Special People Can Have A Powerful Affect On You!

This post is dedicated to Randy Pausch. Many of us know him as the professor at Carnegie Mellon University who inspired countless students in the classroom and others worldwide through his highly acclaimed last lecture. He died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25th. He was 47. Randy has had a profound affect on my life. First after watching his Last Lecture and then recently after reading his book "The Last Lecture." w/Jeffrey Zaslow. Not only does his book touch on his Lecture, but it also has many other powerful gems in it as well. His attitude, courage, optimism, strength, advice, belief in others, and love for his children and wife is amazing to me! He really puts into perspective what's truly important in life. Here are my favorite quotes from the book:

"Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think."

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

"Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

He has been a huge inspiration to me and will continue to be. He made me realize how truly precious our time is, how we should be spending it and with who, and to never give up on your dreams! He also reminds us how important gratitude is. I love that I have something in common with him- I too want to have a powerful affect on people, even long after I'm gone!

He will be greatly missed. But he continues to inspire....Thank you Randy!

Faith

Faith, Knowing The Good Is Always Coming!

So what does faith mean to you? To me, it means having an undying feeling that no matter what happens in your life, everything is going to be okay! I have gone through many things in my life as we all have- some great times, some challenging times, some very sad times even.... but the one thing that has always kept me in a good, positive place is the fact that I have a ton of faith. I think it's something important for all of us to have. I have faith in myself, other people, life! I know that things are going exactly as they should and that everything always works out. (for the better in my opinion) Say there is a time in your life where maybe you feel you don't have enough money, your feeling physically out of shape, mentally drained, maybe you have lost someone you loved, you are going through a hard time in your relationship, you are unhappy with your job, or you are just feeling at an extremely low point in your life. We've all been there or are there! Just know that it is temporary and that good things are coming your way! They always do! But you must believe this and just know that it really is true. I'll give you an example in my own life.... Lately I've been feeling like I really need a vacation- it's been awhile since I've had some time off (I'm talking about a week or more) and I am ready for some much needed "me time" and time with my fiance. Well, in one week I will be taking 16 days off! So my point is, I've been looking forward to this time off for months..... To me, there is always something up the road or around the corner (as I like to put it) to look forward to! If you can keep that in mind, life will be much easier. It will be better! Another example, I miss my sister a lot. She moved to Tucson as I've mentioned and although it was wonderful to see her in July..... I really miss her & her kids like crazy! But I also know I will see her in December (she'll be coming to Portland for a visit) where we can enjoy an early Christmas get together. I also get to see her in Vegas next April for my wedding. (she is my Maid of Honor) I also know that when I'm out there exercising everyday and working hard, the payoffs will be huge! That's something great to look forward to! (I've already started seeing the payoffs!) I always hang on to the fact that I have great things ahead to look forward to! If you apply that to anything, you will be amazed how many things you have to look forward to. You will be amazed at how much happier you will feel!

So ask yourself, what do I have to look forward to? How can I feel good in the moment when maybe something isn't quite perfect in my life right now? Don't let the challenging things have power over you, and keep an excellent attitude no matter what! The choice is yours....pick the one that makes you feel good. You deserve to feel good!

"Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive." ~David S. Muzzey

"To me faith means not worrying." ~John Dewey

"Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith." ~Author Unknown

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit." ~Emmanuel

Thanks for stopping by!

Kimberly