How High Are Your Ambitions?

When I think of high hopes, I always start humming a little song from my youth.  Here, I'll let you watch what I'm talking about:

 Laverne & Shirley sing "High Hopes"

With that lovely little ditty to inspire us, let's look at our first challenge for this month's topic: Ambition. 

How High? 

What are the things you wish for that are way outside your comfort zone - pie in the sky kind of ambitions?  Are they really unreachable?  If so, what keeps your mind on those wishes or ambitions?

For an extra challenge - use this design twist:  use the top edge of your layout to show how high you wish you could go.

We'd love to see what you aspire to.  Please share with us in our community's gallery!

Inspire Your Ambition!

Do you need some inspiration to explore your ambitions?  We have plenty!  Our site is filled with quotes, music suggestions, layouts and, of course, the Daddy of ALL Inspiration: Pinterest.  Here are few things to get you started on your journey to explore your ambition...

From our Pinterest board.

"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings."
Salvador Dali

From our Pinterest board.

"Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine."
Elvis Presley

From our Pinterest board.

"Dreams Be Dreams"
Song/Lyrics by Jack Johnson

She's just waiting for the summertime when the weathers fine
She could hitch a ride out of town
And so far away from that low down good for nothing mistake making fool
With excuses like baby that was a long time ago
But that's just a euphemism if you want the truth he was out of control
But a short times just a long time then your mind just won't let it go

Well summer came along and it then was gone and so was she
Not from him because he followed her just to let her know
A dreams a dream
And all this livings so much harder than it seems
But girl don't let your dreams be dreams
You know this livings not so hard as it seems
Don't let your dreams dreams
Your dreams your dreams be dreams

Let yourself reach for the stars!  Show us what your ambition is today.

Play With Me...

We're all about providing you as much inspiration as possible.  Today I'd love to play a game.  Let's play Name That Tune.  For every topic, we pull some songs together for musical inspiration.  I've pulled some lyrics from some of those songs... can you name them? 

"I shouldn't love you but I want to, I just can't turn away, I shouldn't see you but I can't move, I can't look away.  And I don't know how to be fine when I'm not, 'cause I don't know how to make a feeling stop."

"Somewhere on a desert highway she rides a Harley-Davidson.  Her long, blonde hair flying in the wind."

"There may come a day when we have nothing left to say.  When conversation stops, we're facing our defeat, I'll be next to you and you'll be right there next to me."

"Baby, I know you're wondering why I won't go over to your place.  Cause I'm not too sure about how I feel, so I'd rather go at my own pace."

"You gave me this beating baby, this rhythm inside.  And you made me feel good and feel nice and feel loved, give me paradise."

Stuck?  Curious but can't make out the answers?  Head on over to our Inspiration page and listen to our playlist for both answers and inspiration!

Respect Yourself - Be Inspired!

"To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves - there lies the great, singular power of self-respect."

Joan Didion

Aaaah... respect.  Respect yourself. Respect others.  Respect Mother Earth.  Respect your elders.  Respect life.  Respect death.

Without respect, what kind of life would we live; what kind of world would we be living in?

Let's start getting those creative juices flowing.  Get inspired!  Respect your creativity.  Check out some of these respect-inspired tunes and start feeling the power of respect!
















Ah, that last one from the cast of Glee is so powerful...what a great message to kids who are routinely bullied... respect yourself and the rest will follow! Welcome to the weekend... how will you show or celebrate Respect today?  Head on over to the Inside Out Inspiration Page for more fun music and other pieces of respectful inspiration.

Be Content...Be Inspired

With all the craziness going on in my life, this month's topic, Contentment, is a good daily reminder to think of all those things that bring me to a place of content.  But more on that later. 

Seeking that feeling of contentment has been eluding me lately, so of course, as this month's topic is so timely, I stopped over to spend some time at our inspiration center at Inside Out's site.  Here are some of those things that reached out and grabbed me today.

Click to play...

I can't say enough about this song.  It is so mellow and just chock full of love... and now I see the contentment running throughout it.  Give it a good listen.

How about these quotes:

"Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

Og Mandino

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have."

Anonymous

 

 "Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have."

Doris Mortman

And these are some photos I found that just exude Contentment to me... I might even have to use one in a scrappy layout!

source

Do you have any contentment inspiration to share?  Please do...I know I can use all inspiration I can get.  :)

Grace-Full Inspiration

I've been wandering around looking for inspiration on this month's topic, Grace.  Of course, you know I didn't have to wander far.  Because we have awesome resources available day or night to inspire YOU right over on our inspiration page.  Here's some gems of inspiration I  have plucked for you today...

Any artist should be grateful for a naive grace which puts him beyond the need to reason elaborately.

Saul Bellow

Bonita Rose

 

Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jen M

Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.

William Hazlitt

Melissa

I want, of course, peace, grace, and beauty. How do you do that? You work for it.

Studs Terkel

Nicole

 Want more?  Because there's plenty where this came from.  Head on over to our Inspiration Page and check out more quotes, journaling prompts, music and our Pinterest board for GRACE.