Seven Inspiring Moments from the Women in the World Summit

Good morning Inspiring Girls!

I just spent an intense five minutes watching seven videos from the recent Women in the World Summit, posted at The Daily Muse.  No matter what you plan to do today, watching them will be worth it.

I was especially touched by the panel's answers to what they would change if they had a magic wand:  education for girls, mentoring for women, and reproductive freedom?   Of course!   So simple. And so complicated.

Listening to these strong, accomplished women reminds me that it is the baby steps that sometimes mean the most.  How many days of small deeds and ceaseless belief in their own personal power did  each of them trudge through to arrive on that stage?  How many lives have they touched along the way that have in turn touched them, and changed their own beliefs about what is possible in the world?  

And how about you?  What will you do today to inspire the change you wish to see...in your country, your workplace, your community?  What about in your own household or among your group of friends?  We each hold the power if we choose to use it; and together we can be an unstoppable force.  So, as Hillary Clinton closed the conference with her inspiring call to movement, I close this post with mine:

Share your strength and you will grow strong. Share your ideas and you will find inspiration. Share your experience and you will grow wise. Share your time and you will grow rich. Share yourself and you will change our world.

I Like Words

I am a verbal person.  I love exploring ideas while talking through them with others, letting ideas evolve while we brainstorm away in polite conversation.  And I freely admit to having conversations with myself...after all, conversing is one of life's most accessible pleasures.

Writing is simply another form of conversation:  it inspires us to think, consider, contemplate, and hopefully spark our own conversations - with ourselves, with people we know well, and with  completely new and interesting folks.  Words are powerful in any form.

I'm filling some of my newfound time and freedom learning a little more about words; digging into writing as a profession, what it takes to share ideas and inspiration on a mass scale through the written word. I'm certainly not proficient in how I conduct my research and a lot of the stuff I come across isn't really that interesting, but then I come across things like this cover letter, written in 1934 and mass-mailed to Hollywood executives. Check out what copywriter Robert Pirosh wrote, via Letters of Note, and see how it inspires you:

Dear Sir:

I like words. I like fat buttery words, such as ooze, turpitude, glutinous, toady. I like solemn, angular, creaky words, such as straitlaced, cantankerous, pecunious, valedictory. I like spurious, black-is-white words, such as mortician, liquidate, tonsorial, demi-monde. I like suave "V" words, such as Svengali, svelte, bravura, verve. I like crunchy, brittle, crackly words, such as splinter, grapple, jostle, crusty. I like sullen, crabbed, scowling words, such as skulk, glower, scabby, churl. I like Oh-Heavens, my-gracious, land's-sake words, such as tricksy, tucker, genteel, horrid. I like elegant, flowery words, such as estivate, peregrinate, elysium, halcyon. I like wormy, squirmy, mealy words, such as crawl, blubber, squeal, drip. I like sniggly, chuckling words, such as cowlick, gurgle, bubble and burp.

I like the word screenwriter better than copywriter, so I decided to quit my job in a New York advertising agency and try my luck in Hollywood, but before taking the plunge I went to Europe for a year of study, contemplation and horsing around.

I have just returned and I still like words.

May I have a few with you?

Robert Pirosh

385 Madison Avenue

Room 610

New York

Eldorado 5-6024

Perfect Timing

There’s a new charter school coming to my new town and I couldn’t be more thrilled (seems I’ve been using that word a LOT since learning about Valley Academy)!

With kindergarten registration just weeks away, a fantastically progressive public school with a philosophy spot on with our approach to education has literally landed in our lap. 

And while the school’s Charter and foundational philosophy is over the top exciting…it is the people involved (it always comes down to the people, doesn’t it?) that make this addition to our community so incredibly poignant.  The director brings years of international experience and a global perspective to our little town – if you know me at all you realize this alone is enough to peak my enthusiasm – and the Board exudes the passion and dedication of an effective team that has long been working towards a shared dream. 

It took us about two seconds to decide to enroll our little sweetheart.

It’s a risk to get so excited of course: many others share my enthusiasm and that interest will most likely result in more demand than supply, forcing a lottery for the launch year positions.  But even though it means we could miss out in the short term, I cannot help but spread the word and encourage others to apply.

Being a part of the launch of a new school in our new community and helping to build an inspiring educational experience for children and parents alike promises to be nothing short of amazing regardless of when the opportunity materializes for us personally.  That said, I am crossing my fingers and toes in hopes that we are a part of the inaugural class.

As my mother-in-law so eloquently noted: it is serendipitous that this school comes to Hurricane at the perfect time for our daughter.  And the perfect time for us.

Sunrise

I’m sitting on my front porch this morning, sipping a warm cup of coffee, writing and watching the sunrise.  Pink, yellow, orange, blue stretching out from the cliffs across the red tile roofs and palm trees below.

My neighbor’s front yard fountain shares its calming, gurgling existence.

The morning doves coo and the early birds sing their praises of this beautiful place.

I watch the cliffs turn from brown to peach to rust while their speckled green inhabitants cling to the steep rocky sides, creating one of nature’s most elaborate landscapes.

As the clouds transition to a soft white and the quiet morning continues its peaceful waking, I am once again struck by the power of this desert space on my soul.  This life transition of mine – at first glance nothing more than a bright, unending page – is gaining momentum. Looking closely, I can just make out words beginning their slow fade to black.  What will they say?

Time to take another sip.

Inspiring Retiree Advice

Good morning Inspiring Girls! I came across a little gem a few minutes ago and wanted to share it with you. It seems especially poignant for me on this beautiful desert morning as I contemplate how the next chapter in my life will unfold (and what I will do to turn the pages). Several thoughts touched me but three struck me pretty intensely:

Cultivate a generous heart. -Barbara Robinson, 71

Keep growing, no matter what. -Michael Herman, Sr. 66

Spend more time with your children…they will remember time spent and wisdom shared, not so much the items you provided. -Keith Haines, 62

I love these ideas on so many levels, and if asked to add a bit of my own insight to these inspiring reflections, it would be that sharing our time, ideas, skills and life experience are also powerful ways to invest in our world.

It is worth taking a moment to read their full (short) quotes in the article What Retirees Wish They’d Done Differently.

I am inspired to ask the retired people in my life (a population that is growing now that I live near one of the country's most popular retirement communities!), what advice they would offer to those of us who have a chance – right now – to do it differently.

And I encourage you to ask yourself and share in a comment here: when you are retired, what do you not want to say you wish you would have done differently?

I hope at least one of these gems inspires you to take another step forward in your own journey to cultivate your most inspired life!

Sedona Vuggy

Monday night I experienced Vuggy in Sedona.

The natural coming together of the occupants of four campsites in Oak Creek Canyon around a campfire with a box of wine, a few beers, and some mighty fine conversation.

With Luji entertaining herself beside us (our comrades were quite impressed) Jeff and I hung out for a couple of hours with our little international group:

Dick and Lillian, from the Bay Area and Jackson, Wyoming respectively, a 70-something couple who have been traveling, hiking, canoeing and exploring together for more than ten years. Dick has a fantastically unique, cute laugh (I’m sure he’d love that description), and Lillian is bold and friendly in expressing her various opinions.

Joe from Germany, who joined us with a smile and though perhaps didn’t understand a great deal of the multiple conversations taking place at once, shared his love for adventure by the very act of exploring the Southwestern U.S. on his own in truck and tent. Few words were required to share a connection.

And finally, a nature photographer from Boulder, Colorado, Tim, and his wife, Kristin. It was their fire, their hospitality, and their warm and inviting attitudes that brought us all together. Jeff and I connected with them in several ways, all of which impress them selves on me even deeper as I write. We are all about the same age; we have an adopted daughter and they are just embarking on their own adoption journey (!!!!); Tim made a career transition from teacher to pursue his passion and is now enjoying success around the country (incredibly inspiring for me personally considering my current state of transition and adventure!); and besides being a totally cool chick, Kristin works in the health field so we have plenty in common for ongoing conversation.

Adding to the camaraderie and creativity in the air, two or three inventive ideas were tossed out (somewhat jokingly but isn’t humor so often the springboard for ideas?), proving that just getting people together can spark imaginative, entrepreneurial thought.

The next morning Joe was up with the sun and on his way. We waved good-bye to Dick and Lillian as they drove off to meet their day, and we chatted for a good while once more with Tim and Kristin before heading home.

Our random stop at this little campground outside Sedona turned out to be an amazing experience because of the people we met (Jeff and Tim get credit for striking up the initial conversation, by the way). We now have two new friends (soon to be three!) with whom we shall stay in touch, visit in Boulder, welcome to our home, and hopefully share many adventures.

It seems a sparkling new gem has been formed in what began as the open space of a spring evening.

Space Affect

Flexibility has its benefits. Coming upon inspiring space at a NASCAR race was not one I expected, however.  I suppose inspiration really can strike anywhere!

Yes, last weekend we were in Phoenix – a last minute decision to visit my best friend since high school and take in some NASCAR (mention of the latter will bring a quirky little smile to my grad school friends, I’m sure).

We had a great weekend camping at the racetrack and just taking in the fun.  We understood it would be a party – a family oriented party but still one hell of a party – and chose our camp spot wisely.  And we were right.  It was a huge, sprawling, surprisingly respectful party. 

What struck me most throughout the entire weekend is the extent to which humans go to create the perfect feeling for their space (and how clean NASCAR fans keep their campsites!). 

Many, like us, keep it simple and accommodating.

Others take their experience to a whole new level through imaginative use of their relatively limited space. 

We walked through the campgrounds each night and saw something new and different each time.  Some folks have neon lights and big screen TVs on the sides of their RVs, and some bring in space heaters and set up bar areas much like the sidewalk patio at your local eating establishment.

Then we came upon THE group. Three large RVs parked in a U shape with a courtyard cordoned off to designate their area as their area for those of us just passing by. 

OK, so admittedly this isn’t really anything new: even those camped near us at the desert edge where there was far more space between campers  fashioned makeshift borders around their sites with rocks or strung little triangle flags from trailer to shrub (you know, like the ones we loved to hang from wall to wall in our bedrooms when we were kids).

THE group took it to another level entirely.  Start by picturing a complete outdoor bar ensemble complete with tiki grass skirts, patio heaters, bartenders, and rattan stools. Still nothing totally surprising. So what did THE group add to make their space worthy of an inspiring post?  Well, they did bring in a stage and a dance floor, complete with microphones, electric guitars and a karaoke machine…but it was the pool table that put the loudest exclamation point on their space. 

Yes, I just wrote “a pool table.”  A full-size, fully functional, constantly surrounded pool table.

We went to sleep every night listening to the just far-off enough sounds of the band, talking to the crowd like they were playing Madison Square Garden and jamming away.  From girls screaming karaoke songs at 2 AM (quite time started at 1 AM, by the way) to Springsteen to Nirvana, THE group had their party dialed. 

And it all started with a little imagination, some determination, and knowing the exact feeling they wanted to convey via their space. Mission accomplished.

Good Luck, Friend (small business, big impact)

Huh. Turns out putting people first really IS the key to business success!

My inspiring husband sold his business a couple of weeks ago, a business that has given us much more than income over the past 15 years. As a small business owner/operator in a highly competitive space, Jeff was successful because he did for his clients the kind of work he would do for himself, and he was far more than a service provider: he built relationships with his many loyal clients over the years, many of whom are now and will forever be personal friends.

In fact, the vast majority of his clients had been with our small company for 14 years or more, through economic downturns, new homes, and new family additions. That is saying something in this age of quick turnover and flimsy loyalty.

There are many stories I could share that reflect the kind of impact this hard-working, disciplined, thoughtful man made on a good chunk of Salt Lake City’s east side, but I promise to share just a few.

One of my favorites happened when we had been in business for just a couple of years. Upon arriving at a property, Jeff was met by our client and her young son, who gave Jeff a picture he had drawn. It was a drawing of Jeff's mower - complete with sulky - mowing their lawn. The child’s school assignment had been to draw a picture of someone he admired, and that little kid chose Jeff! Because, as his mom explained, he admired how Jeff showed up on time, every week, rain or shine, and made their yard look great.

To most, landscape maintenance is neither glamorous nor rewarding. This little boy saw past the work to the person doing the work.

I think they are both worth admiring.

That little guy wasn’t the only one who showed admiration and appreciation for Jeff in big ways. The outpouring of love we received when we brought Luji home was almost inconceivable - and it’s all because this one business owner took the time to get to know his clients, listened closely to their wishes, and sincerely cared about them and about doing a phenomenal job for them. Every time. It meant something special and their personal gestures of congratulations – gifts of favorite children’s books and personalized baby towels come immediately to mind – deeply touched our hearts.

And then, earlier this month, Jeff received an email from one of our long-time clients. I share it here because I am so proud of him and because it reflects perfectly the kind of guy he is and the kind of business owner far too many fail to be.

February 16, 2012

Dear Jeff:

Your very thoughtful letter came in the mail today. You had hinted something last fall, so I was not unprepared, but I want to tell you that I cried. You have become such a welcome face in my life, but I know, nothing in life is constant but change. So I wish you and your little family the very best in the future, hoping [Luji] will have a wonderful home with her loving parents and that whatever you plan to do in the future will be as successful as what you have done in the past.

I will miss you terribly and will give [the new owner] a chance to prove that he is as good as you. He is stepping into some mighty big shoes.

Good luck, friend.

I cried when I read her email. Gosh, I’m tearing up now. But just knowing how much those mighty big shoes have meant to so many, and that they are now free to explore the next chapter in our lives, brings a big smile to my lips.

Jeff’s caring, grit and commitment made his properties shine. But his many successful years in business were as much about maintaining beautiful relationships as they were about maintaining beautiful landscapes.

In the end, the former far outshines the latter.