Inspiration Tag

stop screwing, start doing

This TED Talk popped in my inbox this morning. (Thanks, M!) I watched it as I sipped my coffee on the porch, cheering YES! and laughing through the whole video.

This woman is awesome. I’m a big fan of people who cut straight through the bs:

TED Talk

This makes me think of one of the books I just wrote about in my top 5 read this now list; The War of Art. I wholeheartedly agree with the theory that every single one of us has incredibly special things about us and unique ideas that can change the world.

Let’s all keep forcing the covers off to spend our days going for what we want.

“Get outside! That’s where the magic is.”

#Jump #CarpeDiem #BeMoreThanJustFine

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lucky me to have held this hand

This weekend brings a sad ending, but inspiration for new beginnings, too. I have so much to write and share here, about a very special person. This is just a preview…

Sam was my boyfriend years ago. I saved this photo, through many iPhoto edit sessions when clearing my computer, even though we never stayed in touch after we parted ways. I never knew if I would ever talk to Sam again even though I stayed in touch with some of his close friends. I never knew if he and I would reconnect in any way, but this photo always made me smile so I never deleted it:

Sam Shelby

Boy am I glad I kept this. I will cherish this photo forever. I’ve had a Sam Shelby blog post brewing for months now, and it will come, very soon.

It’s beyond surreal that I will attend a service for this man on Sunday. Lung cancer is a nasty, nasty, bitch. It took this super healthy, non-smoking, happy-go-lucky person who we all loved so much- out of nowhere, and so quickly.

It is so hard not to curse and hate this world, sometimes.

Please, as soon as you read this, go hug, and get all love-y, up on anyone you think is amazing and tell them what they mean to you. Love hard, don’t be afraid to speak up and say whatever’s on your mind, and take a chance on anything. Let Sam’s sweet, big smile, be your inspiration.

#YallRelax #MojoWarrior #ThankYouSam

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all the things you gain

More experiences, less stuff.

More freedom, less stuff.

More fun, less stuff.

This is everything that BLR has always been about. I am loving stories, articles, and books like these that illustrate just what’s possible (and important) for this life; time, people, and time with your people doing awesome things.

I cannot WAIT to share BLR 2.0, coming mid-October; A new beginning, a new life, and even more amazing adventure.

Stay tuned, and get ready to hop on the live simple do more of what you love, train!

Happy here

*(Photo credit…random day road trip to Indiana when I lived in Chicago a few years ago. Written on a door in an ice cream shop.)

#LessIsMore #Freedom #ThingsThatMatter

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get unstuck

Feeling like you have a 96,000 pound boulder super glued to your chest, stinks. Having too much “stuff” is debilitating, whether that”stuff” is physical, financial, or internal. How do you tame the beasts of “stuff” that are in the way of your happiness?

Here are 9 great options to try. I’m a big fan of actually clearing out/downsizing/cleaning out your living and working spaces as well so you’re able to function at full capacity. Those are big ones. Clutter of any kind creates major unnecessary suffocation and stress, and keeps your freedom at bey.

Feeling trapped is a total bummer. Freedom is sweet. Oh sweet, sweet, freedom:

Find Freedom

*(I took this photo at a 4th of July parade. What a cute kid. What a great outfit.

Clear out some mental, financial, and physical real estate, and remember- you are in control of this life. You can do it!

#FindYourFreedom #GetUnstuck #TodayIsTheDay

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“it’s all about doing something that matters to you”

Oh man do I love this guys TED Talk! I feel like he stole words out of my mouth; the ones I stand on my soap box about all the time. Ones that he obviously has put together more eloquently than me and then been invited to TED talk about.

I’ll get there someday. For now I have this little platform on the Blue Lollipop Road to shout from.

Some of my favorite quotes from this piece:

“I wanted to find the work I couldn’t NOT do.”

“Everything wasn’t possible until somebody did it.”

“People are giving a middle finger to this scripted life.” 

My favorite minutes is probably at the 10:30 to 11:50 mark.

Like this guy, I have “corrupted” people to quit their jobs and start anew- not because I thought they should, but because if someone ever comes to me and tells me they want to do something that burns in their soul- of course I am going to tell them to call an eff it and do it. What kind of crappy friend would I be if I listened to someone tell me about what’s burning inside of them and not tell them to go for it?

Living on a treadmill speeding a million miles an hour, en route to the drone zone is a terrible waste of a run for any of us.

I had my aha moment this spring, at nearly 37 years old, that made me realize exactly what I wanted to do for work. I thought this would never come. If you know me, I have probably driven you bonkers over the years with endless “what should I do with my life/what is BLR really/why can’t I figure out what I really want to do/what is wrong with me” conversations and questions. (Thank you for listening and trying to help when I was impossible to help not realizing all the answers would be inside of myself. I owe you all big time.) I now feel like the weight of the world has lifted off my chest because I’m finally doing work that matters to me and I’m getting paid for it after YEARS of searching. It has been a painful process, but every step was needed and worth it. I just kept trying, believing in myself and following my instincts and it happened. I now have a business that helps people organize and downsize their physical, financial and internal lives- so they can do more of what they love.

It is awesome.

(New BLR website launching in October by the way. Woot!)

My work life typically looks something like sporting crappy old clothes as I pull things off dusty shelves or out of old boxes, sort, schlep, managing movers/handymen/donation trucks, etc., host Craiglist sales, sit in piles of bills organizing and game planning for clients. (Sounds glamorous, right? Not glamorous at all, but I love every minute of it.) Most of my clients have hit a forced “have to do this” place because of an impending move, death in the family, divorce, and some just want to take control of their space back. Whatever the reason, I know I truly help them feel more freedom during often crappy/sad/stressful times. It’s incredibly rewarding.

In my adult life, I’ve always felt like a freak of what the hell do I really do with career that means something and I love?! – nature, this work has changed my life. I cannot encourage you who are reading this enough, to quit until something feels right, move if you feel like you need a change, quit again, move again, whatever you need to do to get to a place where you find that work that means something to you whether It’s working for a big fat fancy corporate bank, or starting your own trash company. (I went to high school with a guy, Trevor in my teeny home town who started a trash route in about 11th grade, and 20 years now later, he is crushing it. Good for you Trevor!) Trash people, trash! And in a tiny town! Anything’s possible.

Whatever your thing is- It’s out there. Trust yourself and drive your life in the direction that feels right, or at least the direction that’s away from what doesn’t. It’s OK to leave anyone who discourages you, in the dust.

“Everything wasn’t possible until somebody did it.

Spending time doing work that matters is so hugely important for a happy life. Please go for it. Take that spin on the wheel and don’t look back; you will find exactly what you’re looking for whether it takes 10 days or 10 years, and it will be so worth it. I promise.

Today is the day. What are you waiting for?

TED Talks

#WorkYouLove #WhatMatters #LiveYourLegacy

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hello monday!

(…because every day is a chance and a choice to drive your life.)

I sat on the very chilly balcony this morning to watch the sunrise. Under a blanket I was in the quiet while clutching my steaming cup of coffee to my chest for warmth thinking of my friend Sam. News yesterday that Sam passed away after his 9-month battle-royale with the ever-hated cancer. (F*CK CANCER!!!) I imagined my sweet and always-smiling friend floating to a much happier, healthier place into the blue above:

Uptown CLT sunrise

Yesterday at just about the very second Sam passed, I was starting a hot yoga class at a place for the first time. It happened to be the instructors birthday. As this instructor announced how thankful he was on his day of birth for all the people around him, and how life should be a celebration, all I could think of was Sam and think of the irony of a death day and a birth day.

Not that I have ever been, or would be ashamed of crying, but I did keep thinking that I was thankful for all the sweat dripping off me so everyone around me wouldn’t be able to see my streaming tears.

People like Sam, should never be ripped from our earth this early. Clearly some one or some thing, somewhere, needed him to bring his smiles to do a bigger job than he was already doing living with us here.

I will share more about Sam soon. For today, Monday September 14, 2015, I just wanted to share a quick note about how much much he will always mean to so many of us. A true Mojo Warrior. I encourage you reading this to be inspired by him, even if you didn’t know him. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it is that he would want every single one of us to fully celebrate the time that we have.

TODAY is the day to tell someone you love them. TODAY is the day to take a leap of faith. TODAY is the day to start that thing you’ve wanted to. TODAY is the day to start really living if you are not already. TODAY is the day to be fearless.

Live while you are living. Sam sure did. What a guy.

#TodayIsTheDay #ForeverMojoWarrior #DoItWhileYouCan

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this guy is incredible

The timeliness of this TED Talk popping into my inbox today is, really something else.

Just when you think you have some perspective, or have faced adversity! Listen to someone like this and it makes you think in ways you never have before. Wow.

TED Talks

So unbelievably intelligent, interesting, articulate, and humble. (Not to mention good looking.) What an impressive human being.

#ThingsThatMatter #Perspective #LiveWhileYoureLiving

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your legacy starts now

Today is the day after Labor Day. A new time, a new beginning, a new season (at least in my mind), and the perfect excuse/motivation/reason to start brand new/over/try again, kick something off, etc.

Hell yes!

I have regular conversations with strangers and friends about how they may have screwed up, missed out on, gotten too deep in, feel too old for … some kind of shift, or complete life overhaul.

Never, my friends, never:

Leaving a Legacy

Today is the day. You can start right now.

Whether you’re 18 or 80, boy or girl, rich or poor, gay or straight, have 1 friend or 100, live in the city or the country, have bookoo bucks in the bank or zero, whether you’re scared shitless or semi-confident, kind of sure, but doubt yourself, whether you feel like the freakiest of freak shows for whatever you desire or the loser-ist of losers, for not knowing even what the first step even looks like- you can figure it out. You can dooooo-eeeeet! I’m not talking self-helpy bullshit you can do it because it will be easy-peasy, I’m talking you can do it BECAUSE YOU ARE ALIVE TODAY, and moreso- why they hell wouldn’t you?

It’s never too late for anything until you’re taking your last breath.

Think about it.

I plan to go down kicking & screaming in the flames of a good fight whether my last day is tomorrow or in 150 years. I’ll be kicking & screaming with delight as I’m doing what I love, sucking every last ounce of awesome out of this world, as I simultaneously feed it back.

Won’t you join me?

This summer of 2015 has kicked my ass to the moon and back. The wrath and fury of a terrorizing beast has pummeled me in the face like it never has before. Thank goodness for family & friends. This season that has taken shit show to a whole different meaning, and has also has reminded me more than ever that people and time are the only things that truly matter.

Do you ever think about that?

If you haven’t already, It’s time to get rid of your stuff. Your physical, financial, and internal “stuff.” The stuff that weighs you down and keeps you from breathing & living what matters to you. Clear out those walk-in closets in your home and in your heart that are chucked full of clutter and crap you don’t want or need, and start waking up everyday to a life you deserve. One where you don’t suffocate yourself or beat yourself up anymore. A life where you’re alive, thrive, and do good things. A life that is authentically you, and that will remind people of your smile, long after you are gone- because you truly lived while you were living.

Jump in. The world needs that mojo you’ve got inside.

What kind of legacy will you leave?

#TodayIsTheDay #ClearingTheClutter #NeverTooLate

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taking good advice

I’m pretty much obsessed with this book that was gifted to me this summer:

Best Books

It is raw, real, and one of the best things I have ever read. One of my favorite pages:

Love Tackle

I went to a 6:30am spinning class this morning and had all I could do to not burst into tears during that 60 minutes of dark-roomed, hard-core, sweat intensity. My mind was on one person only, who’s at the peak of a battle that’s beyond unfair. My legs pushed and pushed as if they were possessed to obliterate this person’s illness away. Oh how I wish my 110% effort, and an hour on a bike could change the world and cure cancer.

Today is Monday August 31, 2015. Continuing my Monday Hell Yeah! Get up, get out, and go for it! – themed posts, I’m vowing to not only tackle the motherfucking shit out of love, but to tackle the motherfucking shit out of life in general. Please join me. If we have our health and one single person who loves & believes in us, how lucky are we? Some people don’t have those incredible luxuries.

Get up, get out, and go for whatever you’ve been afraid of. Life is too short to not tackle to motherfucking shit out of everything.

#TodayIsTheDay #LiveWhileYoureLiving #Fearless

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very. exciting. things.

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!)

Aha moments

(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

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