Today's Inspiration: Living Out Loud

We each are born into this world distinctively different and yet, the core of what makes us different is as universal and as common as mud... We "intentionally" have these unique mixtures of unrepeatable facial and body features - as well as a unique mix of environmental upbringings and experiences ( for a reason )... and yet, some people want to be (and expect you to be) like everyone else - or at least, just like them... But I can't help but wonder how being the same would erase our very purposeful parts in the whole... For we each have unique songs to sing, notes to play, things to create and words to speak and write about life, important lessons, paths taken, and experiences of love, losses, loyalties, dreams, disappointments, and many more... that absolutely no one else can say or do like you...  And this is just a part  of God's purpose for the entire universe... and it's pretty important... So please...

I often balance the delicate tension between longing and belonging, discovering and entering, cultivating and igniting many people's hearts and souls - and I like it .  But I also recognize my path as a pilgrim of just passing through ... I trust in my inner compass of hope, courage and imagination while never forgetting to bring my whole heart to the journey...  As I've learned that it is only when I bring my "whole heart" to the journey that I get to complete the journey and then make an "impact"... My hope is always for people to live more deeply and honestly ... and to accept and honor each other's differences , embrace the unknown , celebrate their gifts, be purposeful and passionate, to practice gratitude, grow through their adversities whenever possible, and to simply be true to themselves... It is a tall order, I know... but it is also my path - or some variation of it.... And it brings me great joy to be able to share it...

There is a lion and a lamb inside of all of us, and it is a beautiful thing for me to be able to experience and see them both laying down together.  As we all can relate to being both aggressive and passive, hard and gentle, confident and fearful, and defensive and vulnerable.. But whenever I see more of  one than the other inside of another, I never forget that they both "still exist"... What a beauty...  ~Chana

If you want to be successful and go to the next level in your life, you really have to invest in improving yourself ... Improve your behaviors, your thinking, what you value, and what you do with your time. If you're doing what you've always done and hoping that things will (miraculously) turn out differently - at home, at work, in your health, and your emotions - you are wrong... Improve on the design and build something great. ~Chana

When I step onto the court (or the field) at home, at work and in life, you better believe, I show up to win! Be a winner in everything you do. ~ Chana

One of the greatest gifts in the world to me is time ... and whenever I realize I'm wasting it - either in a relationship or some place (like a job...), I stop and get out . I know that making the decision to leave something is extremely hard and also only the beginning ... And diving into strong currents that will ultimately carry me someplace else is usually how it ends... A wise man once said that "some things must end in order for new things to begin"... So this is me diving in - into new beginnings. Keep pursuing your dreams... ~Chana

If you've ever climbed a mountain, you know that reaching the summit requires perseverance... And in comparison to a mountain, my spiritual journey with Christ requires much of the same thing... as he will often push me to a new and (sometimes) uncomfortable place in my life that requires great persistence in times of discomfort, struggle, fear and even pain. But the pain always has a purpose...  and whenever I reach the destination that he's leading me to, the view (too) is always worth it. ~Chana