20,000 Kms and Still Going!

“On January 1^st I hit a significant milestone on this journey – 10,000 kilometers of bike riding. I have travelled about 20,000 so far, half on the bike and the rest by bus, boat and 1 plane ride from Panama City to Bogota.”

That was Peter Brother’s first blog entry for 2013. Pretty impressive! His cycling journey began in August 2011 in the Yukon, Canada and has taken him along the western coast of Canada, the United States, through Mexico, Central America and into South America.

His bike was stolen while he was in Peru, and he spent a couple of weeks trying to decide what to do next. It was too expensive to get another bike shipped from Canada, and he couldn’t find what he wanted in Peru. Initially, he decided to continue the trip by bus and hiking, but eventually his longing for wheels led him to a bike shop in Iquique, Chile.

So he’s back on the road again, about to start exploring the Lake District in Argentina. After that, his plan is to head to Chile and either ride or take a boat down the inland passage through lakes and glaciers to the southern tip of South America.

Oh, did I mention he recently turned 70?

Kinda raises the bar for the rest of us, doesn’t it?

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Throw Out Those New Year’s Resolutions!

Yep, you heard me. Those resolutions that you set on January 1 and you’re struggling so hard to achieve, toss them out!

According to statistics recently published in Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45% of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions. And only 8% are successful at achieving them.  The top three resolutions for 2012 were

• losing weight
• getting organized
• spending less and saving more

Sound familiar?

If you want 2013 to be the year you finally make it happen, here’s some simple tips to get you started.

1. Identify one goal you want to accomplish and set a reasonable timeline.

By setting just one goal and focusing on it, you are likely to experience more success (and feel less overwhelmed!) It’s also important to be reasonable in setting your timeline. Trying to lose 30 lbs. in 7 days is not healthy, let alone manageable, so be willing to take small consistent steps toward your goal.

2. Take time to understand why this goal matters to you. 

What will it bring into your life that you don’t have now? Envision the moment when you achieve your goal. How will you feel? Who will you share your accomplishment with? Picture it in vivid detail. Having a strong sense of purpose will help you stay motivated during the times of challenge.

3. Find your own personal cheerleader, someone who will help you stay focused.

Your cheerleader is someone who believes in you and your dream, and who is willing to be there for you. It’s someone you will listen to (and believe) when they say, “Yes, you can!” This person may be a friend or colleague, perhaps someone you can provide cheerleading support for in return. It may also be a coach or other professional you meet with regularly to stay on track.

4. Develop an action plan, and break it down into simple steps.

Once you know your goal and timeline, write down some of the steps you can take toward it. Break it down into weekly or even daily goals and steps. By taking one step each day, you will make steady progress toward your goal.

5. Share your plan with your cheerleader and … take the first step!

Check in regularly with your cheerleader to give updates and ask for help as needed. You don’t have to do this alone. In fact, it’s a lot more fun to work together.

Are there any other tips that have worked for you? Leave a comment so we all can benefit from your experience!

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Boldly Stepping Forward Into The Vision

“The world lies in the hands of those who have the courage to dream

and the audacity to live their dreams.”

~ Paolo Coelho

It takes courage to dream, doesn’t it? In a world that focuses on practicality and being realistic, it’s not easy being a dreamer. There are always those who will criticize or make fun of you for having pie-in-the-sky ideas. But where would we be without dreamers, visionaries, people who have the courage to imagine new ways of doing things?

The geniuses of our past, like Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci for example, were dreamers who believed that what they imagined could become real. For them, the impossible was always possible. It was just a question of time.

What set them apart was their ability to take the dream and turn it into action. And that’s where audacity, or boldness, comes in.

In order to try something new, you have to take a risk. Often it means going against what others believe to be true. Sometimes it means making mistakes and having to start over. You may feel as if you are alone swimming against the current of common opinion.

And yet, you carry on. Why? Because the dream matters. And you can’t imagine living your life any other way.

Here’s to the dreamers, who are changing our world in immeasurable ways, with their boundless vision and energy.

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A Reason to Celebrate!

I was notified last week by my publisher that my book, Dream BIGGER: Reclaiming a Life of Joy and Ease, has received the Reader’s Choice Award. This is the top award category from iUniverse and is only given to books that have good sales AND have already achieved Rising Star and Editor’s Choice status. Three cheers for Dream BIGGER!

The recognition is also based on reviews on Amazon and similar sites. I’ve had positive reviews from readers ever since the book was published. It continues to make its way around the world, reaching out and touching many lives along the way.

I’m curious to know how many of my blog followers have read it. If you have, what was the highlight in the book for you? If you haven’t read it yet, hey, maybe it’s time you did!!

In other news, for those of you living in Waterloo Region, I’ll be sharing tips from Dream BIGGER in my workshop on October 25 in Cambridge, Ontario. It’s part of the Confident Women speaker series and I’d love to see you there.

My dream for the past two years has been to help 100,000 people achieve their dreams. With the book, the workshops and this blog, my dream is becoming reality.

What is needed for you to achieve your dream? How can I help?

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The Promise of Beginning

Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin.
Beginning makes the conditions perfect.”
~Alan Cohen~

How many dreams sit in a state of perpetual limbo? Do you have dreams, ideas or goals that you’ve put on the shelf, waiting for the moment when all the planets align? Maybe you’ve been telling yourself that you’ll pursue your dream of going to school, starting your own business, or travelling when … the kids are older, you’ve saved some money, the mortgage is paid, you’ve retired, or you can find someone to look after your pets.

Days, weeks, months and years slide past and still that dream sits quietly in the corner, its voice dimming to a faint whisper over time.

If your heart yearns for something different in your life, what are you waiting for? The circumstances will never be “perfect”. It’s only in taking the initial steps that the door opens and you are able to see your way forward.

Begin. Take steps.

Beginning holds the promise of all that is to come.

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Feeding the Dream Machine

Sometimes the dream we have gets put on hold for a while. In those times, it’s important to keep nurturing it, the way you would the tender shoot of a new plant. Dreams are vulnerable, subject to the comments and criticisms of those around us as well as to our own inner fears and worries. So, when we can’t immediately race out and make it happen, we have to get creative and find ways to keep the spark alive.

I recently came across a blog post that inspired me in new ways. Whether your dream is to travel, open your own business, or create a line of designer shoes, this idea may help keep your creativity flowing as you put your plan in place.

You can check it out for yourself here. Happy dreaming!

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Make Her Day!

This month, a young woman name Teresa turned 58 years old. Teresa was born with cerebral palsy and was diagnosed with lupus several years ago. She has never been able to walk on her own and is now in a wheelchair. However, according to her brother, she is always in good spirits and never fails to send birthday cards out to friends and families.

To surprise her this year, her brother sent out a request via the internet asking people to send Teresa a birthday card to help her feel special and appreciated. His dream is for her to receive over 500 cards.

As of July 17, Teresa has received 375 cards from across the United States and as far away as Germany and Australia. And she has had great fun opening them and reading the messages.

I’ve always believed that birthdays are meant to be celebrated all year long, so if you want to join in the project, you can send Teresa a birthday card at: Teresa Scott, 235 Fairview School Lane, Gainesboro, TN, 38562.

It’s never too late to make someone’s day!

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Changing The World (Yes, You Can!)

There are a lot of people who inspire me. One of them is Chris Guillebeau. I started subscribing to his blog several years ago, and continue to be amazed by his energy and creativity. His most recent post intrigued me and I want to share the idea with you.

Last year, Chris and his team organized the first World Domination Summit. Don’t let the name confuse you. It was an opportunity for creative people to come together, be inspired and come up with ways they could change the world (for the better). It was so successful that this year’s event sold out and there were 5,000 on the waiting list.

He told attendees that they would receive a special surprise at the end of the weekend. Are you ready for this? He gave each person present (there were 1,000 participants) $100. In cash. That’s $100,000. As Chris says in his blog, “It was a grand-scale public experiment, built on the belief that good people can do something good with an unexpected investment.”

Imagine that I handed you $100 today. And the only requirements are that you use it to bring good into the world, and tell me what you’ve done.

What would you do?

Let’s take it one step further. Can you find a way to create that good even without the money?

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Marigold Dreams in Exotic Lands

I went to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel last night. With its star-studded cast (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy among others), I expected it to be good and it was. However, it was the story that captured my heart because …  it’s all about dreaming bigger.

In fact, the script (based on the book These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach) provides a clear roadmap for the journey toward your dreams, including examples of the obstacles, detours and roadblocks you might encounter en route.

The story takes place in India where a young man, Sonny, has inherited his father’s dream – to restore a decrepit hotel to its former grandeur. Like his father, Sonny is a man with a vision, a vision so powerful that he sees beyond current realities (decaying building, no income, limited staff) into a future rich with potential (steady clientele of “the elderly and the beautiful” – retirees looking for a place to spend their remaining years).

Lesson One: Start with a vision.

Undeterred by challenges, Sonny begins to advertise, using a colour brochure that reflects a wee bit more of the potential than the status quo. As a result, he attracts the very clients he is looking for – seven British seniors who, for various reasons, are looking to spend their retirement years in India.

Lesson Two: Take steps in the direction of your vision and see what happens.

When the guests arrive, they discover that things aren’t quite what they expected. Over time, most of them adjust, partly due to Sonny’s intense faith in his dream. His unflagging enthusiasm and positive approach to everything gradually influences all but one of the guests. “Everything will turn out alright in the end,” he says. “And if it isn’t alright now, that’s because it isn’t the end.”

Lesson Three: Have faith in your vision and share it with others.

However, as often happens with dreamers and dreams, there is usually at least one naysayer in the crowd, someone who makes it a life mission to dampen or destroy the happiness of others. Sometimes these “wet blankets” are reacting because their own dreams haven’t come true.The impact can be devastating on dreamers, causing them to second-guess or even give up on their dream.

Sonny loses hope and tries to convince himself that it will be good to follow the plans that his mother has for him (giving up the hotel and his girlfriend, moving back home and settling into an arranged marriage).

Lesson Four: Stay true to yourself and your vision. Don’t settle.

In the end, Sonny does receive help from a very unexpected source. However, he almost lets his pride get in the way. Learning to receive, especially when the help or support is not coming from a source or in a way that we expect, is a challenge.

Lesson Five: Ask for help. Be open to receiving it from unexpected places.

Sonny’s dream, and the dreams of the various guests, do come true. However, not necessarily in the ways that they expect.  Ultimately, it’s the core essence of the dream that is important. Many of the details (how, when, where it happens) are superfluous. Does it feel the way you envisioned? Is it having a positive influence on the world? Is it transforming lives (including your own)?

Lesson Six: Recognize that your dream may take a different form than expected. And that’s okay.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a wonderful movie, filled with humour and touching moments. The key lesson I took away from it is simple:

It’s never too soon, or too late, to start dreaming bigger!

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The Story Behind The Story

Part of the inspiration for writing Dream BIGGER: Reclaiming a Life of Joy and Ease came from an experience I had in Costa Rica ten years ago. I was staying in a small beachfront hotel and it was really hot. I desperately wanted to go swimming but there was one gigantic wave getting in my way.

About ten feet from shore, the seemingly flat water began to rise, gathering momentum and height until it peaked, hovered and then came crashing down in a single, thunderous, frothing wave, racing toward the beach.

The Wave

The first time I ventured out into the water, the wave caught me by surprise and sent me tumbling onto the beach with such force that it nearly ripped my bathing suit off my body. The water pummeled me from behind and streamed over me as it ebbed, dragging me back into the ocean. Eyes covered in sand, I clawed my way farther up on the beach and then rolled onto my back, gasping for air.

I felt battered and bruised. I wanted to give up, but I also wanted to go swimming.

Tip #1: Your goal must be your top priority.

It seemed like an impossible task, but I could see other people playing in the calmer water beyond the wave. I realized that I needed a strategy.

Tip #2: You need a plan.

Readjusting my swimsuit, I stood up and analyzed the situation. As I strode out into the water,  I kept my eyes focused on the wave and began to synchronize my movements with the water.

Tip #3: Work with what you’ve got.

As the wave rose, I leaped forward and started to swim straight into it.

Tip #4: Take action.

The water descended, briefly engulfed my head, and then released me like a cork popping off a champagne bottle. I was floating in the stillness behind the wave.

I had achieved my goal!

Tip #5: Enjoy your success! 

I often think back to that moment when life pulls my feet out from underneath me and brings me to my knees. Events like losing a job, unexpected expenses, health problems, divorce or the death of a loved one wear us down like a series of tidal waves. It’s tempting to let the water gradually bury us in the sand. We become shell people – looking the same on the outside, but inside there’s emptiness because we’ve simply disappeared.

Sometimes we find the strength to pull ourselves back up to our knees again, but no farther. Watching from the shore, we settle for living a half-life and we convince ourselves that it’s good enough.

What if there was another way? Instead of giving up on your dreams, or settling for less, what if you stood up, brushed yourself off, and dreamed bigger? What could happen then?

That’s what Dream BIGGER is all about – inspiring stories of ordinary people who have done just that, and their insights into what helped them make their dreams a reality.

Tip # 6: Inspire others by sharing your story.

*****

For the month of May, Dream BIGGER: Reclaiming a Life of Joy and Ease is featured in Barnes & Noble’s Rising Star Special Collection. So, if you have a dream, now’s the time to buy! The demand and traffic on this page is watched and followed by the B&N national buyer when considering stocking a title in the B & N chain of stores. Buying a copy will not only help you manifest your dream … you’ll be helping me achieve one of mine – helping 100,000 people live the life of their dreams!

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