Category Archives: Inspiration

The Last Lecture

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Two things about me:

#1 – I am always going in 10 different directions with about 20 things on my mind, so anything able to maintain my attention for more than a few minutes is impressive.

#2 – In my opinion, there are two main approaches to everything in life (lectures, relationships, data, conversations, body language, movies, etc.) #1 – The analytical approach & #2 The emotional approach.  I’ve found that 9 times out of 10, I instinctively follow approach #1 – analytical as in taking a step back and removing myself from the situation to “make a rational decision.” (and yes, I would say that’s debatable)

The point is, because of this, when something can hold my attention and really reach me on an emotional level…I say  wow…that’s impressive.

On this note, I was told about The Last Lecture video – I figured I would quickly watch a few minutes and get on with my life – wrong – I was captivated and blown away for the entire hour and 16 minutes.

On that note-here’s the video…

Emerson on Education

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Couldn’t agree more:

“We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thoughts From Rumi

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“The Great Sufri poet and philospher Rumi once advised his students to write down three things they most wanted in life. If any item on the list clashes with any other item, Rumi warned, you are destined for unhappiness.”

 

Kirkegaard’s thoughts

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If we wish to succeed
in helping someone reach a particular goal
we must first find out where he is now
and start from there.

If we cannot do this,
we merely delude ourselves
into believing that we can help others.

Before we can help someone,
we must know more than he does,
but most of all,
we must understand what he understands.
If we cannot do that, our knowing more will not help.

If we nonetheless wish to show how much we know,
it is only because we are vain and arrogant,
and our true goal is to be admired,
not to help others.

All genuine helpfulness
starts with humility before we we wish to help,
so we must understand
that helping
is not a wish to dominate
but a wish to serve.

If we cannot do this,
neither can we help anyone.

-Kirkegaard

Ed Gerety

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Last weekend I heard Ed Gerety speak at Western Oregon University. I read his book about five years ago when my sister brought it home from a leadership conference (where she heard him speak). To be completely honest, it’s hard for me to put into works the affect Ed Gerety and his presentation had on me. He is so powerful with his words and puts everything into perspective. Maybe even a modern day Emerson, if you will. One point he emphasized was the fact that we do not communicate enough with one another and we definitely don’t tell anyone enough how we truly feel. We don’t show our appreciation and gratitude towards others the way that we should.

I almost hate to write a blog entry on this topic because I cannot even begin to serve the justice Ed Gerety deserves.

Continuing on…

One other topic Mr. Gerety discussed was the concepts of dreamboards. It is a proven fact that if you have a visual reminder or representation of something you are wanting to achieve or accomplish in life, you are significantly more likely to reach those goals. I have been meaning to put together a dreamboard for some time now, but I finally finished it tonight. The picture above is my finished dreamboard.

What I want to accomplish:

- practice the violin and piano each day
- let people know I appreciate them
- be thankful for my amazing family and friends
- visit New York city during Thanksgiving/Christmas
- see the 7 wonders of the world
- see Mt. Rushmore
- travel to Las Vegas
- work my way up in management at Old Navy
- take a train ride
- go dancing
- run a 5K
- get a 3.75 GPA
- hear Ed Gerety speak again
- meet Eric Whitacre
- study abroad

Ending with a quote is so typical, but I’ve got to do it:

“If you had one hour left to live, who would you call, what would you say and why haven’t you done it yet?” -Ed Gerety

Liszt

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It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself. -J.S. Bach

Bach, I beg to differ. Case in point:

This guy was absolutely ridiculous. His music is so intense and intricate…the chord progression and clusters and remarkable. Liszt, a 19th-century Hungarian composer, is one of the great composers with an insanely difficult repertoire. This is why: Liszt had huge hands. He wrote songs for people with big hands. Most people don’t have big hands. Therefore, learning music by Liszt is frequently a huge (if not almost physically impossible) challenge, as most people don’t have huge hands.

An additional bit of interesting info: Liszt was a ladies man – a charmer if you will. I picture him sitting on the piano bench, with his hands reaching nearly impossibly lengths, with ladies gazing with admiration, all around the piano.

Get it.

Is Less Really More?

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Today on my way to work, I happened to see a bumper sticker which made me think twice.

“The more you know, the less you need.”

I’d 1st like to point out the irony, seeing as the car was turing into a shopping center (maybe the driver did not know much? -ha).

Anyway…

I can’t help but agree with this bumper sticker. When I was younger, I remember that I was quite interested in having “things”. It didn’t matter if I needed it or wanted it…it just felt good to have stuff. And lots of it.

As time has passed and as I have grown, matured (hopefully), and learned about life outside of my own, I realize how much “stuff” and “things” I have…and how I really can afford to do without.