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.

Weekend Warmup: Is it the Question or the Answer?

Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.

Rainer Maria Rilke

I've been wondering...is there a way for us to ask a question, maintain curiosity and explore without being focused on the answer? 

Human nature is such that we seem to want closure and certainty. I know that's accurate for me. In terms of personality type, I'm what the Myers-Briggs experts would call a true ENFJ.

Here's a description of this one of sixteen basic personality types defined by Myers and Briggs (click on the link above to read more about this):

Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.

The J in ENFJ stands for Judger - which isn't what it sounds like. I'm not someone who judges others (maybe myself, though!) but I am someone who prefers having things settled rather than up in the air (vs. perceivers who like to keep their options open . Even without all the data in, I'm inclined to make decisions quickly instead of waiting to have more to go on.

As a result I'm someone who might not have the patience to wait for the answers to my questions. Or perhaps I'm someone who wants to avoid the uncertainty of the open question. Either way, I'm sure I could benefit from a bit more of what Rilke suggests above. 

Live my questions - ask the universe about what I don't know (which is a lot) and then live my life, open to the answers, whatever they may be. And whenever they may come.

Sounds like a real challenge for someone who likes her ducks in a row. But I think it's a more authentic way to be given the reality of life. The answers don't always line up with the questions, they don't always show up when you need them, and sometimes they don't come at all.

To practice being less attached to the outcome of events, this might be just the ticket.

What do you think? I'd love to know.

Our CURIOSITY kit is a great tool for exploring some of these ideas. We have just 2 more for sale. Will one be yours? 

Wishing you a safe, happy and love-filled holiday weekend (for those of you in the US) and a sense of adventurous curiosity.

A Wealth of Inspiration!

Have you seen our FREE Inspiration page?  No?  Well, don't wait any longer - it's a fantastic source for you.  For every topic we pack our inspiration page full of quotes, music, layouts, and more!  What more could there be?  The hottest new "sharing"  site out there:  Pinterest!  Talk about a wealth of inspiration!  Just check out a few things we have gathered on our Fortune Pinterest board:

Want more inspiration?  Visit our Inspiration page (more to come!) and then share with us how Fortune has inspired you today...

Childhood Misfortune

When I was a child, I used to believe that my family had the worst luck.  Everyone in the entire world was more fortunate than us.  (Aren't these the global, dramatic statements made by many a child?)  I was convinced that we had consistent bad luck!

photo credit

I grew up in an old farm house.  The farm was no longer a "working farm" but there was an old barn across our driveway in which I used to play, and the house was old and rickety.  Looking back, it was the absolute best place to grow up and I would never change a bit of living there.  But during my childhood, all I could think about was how my friends' houses were better, newer, shinier... whatever.  How my friends' parents' cars were better, newer, shinier than ours.  How I lived in my sister's hand-me-down clothing when my friends were wearing Jordache jeans. 

Sometime in my middle-school years, I learned the legend of the horseshoe:

When kept as a talisman, a horseshoe is said to bring good luck. Some believe that to hang it with the ends pointing upwards is good luck as it acts as a storage container of sorts for any good luck that happens to be floating by, whereas to hang it with the ends pointing down, is bad luck as all the good luck will fall out.  (source: wikipedia)

We had a  horseshoe as one of the many bits and mementos decorating our enclosed back porch.  It hung upside down, with the ends pointing down and I remember sitting on the back step, listening to my parents talk in the background and staring at that... blaming that rusty old horseshoe for all of our misfortune.

Of course, so many years later, I look back and realize how very fortunate we were.  My parents worked hard at many jobs, to raise and support five girls.  We had clothing, food, heat, a roof over our head and, in later years, cable TV with premium movie channels (oh-so important to a teenager growing up in the 80's with I-want-my-I-want-my-MTV).  The cars we drove were always beaters, held together with gum and duct tape (I do exaggerate a little here), but you know what?  They ran.  They got us from point A to point B.  We were all healthy.  I had a natural playground in my yard with an acre of land that backed up to woods and a creek.  It was a fantastic childhood. 

It wasn't until now... when Inside Out started to explore Fortune... that I looked up that old legend of the horseshoe.  I wanted to see if I had heard that correctly, which I had.  But then, I found this:

Others believe that the horseshoe should be hung the other way (with the ends pointing down), as it will then release its luck to the people around it. (source: wikipedia)

And looking back, you know what I think?  I know that this is what is true.  I had a very fortune-filled childhood. 

For more perspectives on our topic of the month, Fortune, please come visit our message boards... join us in our exploration.  Or share your fortune stories in the comments below - I'd love to hear them!

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.

What Others Have Said...

If you're new to Inside Out, then you may not realize the plethora of inspiration we have over on our website.  We share music and quotes and prompts and more!  Let me share a few of my favorite quotes here... what others have said about Risk, starting with my all-time favorite.  I bought a journal with this on the front:

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

Anais Nin

And more...

It is better to risk starving to death then surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what's left?

Jim Carrey

There's something liberating about not pretending. Dare to embarrass yourself. Risk.

Drew Barrymore

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

e. e. cummings

Any of these get your creative juices flowing?  Want more great inspiration quotes to add or kick-start your layout?  Visit our Inspiration page!  No seriously... you should go there.  Really!  Go check it out. 

:)

"His, Hers and The Truth"

"All things are subject to interpretation whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth."

Friedrich Nietzsche

I have raised three (step) kids.  It has been an adventure!  Over time I have seen that the two older siblings have really tortured (not literally) and attempted to warp the youngest kidling (because isn't that what siblings do?).  Over time, they would pull on her, figuratively, like a tug-rope, trying to get her to side with them.  This included the "stories" that were told in explanation to something that may have happened (you know, when "nobody" broke the lamp).  Later, when they were older and fighting each other, they would tell her their side of the story and whomever got to her first held her captive attention and she would "back" them against the other sibling.

I have tried, time and time again, to impart that there are two sides to every story.  But as I considered this, watching the various battles, I realized that there's really three sides.  Because of everyone's individual perspective and world vision, each person has a "side" with the third "side" as the Truth.

I believe that each party in a situation will firmly feel that their understanding, their observations, their thoughts, their feelings will be "the truth".  It is so easy to just accept that.  But everyone is different, with different life experiences that influence how they perceive a situation.  It most definitely does not mean that person is wrong... but it also shouldn't be assumed that s/he is 100% right.  

Now that the youngest is sixteen, whenever there is an argument... among siblings, friends, or other family... and she vents to me or sides with one  person over the other, I say to her, "Remember, there are three sides to every story..." and she will complete my sentence with, "His, Hers and the Truth."

If that's the only thing I can get her to embrace, I think she will be able to live with eyes open, and see that her siblings or friends maybe viewing the Truth through tinted vision... and ultimately decide her own Truth. 

And I'm happy with that.

DELIGHTful Inspiration...

I don't know about you, but I have been finding a great deal of delight in the springtime this week.  The sky has been blue and the temperatures mild, with birds singing and more people outside and smiling.  (I will admit, however, to NOT taking delight in the bugs that are coming out in droves.)

I'm also very excited for the upcoming online crop we're hosting over at the Inside Out community starting TOMORROW!  We would be DELIGHTed if you would join us!  In the meantime, let's get inspired... let's get our creative juices flowing... let's look at some of the DELIGHTful layouts our design team has produced, along with a few quotes to inspire and DELIGHT you...

Jennifer Matott

"The pleasures which we most rarely experience give us the greatest delight."

Desiderius Erasmus

Guest Designer Julie Tucker-Wolek

"Our choices add up; each one influences others, and cumulatively a series of delightful short-term choices can leave us much worse off in the long run."

Daniel Akst

Melissa Elsner

"Life is not meant to be easy, my child; but take courage --
it can be delightful."

George Bernard Shaw

Bonita Rose

"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit."

e e cummings

Nicole Martel

Hope to see you joining in on all of the DELIGHTful games, challenges and chats this weekend! 

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.

Day Dreams

source

There are two kinds of dreams in the world, those you have during the day when you are awake, and those you have at night while you are sleeping.  We'll talk about those crazy night dreams later, but today I wanted to delve into our day dreams.

Day dreams can be focused or vague.  You can sit and stare out the window, letting your thoughts flit about... "dreaming" about one thing or another, or you can consciously think about wishes for your future... dreams, so to speak.  Day dreams come from a place of wishing, wanting, needing, and hoping.  They can be very realistic dreams, for example, dreaming of the day you will finish your new patio and how beautiful it will be; dreaming of the gatherings of friends that will happen there in the near and far future.  Or, they can be more distant, seemingly unattainable, such as becoming President one day or winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big believer in dreams... even those big ones that seem too unrealistic to ever materialize.  But if you don't dream 'em up, they really can't ever happen.  You have to think it before you can achieve it... and that's the greatest things about day dreams.  They allow you to set in motion great things for your life that you will eventually achieve... as long as you just start by dreaming it.

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Walt Disney

No dream is too big.  Today I'd love to share with you a couple of my more recent day dreams...

My most focused dream of late is getting fit and feeling comfortable in my own skin.  I dream about wearing certain clothing or being in certain situations where I am feeling wonderful about myself because of my fitness level. 

I also dream about the day I will be debt free.  It will be a far-from-now dream come true, but I am already working on making this one happen as soon as possible.  I dream of using money to live, and not living for money's sake.  I want to work because I like what I am doing and not because I desperately need more cash.

Another huge dream of mine is to see all three of my kids grow to be healthy, sane and responsible adults who are actively contributing something to society and being the best of everything they can be for themselves.  I want them to be happy and secure.  This is something that plagues me because it seems that this dream flits about and may never come true.  But I keep reminding myself that my dreams for them may not be their own dreams for themselves. 

But I will keep dreaming.

source

And last but not least, I dream of being a published author.   I often cut myself down saying that this is silly and it will never happen.  But then I think, "why not?" 

If I can dream it, and I have the courage to pursue it, it can Be.

How about YOU?  What do YOU daydream about?  Please share in a comment or wander over to our community and share your dreams with us!

Delving into Dream...

I've had my hands all over the kit, but haven't made the time to explore Dream.  I think my mojo is a little low.  So, let's check out some things to inspire us and delve into our dreams together.

You know me... I love quotes.  Copying the idea from a friend of mine, I'm starting a "quote book", scrapbook style. All of my favorite quotes scrapped on pages to keep in a lovely album.  Here are a few that just reached out and grabbed me about Dream:

"Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be." 

Joy Page

"Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions."

Edgar Cayce 

"A dream is a wish your heart makes."

Walt Disney

And from one of my all-time favorite authors:

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."

Edgar Allan Poe

And... is there a better way to get mojo goin' than to be-bop to some good tunes?  Start this song up and have it playing in the background and I can almost guarantee you'll be bouncing in your chair or tapping your feet.  It got me up and movin'!

click to listen

Oooh, and check out all the wonderful pins on our Dream Pinterest board.  So many things there that just make me hop with happiness!

For more amazing FREE inspiration to get you dreaming, head on over to the Inside Out Dream's Inspiration Page.

And please join us for upcoming challenges in our community.  Let's Dream Big, and share 'em so we can all encourage one another to reach for those amazing dreams! 

I do hope you join us. I'm off to dream away...

Fitting In or Standing Out...

"I think everybody's weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it." 

Johnny Depp

How about another Individuality challenge to inspire you and get your scrapbooking mojo flowing?  Here's one posted over at our community:

Fitting in: Would you rather fit in? Or stand out? Is weird a good word to you? Or one that makes you cringe? What about being different? Were you part of a crowd growing up? Would you rather follow? Or lead?

What is really strange about you and how good are you at embracing your strangeness?

Is your interest piqued?  If so, please join us!  Come on over to the message boards and log in (it's free to register) to see the design twist for this challenge.  Play along.  Show us your layout in our challenge gallery and you could WIN some fun product to use on your future layouts.

I really hope to see you there!

Who Are You?

This month has me all revved up.  I'm having such a great time perusing all of the inspiration over at Inside Out and scrappin' about me in the simplest of terms:  who am I?  What makes me, me?  Because it's all about Individuality this month!  Let me give you a taste of the inspiration that has me fired up starting with my absolute favorite quote of late:

And another:

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. 
Dr. Seuss

Some music to pep you up:

And a fabulous message from one of the members of our Design Team:

layout by Bonita Rose

Please... I invite you over for more Individuality inspiration.  Take some time to get inspired at this month's inspiration page, or join the community to view the galleries and get involved with the conversation about individuality!

I hope to see you there!

Uncertain Inspiration

With all of the things going on this month, I was uncertain about scrapbooking this month's topic.  Thankfully, that's the topic: Uncertainty!   (I think I heard groaning.  :) )  So, I'm right on task.  As I was contemplating some of my personal "takes" on the topic, I thought about sharing some of the inspiration I was finding on our Inspiration page with you.

Check out some of these quotes for Uncertainty:

So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don't sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.

Lee Iacocca

Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life. Don't let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.

R. I. Fitzhenry

Maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty.

John Huston Finley

What do you think?

I'll be back soon with more inspiration: music, pictures and some of our Design Team layouts!

Thankful for Connections...

Just taking a quick moment to share our thanks on Thanksgiving here in the USA. 

We absolutely love all of the Connections we have made here on the blog and over at the Inside Out community.  We are thankful YOU are in our lives.  As we go forward into the busy holiday season, we hope you take some time to sit back, reflect and maybe do a layout about what's going on inside of you.  Happy or sad, peaceful or mad... it all deserves to be let "out".  Take some time to connect with your inner you or with friends and family around you right now.

Here's some quotes, pictures and music to help inspire you:

"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other. "
Margaret Wheatley

"Fate chooses your relations, you choose your friends."

Jacques Delille

"You do not need to be loved, not at the cost of yourself. The single relationship that is truly central and crucial in a life is the relationship to the self. Of all the people you will know in a lifetime, you are the only one you will never lose."
Jo Coudert

"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city."
George Burns

We are so thankful for you.  Have a wonderful, very Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday Motivation - Telling the Truth

Hi smart and crafty gals! Just before we sneak the next kit (WOW, where did October go) here's a little bit of what we do at SFTIO that's so very special...our online multimedia inspiration! Every month, we provide a ton of content - using music, stock photos, quotations, pinterest (not just pinning pretty things, but meaningful ones!) and our exclusive prompts and challenges that help you dig deep.

Here's a taste...but to get it all, you'll need to come over to the site. All our inspiration is FREE...all you need to do is click over and see us. I also urge you to sign up on our message board (just takes minutes) and you'll be ready to chat with women all over the world, who, just like you, struggle, triumph, ask questions, wonder, worry and celebrate...and you'll come away with more freedom, more honesty and more courage than you thought was possible.

What's our secret? It's not a bunch of phony 'happy thoughts' or transient states of bliss. It's telling your truth, no matter how scary or ugly it may look. Self-expression can't fix all your problems, but it makes you freer and more resilient. Here's a LO I did with last month's kit, BALANCE to show you what I mean:

This was my response to a challenge (from me :)) to our members to scrap about a major shift in their worlds and what the 'new normal' looked like.

Those of you who have been reading for a while (or have glanced at the sidebar) know that I lost my precious Bart last December. This is actually the very first page I've been able to do about him...that's right, me, the purveyor and enabler of emotion-based scrapbooking. But I finally got to the point where I could no longer ask you all to share without sharing more of what was difficult for me - sharing the thing that is MOST difficult for me. And if you read it, you'll see, the journaling is not a peaceful acceptance of the loss. I'm not there yet. 

And here's my (not so) secret - I don't have to be. And neither do you. 

Being right where you are, accepting yourself now, including your anger, resentments, fears, worries and resistance to change is CRITICAL to your well-being and your growth. Fighting it won't make it disappear - but being with the present moment and letting your emotions flow will make every future moment a tiny bit easier.

Here's a little sampling of what the ACHIEVEMENT Inspiration Page has to offer:

Prompt:

Failure: Is there such a thing as failing, or are you a believer that every failure is just a step on your path to a different success? Is failure a sign that you’ve actually tried difficult things? Are you quick to rebound after a failure or are you slower to recover. Has there ever been a time when you’ve closed your ears to the voices of others telling you that your failures meant it was time to stop trying? Have you ever looked back at a past failure and seen the meaning in it from the long view? What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Pinterest:

Music:

Defying Gravity by Idina Menzel

Quote:

Periods of tranquility are seldom prolific of creative achievement. Mankind has to be stirred up. Alfred North Whitehead

Photo:

For more music (a streaming playlist), quotes, prompts, photos and pins, come visit the Inspiration Page.

I hope you use it to tell your truth.

Love,