"Celebrate Others" Weekly Wisdom

    I love to celebrate others. It brings me so much joy to cheer people on, wish them happy birthdays, see people I admire and look up to doing great things. I love seeing other shine in the spotlight. It makes me proud to know them or know of them. I do not feel jealous, anxious or down about anything I am doing in my when other people succeed. It only gets me excited to the possibilities out there for anyone and everyone. How exciting is that? 

But I have only felt this way for the past 10 years. I was not this person before. It would be hard for me to watch others succeed, I would be anxious and get down on myself for being in the place I was. I felt behind or felt being left behind. Until one human showed me a different way.  After meeting him, I realized there is room for everyone to achieve whatever greatness means in their life. We always achieve more together than we do apart, even if it is from afar. 

Today, I am cheering this human on. Not only is it his birthday week but he is doing great things no matter who is watching or who is cheering him on because he loves to do it. I am so proud to know him and he deserves to be celebrated. 

Watch The Gemini perform HERE and celebrate him with me. 

#Inputs | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

~AE

 

"Life is Art" Weekly Wisdom

 

This past fall, I went on an amazing trip to Italy with my heartbeats. We knew it was going to be a trip full of culture and experiences but I had no idea I was going to get an education in art and architecture. On our trip, we had an expert who was there to help us understand all the amazing things we were going to see. Theresa, a professor and PhD, had the most sincere passion for Italian medieval and Renaissance art and architectural history that her favorite artist, Bernini, makes her cry every time she sees his work. To love something she has studied and has devoted her life to, made me take a hard look at what I am doing in my own life. 

 In college, I took an art/drawing class as an elective to get my mind focused on something else besides science. It is one of my two favorite classes I ever took in college (the other being creative writing which now makes me think I maybe majored in the wrong thing? ) The class was in a beautiful building with amazing warm light and the most zen atmosphere. It was a breath of fresh air to be out of the dark and starchy walls of the endless labs I was in. But what I loved most of all, was learning about art, history and the techniques used in drawing were available to me but it was all me. It was my ability to interpret and create art. I never felt like a failure in that class because the lessons were naturally absorbed resulting in the work being created by me on my own canvas. I believe to this day, I must blend my creative side to balance out my science side. 

In a world where we have so much going on, it’s important to find the open warm spaces, to feel free, to be moved by the beauty around us and to let our creativity flow. Being human, we have many gifts bestowed upon us and we should be open on they can make our world a little more of a creation of our own. 

#Inputs | #Embracethehellyeah

~AE

"Stick to the Plan" Weekly Wisdom

 

True confession:  I am notorious for having grand plans, mapping them out to execute and then..... not following through. It is a horrible pattern in my life. And the plans are good!  Well thought out, reasonably easy to complete and then my momentum fades. "The best laid plans of mice and men" seems to be the story of my life. 

But today, this shall be no more!  I have started making plans and I have all intentions to stick to them. I am starting small though because I do not want to overshoot my shot. I am starting with home projects like cleaning my patio cushions and refinishing my patio table. The week before this happens, I am making the plan, reserving the time in my calendar and sticking to the plan. 

My hope is to create the momentum that lasts instead of fades. I have spent way to many years in a state of horrible execution and I feel defeated. When in the midst of life life-ing, there are a plethora of plans that do not happen - could be because of a personal or professional curveball being thrown into your life. We cannot stop or change those BUT we can still make short term plans to keep us on course. 

I am starting with the short term plans and none of my plans have a rigid, fancy step by step guide. I am actually tackling that patio sitch today and knowing by doing so, I am going to continue to chip away at my very important long term plans as well. 

The plans are made and I am sticking to them. 

#Inputs | #EmbracetheHellYeah

~AE