I remember at 12 years old stepping off the plane, greeted by the encapsulating warm air all around me and fragrant skies blowing with the light scent of plumeria trees- a flower and scent I have taken on as one of my favorites. I remember the sand feeling like no sand I’ve ever stepped foot on- warm, soft, white, and in some areas golden and coarse, but still perfect in it’s own special way. I remember meeting a woman by the name of Maile who helped me string my first lei and later became my pen pal for over a year. I remember by first real experience with the power and strength of the ocean, as an unexpected wave on Waikiki sucked me under and gave me the sand wedgie of a lifetime. I remember salt in my eyes, and the taste on my lips, and I remember hardly caring when turning around to see the purple, pink and golden sunset behind me. I remember crying boarding the plane, crying on the plane and crying when I returned home. In fact, I remember quietly sobbing for a good week after that first trip at 12 years old. I remember- it was the first time I fell in love.
I remember going back, only this time to explore more islands. I hiked a volcano on the Big Island, drove the Road to Hana on Maui, visited the town my mom bought me my first (and last) bird named, Kihei. I remember hikes and waterfalls, beautiful palm trees, long drives around each island, red dirt and countryside unlike any other countryside I’d ever seen. I remember Hawaiian crushes and fantasies of coming back one day with friends and someday a lover.
I remember a trip with friends after high school- a touristy time, but a fun time nonetheless. Dolphin cruises, luaus, Pearl Harbor stories, Hula Pies at Dukes (always a must), and a snorkeling session resulting in a fried back. I remember feeling gracious for spending another time on the islands, but feeling as if my touristy days were behind me, as I wanted to experience everything else magical about the islands.
I remember after college heading back to Oahu to visit a friend who had moved there. I recall living up the Honolulu night life for a night or two, treks to the local hang outs, copious amounts of Long Board Lagers (my favorite brew), and $1.50 hot togs and Poke from Costco. I remember a North Shore hike, tossing the football at Sandy’s, a romantic date with chocolate and vino on the beach with a once Coloradonian turned Hawaii resident. I remember shrimp trucks on the drive back from North Shore and making friends with a wild cat (a common find around the islands). I remember climbing trees, jumping in the ocean after sunset and the perfect stillness that you can find even after a fun time with old and new friends.
I remember coming back to Oahu to visit that same friend, only this time with my best friend in tow. I remember watching them meet for the first time, fall for each other and later fall in love (that friend ahs since moved back to the mainland ). I remember nights on Diamond Head Beach spent with flips and jumps, pictures taken with a beach treasure (a child’s floatation device). I remember island driving again, and stops at random beaches. Climbing rocks in nothing more than a bathing suit and flip flops, jumping in waves, hiking up hills and picturesque views that not only took my breath away, but sent my mind into a thoughtful world of, “I can’t believe such beauty exists and I get to see it”. I recall another trip back to Maui. More random beaches, adorable towns, and searching for heart shaped rocks. I remember having no desire to leave and still wear my first pair of Locals purchased on that trip (I’m wearing them as I write this oddly and unplanned enough).
I remember my most recent trip back to the islands- a whole week spent on Oahu with my roommate and not one single plan except to wake up and see where the wind took us each day. It took us all over the island with days rarely spent in Honolulu or Waikiki (until of course the night). Treks down the LikeLike, H1, and Pali. Days spent in Kailua, Lanikai and Waimea. I recall stopping at any beach that looked ready for us, reading until my eyes burned, listening to the soft sounds of Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, John Mayer and the chill beats of Hawiian Reggae until my iPod lost it’s life. I remember the unbearable amount of joy I felt as I sat on Waikiki the first day we arrived, and hearing my all time favorite Hawaiian band, Ten Feet playing in the distance and having the chance to watch them live that night again another night and later enjoying a night of beers with them (a great group of people). I remember a swim in a waterfall, and a hike through a luscious rainforest. I remember Acai Bowls for breakfast, Spam Musubi for lunch and Kahlua Pork for dinner all washed down with a Long Board or Lava Flow. I remember the surf ready swells of Pipeline and Sunset and watching the boards and souls take on the mighty pipes as surf season came rolling in. I remember solo walks on the beach in the mornings followed by coffee and writing while gazing out at the turquoise Pacific Ocean waters. I remember a Halloween night spent as a Seahawks player and the streets of Waikiki filled like I’d never seen before. I remember making great friends that trip and I remember, yet again, not wanting to leave.
I’ve never met a person who doesn’t enjoy Hawaii, but for me, Hawaii holds a place in my heart that I simply can’t explain. It’s like every ounce of beauty on the island reaches deep into my soul and wraps it’s scents, sounds, colors, aura, hospitality, and kindness all around me- a pretty tough thing not to be in love with and a place I’ll continue to make memories at for a lifetime.
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Power of Friendships and Interconnectedness
Anyone who has met me knows I’m a people person. I love people. I love meeting them, I love listening to them, I love watching them, I love analyzing them. I find people to be quite fascinating, and I love that people can all be so different in so many ways yet also be very much the same in a lot of ways. Making new friends is something I enjoy immensely. Sure, I have my circle of closest, dearest friends whom I love and adore- but anyone who’s kind and light hearted is good in my book. I’ve been lucky enough to make friends in all kinds of places (men and women alike)- through mutual friends, in bars, at the gym, coffee shops, sporting events, through work, on a long walk, on a vacation, in an airplane- shoot, I even consider the local rock sculpturist who some are weary of because he looks, “homeless” to be a friend, or the sweet little old lady at Safeco Field who ushers the section of my favorite seats. Beyond all of my “real world” experiences in making friends, there’s another realm that has brought me the good fortune of making friends as well.
I recently sent out a “Tweet” to four friends. All friends I at one point met on the internet. I included the four of them on the same tweet because I felt that what I had to share was something they’d all appreciate. I didn’t put a lot of thought into including them together at first, until just the other day. You see, I put these four men in the same tweet because I know that all four of them share one common interest: they care about people. They care about humanity. They care about giving back, and it’s not a care they take on because they feel entitled to some kind of reward- they do it because it matters to them. But, I also realized they share another common interest- I met each of them via the internet thanks to meeting the one prior to them. Below I’m going to introduce to you each of these four men, how I know them and then share how they’re all interconnected. Maybe it’ll fascinate you as much as it does me.
Shane Mac: Shane and I met shortly after he had moved to Seattle from Illinois and was on the hunt to meet people in the area. After talking with Shane online a bit, I was open to meeting in person. That was a year in a half ago and Shane and I continue to be friends. Shane is one of the kindest hearted people I know and also one of the most successful, driven 23 year old men I’ve ever met. At 23, he’s moved across the country, established himself as a musician, networked himself better than anyone I know, been promoted from a project manager at a local advertising company to the Director of Marketing for a startup company. Shane will do anything for anyone. Giving back is something Shane does without thinking twice. Whether it be his recent venture in raising money for Charity Water through live shows or online fundraising, etc. In the year in a half I’ve known him, he’s written a book which is now being looked at by a publishing company, connected with 50 professionals (all through the internet/Twitter) from around the country in writing an online E-Book that reaches out to college students and anyone else in the job search and he’s even taking his success to colleges across the country giving speeches. He’s the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, and his pants on his legs and even his boxers if you needed them. In fact, just the other night at a concert, a woman next to us fell and he was there to help her up even before her husband. Needless to say, becoming friends with someone like Shane has been a blessing and if you ever have the chance to meet him, you’ll understand.
Brett Byrd: When I first met Brett, it was a simple, “Hey Ashley, meet Brett, hey Brett, meet Ashley” on Twitter. Brett is the CEO and Founder of a non-profit called, “Give Your Sole” which donates gently worn athletic shoes to those in need. Like many founders of non-profits in the beginning, Brett has a day to day job as an account executive, but he didn’t let the 40+ hour work week get in the way of his desire to give back towards something he’s passionate about. Brett and I have begun working together on an upcoming donation drive up here in Seattle at the Rock and Roll Marathon in June and will hopefully have the chance to do more events in the future. Brett is a father, a husband, a professional, a founder, a social networker and a damn good guy. I had the chance to meet Brett a few weeks ago in person when he came up to Seattle. Let’s put it this way- he’s as nice as he sounds on paper. Nothing inspires me more than people like Brett who sincerely care about making the world a better place and in his case, one sole at a time.
Ryan Hodgson: If someone had told me that today I’d be working on some level with Ryan all thanks to a simple question on Twitter of, “Does StandUp For Kids have a Seattle chapter?” I wouldn’t have guessed. Ah, who am I kidding? At this point in my life, I shouldn’t be that surprised. Ryan is also a CEO and Founder of a non-profit called, “Team Up For Non-Profits” which organizes music events and gives all proceeds collected back to a non-profit. What a brilliant idea- music and philanthropy in a city that is driven by both. Ryan hailing out of Australia isn’t too new to the world of making friends via the internet. In fact, if it weren’t for the internet and social networking sites, he wouldn’t have met his Seattle native wife and moved across the world to live here in Seattle with her. Working in philanthropy isn’t something new to Ryan as he was engrossed in it back in Oz as well. Just another example of a good guy making a difference in the world. Like the men before him and the man after him, he too works tirelessly both at making a good cause a successful one as well as the every day task of keeping up with the Jones’. He’s a humble man and a no BS kind of man, but still a man with a heart.
Kiptyn Locke: I originally, “met” Kiptyn after soliciting him to take part in my health and fitness blog for MyNorthwest.com. I really never imagined that a simple request for a feature would evolve into some level of a friendship. Now, granted I haven’t actually met him face to face like I have the other three, and some people may find it odd to consider someone you haven’t “met” in person a friend, but the only thing I find odd is that people would find that odd. From what I’ve come to know of Kiptyn in the last several months, I must say I don’t think you’ll find a more genuinely humble human being who sincerely cares about giving back to others. Success is a common theme among all of these men and continues on in Kiptyn’s case. A jack of all trades kind of person with a knack for philanthropy, a way with words, and a favorable sense of humor; as far as I can tell, he’s a 10 on the good guy scale. I reach out to people all the time to take part in my fitness blog, and I’ve been lucky to have most people agree, but I never would’ve thought that in doing so I’d meet someone who shared a passion for philanthropy on the level that I do. In fact, thanks to Kiptyn, I’ve become involved in a charity here in Seattle that he works closely with in the San Diego area- just the kind of organization I was looking to work with. Who would’ve thought? Some people may know of Kiptyn through an experience he went through last year, but if I’ve learned one thing about him, that experience is probably nothing more than a page in his chapter book of life- not a definition of who he is. I could be wrong, but I bet I’m not.
So, if you’re reading this, you’ve learned that I met four men, all through the internet and all men I consider to be friends. But, what’s the real point in all of this? Well, let me share with you the interconnectedness of all of this: I met Shane on my own. Shane was the one who introduced Brett and me via Twitter. I then met Kiptyn right around the same time as Brett. Kiptyn was the one who introduced me to StandUp For Kids (the nonprofit I mentioned I began working with). After tweeting about StandUp For Kids one day, I received the reply mentioned above from Ryan which transpired into me asking Ryan more about his organization. I then connected Brett and Shane with Ryan and a few weeks ago, the four of us actually met and got together. So, if I hadn’t met Shane, I wouldn’t have met Brett. If I hadn’t have met Kiptyn and become involved with StandUp For Kids, I wouldn’t have tweeted about it and in turn met Ryan and Ryan and Brett and Shane wouldn’t have met each other. And if I hadn’t met any of these guys, I wouldn’t be doing some of the work I am today and furthermore wouldn’t have not only developed the friendships I have with them but also wouldn’t have the inspiration that they have given me on one level or another in knowing them.
The power of the internet is a magical thing, and so is the power of friendship. I look forward to making friendships like these for as long as I live.
I recently sent out a “Tweet” to four friends. All friends I at one point met on the internet. I included the four of them on the same tweet because I felt that what I had to share was something they’d all appreciate. I didn’t put a lot of thought into including them together at first, until just the other day. You see, I put these four men in the same tweet because I know that all four of them share one common interest: they care about people. They care about humanity. They care about giving back, and it’s not a care they take on because they feel entitled to some kind of reward- they do it because it matters to them. But, I also realized they share another common interest- I met each of them via the internet thanks to meeting the one prior to them. Below I’m going to introduce to you each of these four men, how I know them and then share how they’re all interconnected. Maybe it’ll fascinate you as much as it does me.
Shane Mac: Shane and I met shortly after he had moved to Seattle from Illinois and was on the hunt to meet people in the area. After talking with Shane online a bit, I was open to meeting in person. That was a year in a half ago and Shane and I continue to be friends. Shane is one of the kindest hearted people I know and also one of the most successful, driven 23 year old men I’ve ever met. At 23, he’s moved across the country, established himself as a musician, networked himself better than anyone I know, been promoted from a project manager at a local advertising company to the Director of Marketing for a startup company. Shane will do anything for anyone. Giving back is something Shane does without thinking twice. Whether it be his recent venture in raising money for Charity Water through live shows or online fundraising, etc. In the year in a half I’ve known him, he’s written a book which is now being looked at by a publishing company, connected with 50 professionals (all through the internet/Twitter) from around the country in writing an online E-Book that reaches out to college students and anyone else in the job search and he’s even taking his success to colleges across the country giving speeches. He’s the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, and his pants on his legs and even his boxers if you needed them. In fact, just the other night at a concert, a woman next to us fell and he was there to help her up even before her husband. Needless to say, becoming friends with someone like Shane has been a blessing and if you ever have the chance to meet him, you’ll understand.
Brett Byrd: When I first met Brett, it was a simple, “Hey Ashley, meet Brett, hey Brett, meet Ashley” on Twitter. Brett is the CEO and Founder of a non-profit called, “Give Your Sole” which donates gently worn athletic shoes to those in need. Like many founders of non-profits in the beginning, Brett has a day to day job as an account executive, but he didn’t let the 40+ hour work week get in the way of his desire to give back towards something he’s passionate about. Brett and I have begun working together on an upcoming donation drive up here in Seattle at the Rock and Roll Marathon in June and will hopefully have the chance to do more events in the future. Brett is a father, a husband, a professional, a founder, a social networker and a damn good guy. I had the chance to meet Brett a few weeks ago in person when he came up to Seattle. Let’s put it this way- he’s as nice as he sounds on paper. Nothing inspires me more than people like Brett who sincerely care about making the world a better place and in his case, one sole at a time.
Ryan Hodgson: If someone had told me that today I’d be working on some level with Ryan all thanks to a simple question on Twitter of, “Does StandUp For Kids have a Seattle chapter?” I wouldn’t have guessed. Ah, who am I kidding? At this point in my life, I shouldn’t be that surprised. Ryan is also a CEO and Founder of a non-profit called, “Team Up For Non-Profits” which organizes music events and gives all proceeds collected back to a non-profit. What a brilliant idea- music and philanthropy in a city that is driven by both. Ryan hailing out of Australia isn’t too new to the world of making friends via the internet. In fact, if it weren’t for the internet and social networking sites, he wouldn’t have met his Seattle native wife and moved across the world to live here in Seattle with her. Working in philanthropy isn’t something new to Ryan as he was engrossed in it back in Oz as well. Just another example of a good guy making a difference in the world. Like the men before him and the man after him, he too works tirelessly both at making a good cause a successful one as well as the every day task of keeping up with the Jones’. He’s a humble man and a no BS kind of man, but still a man with a heart.
Kiptyn Locke: I originally, “met” Kiptyn after soliciting him to take part in my health and fitness blog for MyNorthwest.com. I really never imagined that a simple request for a feature would evolve into some level of a friendship. Now, granted I haven’t actually met him face to face like I have the other three, and some people may find it odd to consider someone you haven’t “met” in person a friend, but the only thing I find odd is that people would find that odd. From what I’ve come to know of Kiptyn in the last several months, I must say I don’t think you’ll find a more genuinely humble human being who sincerely cares about giving back to others. Success is a common theme among all of these men and continues on in Kiptyn’s case. A jack of all trades kind of person with a knack for philanthropy, a way with words, and a favorable sense of humor; as far as I can tell, he’s a 10 on the good guy scale. I reach out to people all the time to take part in my fitness blog, and I’ve been lucky to have most people agree, but I never would’ve thought that in doing so I’d meet someone who shared a passion for philanthropy on the level that I do. In fact, thanks to Kiptyn, I’ve become involved in a charity here in Seattle that he works closely with in the San Diego area- just the kind of organization I was looking to work with. Who would’ve thought? Some people may know of Kiptyn through an experience he went through last year, but if I’ve learned one thing about him, that experience is probably nothing more than a page in his chapter book of life- not a definition of who he is. I could be wrong, but I bet I’m not.
So, if you’re reading this, you’ve learned that I met four men, all through the internet and all men I consider to be friends. But, what’s the real point in all of this? Well, let me share with you the interconnectedness of all of this: I met Shane on my own. Shane was the one who introduced Brett and me via Twitter. I then met Kiptyn right around the same time as Brett. Kiptyn was the one who introduced me to StandUp For Kids (the nonprofit I mentioned I began working with). After tweeting about StandUp For Kids one day, I received the reply mentioned above from Ryan which transpired into me asking Ryan more about his organization. I then connected Brett and Shane with Ryan and a few weeks ago, the four of us actually met and got together. So, if I hadn’t met Shane, I wouldn’t have met Brett. If I hadn’t have met Kiptyn and become involved with StandUp For Kids, I wouldn’t have tweeted about it and in turn met Ryan and Ryan and Brett and Shane wouldn’t have met each other. And if I hadn’t met any of these guys, I wouldn’t be doing some of the work I am today and furthermore wouldn’t have not only developed the friendships I have with them but also wouldn’t have the inspiration that they have given me on one level or another in knowing them.
The power of the internet is a magical thing, and so is the power of friendship. I look forward to making friendships like these for as long as I live.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Know Who You Are. Be Who You Are.
Dr. Seuss once said, "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Those words are words that have always stuck with me in my life. Granted, there's bound to be people who are an everyday part of our lives who may not care for who we are, what we feel or what matters to us, but at some point we can at least learn to coexist, right?
The other day I was waiting in the lobby of a retail store. While I was there I was listening to a few women talk about a designer purse that one of the women was holding. There were talks about boyfriends and fiances buying them their purses, asking the ladies if they wanted another purse for Christmas, sharing which year the purse came out, blah, blah, blah. I remember at that moment thinking, "Gosh, I can't remember the last time I bought a purse." I then began thinking about the fact that I too owned a designer purse- a purse I purchased 5 years ago that I'd probably never spend that money on today.
The conversation then led to discussions about custom designed engagement rings- yet another commonality these women shared. They discussed the pressure they felt in choosing the perfect ring, the fact that they needed to pick out just the right one that they'd want to wear for at least 15 years (not because divorce was on the brain, but just in case it was time to step up to a new and improved ring by then). I listened quite intently on these women as they chattered away about custom engagement rings until I found myself getting lost in thoughts about what I would want. Sure, if someone tells you they want you to design your own ring, that's one thing, but I began to wonder what ever happened to just being thankful for what you're given by the person you love, and whatever happened to what the ring really stands for?
As I listened to these two conversations, which only took place over the course of about 10 minutes, I had a few quick thoughtful moments where I wondered if a designer purse and a custom made engagement ring were things that mattered to me. In fact, I even questioned why I didn't care. I ACTUALLY found myself saying as I sat back in my baseball sweatshirt and flip flops, "I wonder if this makes me less of a lady for not caring?"
That's when I stopped my thoughts and even stopped my eavesdropping. I realized that who I am doesn't revolve around designer this and custom that. Do I own things with labels? Yep. Do I sometimes prefer one label over the other? Sometimes. Do I care enough to talk about labels and designer this and what's the hottest label everyone else is wearing? No, not really. Does it make me less of a lady? Hell no. Would I want a custom engagement ring? If there was meaning behind it, sure. Would I ever in a million years expect it? Definitely not. Would I stress over it if I had it? I'm pretty sure there's far more worries in the world.
You see, I may have been the girl in that lobby who was wearing her sweats, donning my favorite sport on the front of my sweatshirt, clutching onto a Guess wallet from a few years ago that I haven't replaced because, well, I like it and it doesn't look warn. And, I may have already taken my makeup off for the day and I may have been sporting the two rings that never leave my fingers, are small and simple, but hold deep meaning- but, I realized that just because my thoughts weren't similar to that of the three women in the lobby it didn't make me less of a lady or less of a person- it made me who I am, and that's someone that matters to me.
The other day I was waiting in the lobby of a retail store. While I was there I was listening to a few women talk about a designer purse that one of the women was holding. There were talks about boyfriends and fiances buying them their purses, asking the ladies if they wanted another purse for Christmas, sharing which year the purse came out, blah, blah, blah. I remember at that moment thinking, "Gosh, I can't remember the last time I bought a purse." I then began thinking about the fact that I too owned a designer purse- a purse I purchased 5 years ago that I'd probably never spend that money on today.
The conversation then led to discussions about custom designed engagement rings- yet another commonality these women shared. They discussed the pressure they felt in choosing the perfect ring, the fact that they needed to pick out just the right one that they'd want to wear for at least 15 years (not because divorce was on the brain, but just in case it was time to step up to a new and improved ring by then). I listened quite intently on these women as they chattered away about custom engagement rings until I found myself getting lost in thoughts about what I would want. Sure, if someone tells you they want you to design your own ring, that's one thing, but I began to wonder what ever happened to just being thankful for what you're given by the person you love, and whatever happened to what the ring really stands for?
As I listened to these two conversations, which only took place over the course of about 10 minutes, I had a few quick thoughtful moments where I wondered if a designer purse and a custom made engagement ring were things that mattered to me. In fact, I even questioned why I didn't care. I ACTUALLY found myself saying as I sat back in my baseball sweatshirt and flip flops, "I wonder if this makes me less of a lady for not caring?"
That's when I stopped my thoughts and even stopped my eavesdropping. I realized that who I am doesn't revolve around designer this and custom that. Do I own things with labels? Yep. Do I sometimes prefer one label over the other? Sometimes. Do I care enough to talk about labels and designer this and what's the hottest label everyone else is wearing? No, not really. Does it make me less of a lady? Hell no. Would I want a custom engagement ring? If there was meaning behind it, sure. Would I ever in a million years expect it? Definitely not. Would I stress over it if I had it? I'm pretty sure there's far more worries in the world.
You see, I may have been the girl in that lobby who was wearing her sweats, donning my favorite sport on the front of my sweatshirt, clutching onto a Guess wallet from a few years ago that I haven't replaced because, well, I like it and it doesn't look warn. And, I may have already taken my makeup off for the day and I may have been sporting the two rings that never leave my fingers, are small and simple, but hold deep meaning- but, I realized that just because my thoughts weren't similar to that of the three women in the lobby it didn't make me less of a lady or less of a person- it made me who I am, and that's someone that matters to me.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Facing Inspiration
We all have things in our lives that inspire us, mold us, shape us and help us strive to be the best that we can be. Sometimes these people impact us for a moment or for a lifetime. Sometimes we notice their inspiration early on and it resonates with us continuously throughout our lives, and other times it's fleeting, but still impactful.
I wouldn't consider myself to be someone who's tough to inspire- shoot, do a good deed and I'm insta-spired. I've been known to be moved by everything from a touching story on Oprah, a speaker at a luncheon, a random act of kindness on the street, a smile from a homeless person on a corner... you name it, they've all brought a smile to my face and in some cases a tear to my eye.
However, there's one person who has inspired me on a whole different kind of a level, a very personal level. That person is writer, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book Eat, Pray, Love. I'll never forget how entangled and entrenched I became with the book from the moment I picked it up. I'm usually a night time reader, but I found myself searching for times to get away to read the book throughout the day. It was one of those reads that left me laughing out loud, crying out loud, and thinking (sometimes out loud), "That's what I want to do!" or, "That's how I feel!"
The other element to Gilbert's book that touched me was something far beyond the meaning behind the stories she shared, it was more about the way in which she shared them. Gilbert's writing style was (and is) something I felt instantly connected to. Gilbert writes in a very humanistic manner and in a very real manner. Sometimes you read books and while you're impressed by the writing style and techniques, they sometimes lack personality and character. Gilbert gives personality and character like any other other author I've read (granted I'm not as well versed in my reading as some readers, but this is my opinion and I'm entitled to it, right?). As I was reading away, admiring Gilbert's talent, I began to realize that part of the reason I felt so connected to her style was because she wrties in a way that felt very familiar to me. She writes like I do.
Sure, I can take the time to come up with imagery and creative ideas, but my best writing is always the writing that comes straight from the heart. I will admit that making words and thoughts flow is something that has come easier to me than it does for others (don't worry, I can't sing a chord to save my life, my talents are all balanced out), and I'll also admit I still have work to do, but when I read Gilbert's book, I realized that it was time to take on the one talent I knew I'd been keeping under wraps since my days in high school.
Not only did Gilbert's book inspire me on a deeper, inner-personal level, as I was reading it at a time when I was searching for some inspiration beyond writing, but it inspired me to go after something I hadn't really even been considering getting back into. After reading her book, I began to toy with the idea of writing again. So I started jotting some things down in a word document. I then began posting them to my Facebook to discover that there were some people who actually enjoyed my posts! As my confidence began to rise in my writing, I decided to take it a step further and began writing a health and fitness blog at work, and luckily my coworkers believed in me enough to do it. That's when the idea to create "Life Thru Blue Eyes" came to surface. You see, someday I'd love to write a book of my own. And, after reading Gilbert's excerpt on her website about advice for writers, there was one thing I really took from it all, "I was a writer with low expectations and high patience". That's how I'm choosing to look at this writing journey. My only expectation is that one day my words and thoughts make it to paperback, and if that happens tomorrow great and if it happens in 60 years, fine, but I'm living by the thought that one day- it will happen.
Yesterday, at the YWCA luncheon here in Seattle (Bellevue) I was lucky enough to briefly meet Elizabeth and quickly share with her that she was a writing inspiration to me. I've never been one to feel a deep need to "meet" someone in the public spotlight. If it happens, it happens, and in my life it has here and there, but this was a moment that was different for me. To be able to shake the hand of someone who has truly inspired you, and even get an unasked for hug from it and then later listen to that person speak, and bring about further inspiration through their speech is a really great feeling. And, that meeting will forever hold a spot near and dear to my writer's heart.
I wouldn't consider myself to be someone who's tough to inspire- shoot, do a good deed and I'm insta-spired. I've been known to be moved by everything from a touching story on Oprah, a speaker at a luncheon, a random act of kindness on the street, a smile from a homeless person on a corner... you name it, they've all brought a smile to my face and in some cases a tear to my eye.
However, there's one person who has inspired me on a whole different kind of a level, a very personal level. That person is writer, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book Eat, Pray, Love. I'll never forget how entangled and entrenched I became with the book from the moment I picked it up. I'm usually a night time reader, but I found myself searching for times to get away to read the book throughout the day. It was one of those reads that left me laughing out loud, crying out loud, and thinking (sometimes out loud), "That's what I want to do!" or, "That's how I feel!"
The other element to Gilbert's book that touched me was something far beyond the meaning behind the stories she shared, it was more about the way in which she shared them. Gilbert's writing style was (and is) something I felt instantly connected to. Gilbert writes in a very humanistic manner and in a very real manner. Sometimes you read books and while you're impressed by the writing style and techniques, they sometimes lack personality and character. Gilbert gives personality and character like any other other author I've read (granted I'm not as well versed in my reading as some readers, but this is my opinion and I'm entitled to it, right?). As I was reading away, admiring Gilbert's talent, I began to realize that part of the reason I felt so connected to her style was because she wrties in a way that felt very familiar to me. She writes like I do.
Sure, I can take the time to come up with imagery and creative ideas, but my best writing is always the writing that comes straight from the heart. I will admit that making words and thoughts flow is something that has come easier to me than it does for others (don't worry, I can't sing a chord to save my life, my talents are all balanced out), and I'll also admit I still have work to do, but when I read Gilbert's book, I realized that it was time to take on the one talent I knew I'd been keeping under wraps since my days in high school.
Not only did Gilbert's book inspire me on a deeper, inner-personal level, as I was reading it at a time when I was searching for some inspiration beyond writing, but it inspired me to go after something I hadn't really even been considering getting back into. After reading her book, I began to toy with the idea of writing again. So I started jotting some things down in a word document. I then began posting them to my Facebook to discover that there were some people who actually enjoyed my posts! As my confidence began to rise in my writing, I decided to take it a step further and began writing a health and fitness blog at work, and luckily my coworkers believed in me enough to do it. That's when the idea to create "Life Thru Blue Eyes" came to surface. You see, someday I'd love to write a book of my own. And, after reading Gilbert's excerpt on her website about advice for writers, there was one thing I really took from it all, "I was a writer with low expectations and high patience". That's how I'm choosing to look at this writing journey. My only expectation is that one day my words and thoughts make it to paperback, and if that happens tomorrow great and if it happens in 60 years, fine, but I'm living by the thought that one day- it will happen.
Yesterday, at the YWCA luncheon here in Seattle (Bellevue) I was lucky enough to briefly meet Elizabeth and quickly share with her that she was a writing inspiration to me. I've never been one to feel a deep need to "meet" someone in the public spotlight. If it happens, it happens, and in my life it has here and there, but this was a moment that was different for me. To be able to shake the hand of someone who has truly inspired you, and even get an unasked for hug from it and then later listen to that person speak, and bring about further inspiration through their speech is a really great feeling. And, that meeting will forever hold a spot near and dear to my writer's heart.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Random Acts of Kindness Should Happen More Often
I've always been a firm believer in Karma, paying it forward, and doing good towards others- even perfect strangers and with that I've always been touched anytime I witness others engaging in good deeds.
On a personal level, I try my best to be someone who does nice things for people I don't know, people who haven't always been kind towards me, and of course those who have gone out of their way to do both nice things for me and nice things for others. I may not be perfect at it, but I try. I think there's very few things in life that make you feel as wonderful as doing good for others does, which leads me to a recent Random Act of Kindness I experienced while simply getting a cup of Joe.
The other day I walked into my local coffee shop near my house. It was just another trip to fix my craving/need for caffeine- I did my usual scan of the shop to see what everyone was up to (reading and laptop immersion), then took a look at the menu on the wall as if I was really contemplating changing my everyday Non-Fat, Vanilla Latte. I noticed the two people in front of me happened to have ordered the exact same drink (some sort of frozen, green concoction), and I also noticed they didn't know one another. I thought about the randomness and neatness of two strangers ordering such an odd drink and then proceeded to order mine. The man in front of me quietly whispered to the Barista that he would cover the woman's drink. This of course leaving me with rushing feelings of happiness.
The woman was shocked and grateful, almost speechless. I suppose it's not TOO out of the ordinary, but I did think it was a neat gesture, especially since it didn't follow up with any kind of cheesy pick-up line or, "I want to get to know you's". As I ordered my drink, the woman proceeded to stand at the front of the line; assuming she just needed something, I thought nothing of it. That was until she informed the barista that she'd be paying for my drink. Immediately, I was flabbergasted. As she smiled from ear to ear in happiness over what the man in line had done for her, her smile had become contagious. Now, I was smilinig from ear to ear, the barista was smiling from ear to ear, the man who purchased her drink was smiling from ear to ear. The positive energy could literally be felt throughout the entire coffee shop and as I looked around, everyone in the coffee shop was looking up and smiling.
Unfortunately, there was no one behind me to pay for to keep the paying it forward at that moment going, and while one day soon I will make sure I do, I left the coffee shop that day filled with happiness and gratefulness brought on by two perfect strangers simply providing a random act of kindness. Could you imagine if every person did just one random act of kindness a day? Talk about being a better place....
On a personal level, I try my best to be someone who does nice things for people I don't know, people who haven't always been kind towards me, and of course those who have gone out of their way to do both nice things for me and nice things for others. I may not be perfect at it, but I try. I think there's very few things in life that make you feel as wonderful as doing good for others does, which leads me to a recent Random Act of Kindness I experienced while simply getting a cup of Joe.
The other day I walked into my local coffee shop near my house. It was just another trip to fix my craving/need for caffeine- I did my usual scan of the shop to see what everyone was up to (reading and laptop immersion), then took a look at the menu on the wall as if I was really contemplating changing my everyday Non-Fat, Vanilla Latte. I noticed the two people in front of me happened to have ordered the exact same drink (some sort of frozen, green concoction), and I also noticed they didn't know one another. I thought about the randomness and neatness of two strangers ordering such an odd drink and then proceeded to order mine. The man in front of me quietly whispered to the Barista that he would cover the woman's drink. This of course leaving me with rushing feelings of happiness.
The woman was shocked and grateful, almost speechless. I suppose it's not TOO out of the ordinary, but I did think it was a neat gesture, especially since it didn't follow up with any kind of cheesy pick-up line or, "I want to get to know you's". As I ordered my drink, the woman proceeded to stand at the front of the line; assuming she just needed something, I thought nothing of it. That was until she informed the barista that she'd be paying for my drink. Immediately, I was flabbergasted. As she smiled from ear to ear in happiness over what the man in line had done for her, her smile had become contagious. Now, I was smilinig from ear to ear, the barista was smiling from ear to ear, the man who purchased her drink was smiling from ear to ear. The positive energy could literally be felt throughout the entire coffee shop and as I looked around, everyone in the coffee shop was looking up and smiling.
Unfortunately, there was no one behind me to pay for to keep the paying it forward at that moment going, and while one day soon I will make sure I do, I left the coffee shop that day filled with happiness and gratefulness brought on by two perfect strangers simply providing a random act of kindness. Could you imagine if every person did just one random act of kindness a day? Talk about being a better place....
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