Month: July 2014

Just say Yes. Take a chance.

/ Kennedy Farr / 2 Comments

take a riskThis quote speaks directly to my heart.

I think of the times in my life when I have simply said Yes.  No lists of pros and cons. No SWOT or Force Field analysis.  No seeking of advice from another person.  No flipping of coins or swaying of the amulet.  Just pure trust in pure dumb luck.

I am thinking of those times when I didn’t doubt.  When I sidestepped land mines of fear.  When I took the labyrinth of detours with neither complaint nor concern.  When I let go of my attachment to an anticipated outcome.  Moments when I looked fate in the eye and said, “Pleased to meet you.  Tell me more.  Show me more.  This is awesome!”

honey-beeHappy chances of serendipity.  When I allow myself to love.  To fall in love.  To be myself.  To trust.  To embrace the promptings of my intuition.

These moments are enormous beyond wonder.  They are the moments when life is richly rewarded with the most unexpected of gifts.  Amazing and beautiful gifts.  In retrospect, these moments surprise me because they are the times when I surprised myself . . . when I allowed me to be true to my own self with no interference.

Being willing to take a chance that is True to Self is one of life’s richest rewards.  It is like reading a thick novel with a heroine you can admire.  She is someone who is willing to take chances and to live a life of no regret . . . someone who is willing to trust herself.  Although she has flaws, you cheer her on precisely because of her flaws.  She doesn’t let her less-than-stellar experiences and choices hold her back from fulfillment.  Who doesn’t want her to find her bliss in the final chapter?  I certainly do.

It feels so great — magical really — to take those humbling chances and live a life of no regret.  Many times we question our common sense, our motives, our resources.  We wonder if we are ever going to be truly happy or feel whole.  And then it happens.  toaster oven

We receive the reward of taking a chance.  Life is magnified when this happens.  We still see our own flaws but they are diminished by the courage it took to take the chance that would propel us out of darkness into light.

History is being written in the finest of ways.  There are happy endings.  They do exist.  Life may not appear to be perfect on the outside.  But a life of no regret as a result of taking chances?  It is perfection.

Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is one of those epic poems that has spoken different things to me at different times in my life:

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth . . .”

These days, I read these words, and I no longer see me standing at the trailhead as a solitary traveler.  And I am not standing in one place to ponder in long-I stood mode — as I once might have.  I am discovering the beauty of the African proverb: “If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together.”

suitcasesI want to “travel far” . . . be the path well-traveled or wildly untrammeled.  Be there a light backpack or a fabulous amount of luggage.  It’s all good . . . to be traveling far and taking chances with no regrets. To saying Yes.

If you give a little love . . .

/ Kennedy Farr / 4 Comments

“Well if you are (what you love)
And you do (what you love)
I will always be the sun and moon to you toaster oven
And if you share (with your heart)
Yeah, you give (with your heart)
What you share with the world is what it keeps of you”

Wow.  I love this this song.  And the video.  It reminds me to love and to share and to give.  And then do it some more.  I am inspired to get out my paintbrush and paint some love of my own today.  Such a great message: Pay Attention.  Do What I Am Inspired to  Do.  Be proactive.  Be Loving . . . “Because life is fleeting.”  The small difference we make in a person’s life has an enormous ripple effect.  Share the love.

“What you share with the world is what it keeps of you.”

bigstock-Zen-stones-in-water-27418907

What makes you come alive?

/ Kennedy Farr / Leave a comment

Working hard: What does this mean?  Does a successful life require that we work hard?

I think so.  When I read any Working Hard quotes from the famous movers and shakers, I can read the sincerity in their words.  They believe that they have achieved what success that they have because they worked hard.  But the one thing I am also reading in their words is their devotion to and passion for their work.  [Truly, there are an equally amazing number of quotes linking passion to success.]  These famous and accomplished people all seem committed to high standards, long hours, and the personal sacrifices that reflect their passion for their life work.  And they are having fun while they are working hard.  A great combination in anything: a good sweat while having fun.

057When I saw la Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris for the first time, to describe the experience avec le mot incroyable is a huge and holy understatement. I returned to it several afternoons — just roaming around and absorbing the grandeur.  It took over 100 years to build and the architects, sculptors, and builders remain anonymous.  Wow.  The history of this cathédrale’s construction, destruction, plunder, rebuilding, and ongoing maintenance is amazing.  Its delicacy has survived because of a commitment and vision to preserve its story and its testimony to Passion . . . keeping the beauty and the spirit of Notre Dame de Paris alive.

We are inspired by the most monumental of things.  Edifices.  Sacrifices.  Generosity.  Selflessness.  Grace under pressure.  We notice the grandeur and the beauty and the passion in others’ work, and we are sometimes intimidated by what appears to be overwhelming effort, vision, and success. We question if we could ever create something so amazing or be someone who is considered to be a laureate.

From a young age, we are taught to set noble standards and high expectations.  But what of the infinitesimally small things?  The tiny little gestures that vaporize upon expression yet mean so much in the moment?

Some days seem to require much from us and other days seem to require less.  These less-demanding days, I am content to shake my feathers and take a look around and see what opportunities of need are around me.  Simple things like leaving a sticky note with a positive message for a stranger to discover on campus or bringing someone coffee or telling someone that they look so nice today in salmon pink.  Little tiny things.  Do they make a difference?  I don’t know.  A smile in return is a huge reward for recognizing another’s uniqueness . . . his or her potential for coming alive.

quote. what makes you come alive“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs . . .” This quote summarizes so much simple genius.  Very inspiring: Go do that which makes me come alive.  How could I not want to Work Hard?  It’s a privilege to Come Alive.

What makes you come alive?  Today, what is that one bit of inspiration that makes your day turn from cloudy gray to sunny blue?

Tell that special someone that you love him. toaster oven Listen to that friend who is going through a tough time.  Maybe write or draw or paint or play some music or shoot some hoops or bake some chocolate chip cookies.  Maybe take the time to look out over the water at the sunset and thank the heavens for the message of hope and affirmation. Maybe laugh until your sides hurt.  Focus.  Never underestimate the power of a smile.  Work it, shake it, bust a move.  Re-direct a challenge.  Discover your passion.  Re-define success.  Believe in miracles.  Work hard.  Come alive.