The word of the day is INSPIRATION, and the quote of the day is:

“Outsource inspiration wherever and whenever possible”

Me

Yes, I quoted myself because I thought of that sentence in the moment and it came from my own mouth. I’m certainly not the first person to think it, and I highly doubt I’m the first person to say it. My only claim is in this very moment!

Today is a new day. I started listening to a new podcast yesterday and I am 100% hooked. BUT, I don’t go recommending things without first adding my own disclaimers. For example, I’m not going to shout from the rooftops that Harry Potter is, hands down, the BEST book series you will ever read. I certainly think it is, but I don’t know anything about my readers and their personal preferences.

That being said, “Every Day is Saturday”, moderated by Sam Crowley, is my new obsession. You’re probably thinking, “How on earth can you recommend something you’ve only been exposed to for 24 hours?”. I’ll tell you how. INSPIRATION. That’s right. The word of the day. If something inspires me, it immediately vaults to the top of my priorities list. Since that list is long, disorganized, and easily forgotten, I’ve decided the best way to catalog it is to write it all down. Hence this gem of a blog post.

My podcast disclaimers are as follows:

• The episodes are very short. They average 10 minutes or so. I immensely enjoy that fact. I can listen to an episode any time I need a quick bit of motivation. If you’re looking for something to immerse yourself in while on a road trip, probably not it.
• Sam Crowley is VERY enthusiastic. Again, big plus for me. Exclamation points motivate me. However, not something you’re likely to fall asleep to.
• A lot of the things he says are no-brainers or things you’ve heard a million times before. For some reason, his delivery is just really effective on my brain.
• The content is geared mainly toward entrepreneurs, wannabe entrepreneurs, or jaded nine-to-fivers. Take what you will from that.

If you’re not a podcast listener, maybe you can benefit from some quotes I came across in my fit of inspiration. You’ve probably read most of them before, but like I said… outsource inspiration wherever and whenever possible. I even took the liberty of adding some information about each quoted individual. Sometimes you read a quote and feel like it speaks to you, but how much do you really know about the person who originally said the words?

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney

Did you know that Walt Disney had three older brothers and was actually a shy, self-deprecating, and insecure man? He developed a whole different persona for his public life than his private life. I don’t think I even have to mention the levels of success he achieved.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”

Henry Ford

Again, another well known name that needs no introduction. Did you know that Henry Ford was credited with the concept of the 40-hour work week? He actually scaled back from a 48-hour work week to increase productivity.

“It is our choices that show what we really are, far more than our abilities.”

JK Rowling

Even if you aren’t a fan of the Harry Potter series, you’ve probably still heard of JK Rowling. What you might not know is that the idea for HP came to her while she was sitting on a delayed train. She was living in relative poverty with her daughter before the first book was published and now she’s a BILLIONAIRE.

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”

Oprah

Oprah. I could leave it at that. If there’s anyone in this world that needs no introduction, it’s Oprah. However, it must be said that Oprah was born into poverty in Mississippi to a teenage single mother, and she was molested as a child and teen. Now she is dubbed by many as the most influential woman in the world, and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and two honorary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard.

All of these iconic people started somewhere. Some had help. Some didn’t. What they all had in common was a desire to improve on their situations. Inspiration has to start somewhere and sometime. Why not here and now?

I recently left the nine-to-five scene and today is the first day I feel like I control my own destiny. I’ve written blog posts before, but this one feels different. It feels like the start of something big. Stay tuned!