work/money life, I’ve been at the edge of feeling like a never going to figure it out nut job for years. No joke, it has been the most frustrating and often debilitating process of my life. I’ve lost friends, screwed up relationships, driven my family bonkers, bawled my eyes out, exhausted myself spinning in circles- you name it, but I’ve kept pushing because I’ve always believed, and boom! It happened. Timing/I was ready/A random chat with a stranger in a Starbucks- whatever the reason it is, my place has come and there ain’t no stopping me now, baby!
LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO GIVE UP. Believe in yourself, know there’s a place for you and you are not a freak if you don’t have it all figured out- no matter what age you are. Carry on your fight, call me when you get to your place, and we will raise a glass together.
Go get ’em, tiger.
#FindYourFreedom #WorkThatMatters #Believe
A voicemail just came in from a friend I haven’t talked with in quite a while. A cheery long message that made me smile, including “Peacock! (my last name in case you didn’t know) “I appreciate your tenacity!”
I went to my iPhoto for an image I remembered taking when I was in Alaska 5 summers ago thinking It’d be funny to share here, illustrating sassy bad-assness & tenacity- then immediately thought of something else. Mind shift and a few minutes of scrolling later, I ran across this random scribble from an old Moleskin notebook:
I can’t remember if that date is when I wrote this or when someone else sent this quote to me.
I spent time with a very special person yesterday, a very tenacious person who’s very sick, but definitely being nothing but positive about getting better. (I’ve got nothing on tenacity compared to this guy.) Impressive and humbling are not even the words. You think you get it, have respect, or appreciation for a situation, then you spend a couple hours staring straight into the face of a fight you can’t in the slightest, imagine taking on. You think you’re strong & mighty, then you see someone who just blows your mind having the strength in spirit that could crush a concrete wall with the brush of a fingertip. You think you’re spending your time wisely, and realize you could be spending it even more wisely.
Perspective.
Lucky me to spend time with someone who might be afraid, but would never let himself stay that way if so- because tenacious is the only way to be. I am forever inspired.
Be tenacious, people. Be tenacious. Be unafraid to look like a fool for love, for your dreams, and for the adventure of being alive.
#TodayIsTheDay #GameOn #MojoAlwaysWins
***(My wonderful friend Laura called me after posting this and reminded me the above was an excerpt from The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, and she read it at her wedding. Love that.)
“You’ve created quite a life for yourself!”
“You seem so well adjusted and like you are doing great!”
Thanks. I guess that’s true. I have, and I am. Or at least I’m trying. (Have I ever mentioned, I’ve definitely had plenty of thoughts about just floating out to sea and never coming back, or drinking myself into oblivion? I force myself not to do hose kind of things, however. We all know problems don’t go away just because you disappear for a while or get wasted.)
The quotes above are what I’ve heard since I started writing here in 2008, and more regularly recently. I get a lot of “you’re so lucky!”‘s and “I wish I could do that!”‘s. I’ve been gifted quite the fury of compliments for my so called perfect life over the years.
I have to laugh and shake my head. It’s perfect alright. A perfectly beautiful mess.
The past 6 weeks are close to the worst I’ve ever had. I can handle a lot so that’s very hard for me to admit, but It’s the truth. Recent happenings in/around/to me, include, but are not limited to; Illness, death, heartbreak, loneliness, sadness, life turning upside down, unexpected unpleasant surprises, exhaustion, sleeplessness, lack of appetite, and more. Lots more, and It’s probably not going to stop anytime soon.
You didn’t think I was immune to these kind of things just because I write a seize the day blog and stand proudly on my soap box shouting that anything is possible, did you?
Ok. Glad we have that straight.
During my early morning before the sun really rose, most humans aren’t even awake yet, run on the beach this morning:
…forcing my bare tired feet to go, I kept thinking about 1.) How awesome it was to have my toes in the sand. 2.) How much I wish nothing bad would happen to the people I love. 3.) How much I wish all the people in the land were more comfortable talking about real stuff, the raw stuff, the dirty laundry.
Did I want to hit the snooze button this morning? Yep. Did I remember that reality seriously bites as soon as I opened up my eyes? Yep. Did I stay lying there feeling sorry for myself? Nope. (Sometimes I do though, and that’s Ok and very necessary.)
(Insert AA meeting theme tone here.) My name is Diane, and I am a regular person with plenty of problems, just like you. I’m not fancy because I post pretty pictures here. I’m not cooler or smarter or richer than you because I travel. I don’t have magical powers that make unicorns and rainbows appear, and I am not “lucky” that I have a lot of energy and a good attitude. This is a practice, and one I take very seriously. I have to practice every day to stay happy and keep trucking. We’re talking double-session style in 102 degree heat exhausting kinda practice that is really hard, and really not so fun. This life ain’t easy, peeps- for any of us.
Here’s how I cheerlead my butt outta bed when life’s got me down and swirling in the 3-ring circus of hot-mess bonanza:
While I’m getting kicked, and kicked, and kicked, when life is laughing in my face with that cruel, cruel, maniacal laugh, when I get up, brush myself off still trying to hold that positive outlook- let’s try again smile, and I stand up, then it smashes me in the face with that shovel one more time again, I do all I can to remember it could be so much worse, then I stare into that black hole/fiery dragon/billion pound crater hovering above me, and tell it 50 ways to go fuck itself because that shit is not allowed at my party thankyouverymuch.
Boom.
What other choice do I have? What other choice do YOU have?
If you think you are the only one in the world reading this feeling like you’ve been beaten with a case of whoop-ass cans, and more times than one, you’re not. If you think you are the only one with that unbearable stress, sadness or embarrassment about something, you’re not. If you think you’re the only one who’s ever royally screwed something up, ummm…not so. If you think that guy or girl sitting next to you at Starbucks, smiling and looking all fly in those freshly pressed business clothes sipping that $5 latte has it all figured out-think again.
Guys, this life is a shit show for all of us. If you want to create “quite a life for yourself”, It’s a CHOICE. You must train and practice like It’s a marathon. A long, painful race that in the end should theoretically leave us smiling, proud, and feeling like it was all totally worth it. Accept this 26.2 gazillion mile run with 1/2 the water stops along the way stocked full of cups with dirty, filthy mud to drink, and other 1/2 bubbling over with Dom Perignon. Collect your metal at the end, and go find your friends and family to celebrate with. Share your stories of trial and error, pulled muscles, aches, pains, and Heartbreak Hill. Everybody has to make it up Heartbreak Hill sooner or later, and that trek is so much easier if you build a good team around you.
If you find yourself alone, in fact seeing that there is an “I” in your current team, find something to look at that inspires you:
…and keep pushing.
…at least that’s what I do. I’ve got to believe that when it feels like the world is collapsing, there are good lessons to be learned and some amazing things to see on the other side of it all. I hope you believe that too.
#MorningMojo #HardLessons #Choices
My annual July adventure up north for green space fresh-air & BLR Play It Forward Event time ended up being way more than I bargained for/planned on/expected/hoped/dreamed of/wished. Like way more. Some good, some bad, and some really ugly.
As I sit in my office back at home base, surrounded by piles of things to take care of (that’s literal and figurative), I look at this photo from a couple weeks ago when I was peacefully sipping coffee at a boat house and think- ahhh…wouldn’t it be nice if life was that calm & easy. (Then I think maybe not so much because we’d never learn how to handle the bumps and bruises that come along.)
My brother sent this video to me via text the other day when I was on a long drive and just feeling awful. I laughed so hard in my stomach hurt. This is absolutely hilarious, with my favorite line being about the “3-ring sh*t-show” of life. Be warned; this is for adults, lots of eff-bombs/inappropriate language:
Seriously, how can you not laugh at something like this, especially when life is handing you so many lemons every kid on your street would be able to make enough gallons of lemonade to sell & finance their 4-year education?
It always seems by the time I end up sitting down and logging on to write here, I have too much I want to share about my experiences that I don’t even know where to begin. For now I will say that I continue to be so incredibly thankful to all my family & friends for being such a big part in why life is beautiful. (And “brutiful” as my friend Laura says.) Also, Play It Forward 2015 was an amazing success and I am one happy camper about that. (More on our event here soon. Our generous volunteer photographer, Nicole is editing photos as I type.) Beyond those two things today, I will share some things I have learned and re-learned from this crazy summer of 2015 so far:
*Life is too short
*There’s a lot of fear floating around this earth
*If you feel like you want to do something or say something, you should start doing it right now
*There are few things better than spending time with good old friends
*You will never forget that time when you were a grown adult that your Mom literally had to hold you up and hold your hand at a funeral- otherwise you would have never been able to do it. (I love you so much, Mom.)
*If you compartmentalize deep/heavy/important/significant stuff for too long, it will rear It’s ugly head sooner than later
*We must wake up everyday even when we are drowning in that sea of lemonade that has come rushing toward us (see above making lemons out of lemonade), and be inspired to do better, be better, and live better- even when we feel like total crap
Feeling scared, sorry for yourself, or overly bummed about tough stuff or things that are happening that are not so awesome? Think about those people (we all know far too many) who no longer have a choice; The ones who if they did, would give anything and everything for a chance to just be free and feel healthy, to spend just a few more minutes doing something they’re passionate about, to have just one more hug from the ones they love.
Now that’s motivation.
Go get it, ya’ll. Put the courage belt on, clip yourself in tight for an incredible ride, and start driving. Live. Time’s a wastin’
#StayInspired #Believe #LiveWhileYoureLiving
Huge thanks to The Bennington Banner for this article about our event today!
Play It Forward is so much bigger than just a soccer game. It is about bringing people together, honoring loved ones no longer here, and celebrating memories and time together. It is a reminder about what’s important, where we came from, and is meant to inspire us all to truly live while we are living.
This is year four, and I can’t believe it! Countless hours and efforts have been put in and I as I type this with a big smile I could not be more proud. I am humbled and honored to host this event, and so thankful for all the love, support & help from so many friends, family, alumni and community members.
BLR Play It Forward 2015…here we go!
Remember. Celebrate. Live.
#PlayForwardGiveBack #StrongMojo #Community
There is no other way I can say it besides now is the time.
Like right this minute.
If there’s something you’ve been wanting/wishing/trying to muster up the energy, confidence, “right time” for- start today.
If you’ve really wanted to make a change for a long time but haven’t gotten around to it- start today.
If you’ve been meaning to clear your schedule to take care of something important to you- start today.
If you have the choice to take an hour to spend with yourself, with your partner, your kids, your friends, neighbor, your aunt, your uncle, your grandparent your parents, your dog, or your frog, and ditch on that never-ending to-do list or time-wasting work meeting- do it today.
If you love someone and haven’t told them in a while, stop anything and everything you might be doing right now and pick up the phone and tell them, go next door and hug them, get in your car and drive to them, open up Skype and blow kisses through the screen at them, write them a letter, run outside and scream it out loud…
…while you can.
Today I have to say goodbye to this smiling face:
…who’s been in my life since I was a middle-school kid.
Katie, my constant hometown friend of years and years who was a most amazing sweet, kind, genuine, generous, selfless, happy, funny and positive person- passed away last week. The above photos were taken during my BLR Play It Forward event time last year in Vermont.
I didn’t get home in time to see her this summer, and she lost her fight before our coffee date that was scheduled for this week.
My heart feels ripped to shreds, but Katie inspires me to share this:
Don’t wait. Life is so short. We get busy, we think tomorrow will come for sure, we always think we have more time- and sometimes we don’t. Please give yourself a gift by reaching out to your loved ones to tell them what they mean to you. Follow your heart, your dreams, your crazy ideas. Go do, be, see, laugh, love, live it up. Be courageous. Fear is nothing. Nothing is scary until you lose someone you love so much and no longer have an option to spend time together.
Remember what’s important, celebrate the memories you have, and live like today is the day.
Thank you, Katie for bringing so much joy to this world and so much light to my life. I promise to live, love, and celebrate everyday I have. You will always be in my heart.
Smiling this morning because of an unexpected text message coming in at 8:20am from my friend Franklin with this photo:
…accompanied by two little words:
ROAD TRIP.
Yeah! I even love the bug guts. It’s like I’m along for the ride with him. Totally awesome.
Now if I could only get these stickers spread throughout the land even more, and cheerlead more people to just hop in their cars and hit the open road of everything possible in this life.
*(Insert side note interruption of post…bonus! As I sit here at Starbucks writing, a guy sits next to me and I compliment him on being the second well-dressed man in that seat since my arrival. He’s reading a book about travel, National Parks, etc. We chat, chat, chat on general life stuff, writing, the importance of young people taking a Gap Year, etc. Super pleasant surprise? Absolutely. I could’ve talked to him for hours. A perfect stranger who shares much of the same thoughts on life. Love those kind of random interactions. It’s as if they are meant to be:)
There I go on a tangent again. Off to the gym…
Thank you for the photo Franklin, and the coffee chat, Russell!
Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all. I don’t know about you, but freedom is my absolute favorite thing, so here’s to honoring, appreciating, and giving huge thanks to those who serve so we can have it.
What do you do that makes you feel free?
#RoadTrips #GoingPlaces #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad
I like being on the road and in my car so much, that on days like today I often hop in, and go park somewhere just a few blocks away in my own neighborhood to read, write, or just let my mind wander. I feel like I’m on an adventure, even just simply being outside on a street in my own town.
Check out the sun beaming in from this afternoon:
That’s what I’m talking about! Can’t beat this kind of free awesomeness.
How do you find adventure in your own town?
#SunLove #NomadAtHeart #HomeOnTheRoad
Like really chaps my ass.
Good on ya, Jen Sincero! While I’ve been distracting myself from doing what I really want to do; writing books like this, raising funds for the BLR Memorial Scholarship, planning events, encouraging anyone who is unhappy in whatever they are doing, to call a fuck it and jump ship- and doing speaking engagements about it all, I’ve chosen to spend too much of my Monday-through-Friday-plus time underpaid, for a terribly unorganized, immature, unprofessional client during the past 6 months just to pay my bills. (And let’s face it- this is not the first time I’ve burned myself with I’ll just do this for a little while and work on BLR on the side.) You’ve been flying to best-seller status and beyond (along with plenty others) and I’ve been sprinting on the very gerbil wheel I despise more than anything. (The same one I constantly preach for others to stay off or jump off.) Bullshit! No more.
Thanks for pissing me off, Jen! My buck stops here; I’ve fired that client. I won’t take another one like that- ever, and shit is about to get real up in here. (Holla DMX!) That’s right, you can look for my book on a shelf near you in the next year or two.
Like Mr. Martin Luther King, I have a dream too- and It’s about damn time I put up or shut up about it.
Nothing says motivation like calling yourself out publicly. BOOM!
What chaps your ass enough to finally snap?
#TodayIsTheDay #GetItDone #BLRGoTime
PS~ Thanks to my sister, Erin for sending me this book. She probably sent it because she knew it would piss me off just enough to put me over the edge to where I’ve wanted to be for a very long time. You rock, sister!