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Welcome to September!
It's 'back to school' time. No matter how old I get, September's crisp clear days fill me with a feeling that it's time to 'get back to work' and start new endeavors.
Who can forget 'back to school' shopping? With anticipation we'd buy the clothes that would take us through the next 9 months of our life. Of course we'd also go pick out the new backpack, Peechees (remember those?), notebooks, paper and pens that would collectively form the crucible within which all the year's homework would be accomplished. It always felt new and exciting - every single September!
New clothes, notebooks, stacks of blank paper all create the feeling of 'possibility.' That's what autumn always symbolizes to me: POSSIBILITY and NEW BEGINNINGS.
As the days get cooler and darker, remember that now is the time to take on something new. It's time for all of us to go 'back to school' in some form or fashion.
Embrace the next step on your path the way a kid launches into a new school year! |
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~ Inspiration for the Path ~
"The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be." ~ Horace Bushnell "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
"If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster." ~ Anonymous
Firefighters and policemen risk their lives every day. Won't you risk something once and a while?
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Learning for Life
Embracing Learning as a Way of Life
I can't imagine life without learning new things. I wouldn't want to imagine it!
I once was asked to mentor a student who was in a formal program of study that I had completed a few years earlier. This student was quite a few years older than me and seemed to be a bit 'resentful' of my role as her 'mentor.'
For me a mentor can be many things. The primary role of a mentor, as I see it, is to be an encourager. I mentor others by simply supporting them on their journey. I believe in them and remind them, in times of doubt, that they can make it! That is always my primary goal. If I happen to 'know anything' that helps along the way, so much the better.
This woman made it clear to me from the start that I had nothing to teach her. I'll never forget her words, "I've learned all my lessons. I'm a crone."
All I could think was, how sad it would be to think that I had 'learned it all.' It's incredibly arrogant to believe we could learn everything there is to learn, even about ourselves. Life is an unlimited opportunity to learn.
If life goes along as it should, we learn, change and grow each and every day.
How much growth and learning we do is entirely up to us. With a 'know it all' or 'unteachable' attitude, we greatly limit ourselves.
As for me, I never want to stop learning! I hope that I learn something new every day of my life.
I'm always reading books, taking classes, watching documentaries and observing the world around me. There is so much wonder; so much opportunity to expand our horizons. I truly believe it is one of the great joys of life.
Not only is learning fun - it keeps our brains active and sharp as we grow older. I believe it is truly one of the 'fountains of youth' that we have available to us.
I was delighted, and honored, to find that I share a name with a woman who actually embodies the love of education. Nola Ochs made it into the Guinness Book of World Records two years ago, when she became the oldest person to graduate college at 95 years of age! GO NOLA! It took her more than 30 years to complete her degree. Her goal at graduation was to become a story teller on cruise ships and see the world. I bet she'd have some amazing stories to tell!
You can watch a little video clip of Nola on Youtube:
Nola - the Oldest College GraduateLearning is a great gift that all of us have access to in this life. Make the most of the opportunity and embrace the 'back to school' spirit this September. Set some goals for this 'school year' to study something that interests you. You are never too old and it's never too late. The time will pass anyway. What will you have when the time has passed? That is entirely up to you! Get busy learning! | |
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Inspired Path® Living Blog
Each week day, I use my blog to share my thoughts and spiritual perspective on the events going on in the world - both close by and around the globe.
Through my blog I seek to inspire, uplift and stimulate ever widening and deepening perspectives on life and how to best live it. I invite you to check it out!
Here's what one reader recently shared with me:
"Nola, just a note to let you know how much I've been enjoying your blog each day! I love and relate to so many of them! Your writings give me something special to read and consider each day, and I make it a point to start out with that before I hit the daily job search. I find the stories and lessons stay with me, long after I've read them. Thank you for what you do!" www.inspiredpath.blogspot.com | |
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Inspirational Song
Set Me in Motion
Bruce Hornsby/Hans Zimmer
Music is a huge part of my personal and spiritual growth process. I use music every single day for motivation, inspiration, and as a tonic when I need comfort and encouragement.
I chose a song from the soundtrack of this month's movie selection, Backdraft. "Set Me in Motion" by Bruce Hornsby.
I think its a great song about being stuck and scared and breaking free from those chains to do what needs to be done.
So often in life we let our fears stop us from doing what we need and want to do. We 'stand still' and don't move at all because we don't believe we can do what lies before us.
At times we need to be motivated by the needs of others in order to get started on something. What we won't do for ourselves, sometimes we will do for another person. I like that part of this song's message, 'Whenever you need me... just reach out and set me in motion."
This song reminds us that it's possible to start at any time. It's never too late. We can always begin...again... and again.
Here are some excerpts from the song lyrics:
Sit there with a blank expression
Say you can't go on anymore
It's not like me to come out and help you
Maybe I've been down this road before
Been living in the shadows
Now you hear the call
Now you're in the saddle
You got to ride or fall
Now you push a little harder
Like I showed you to
There's a day you'll be calling
And I'll look to you
Some are gonna go for broke
Some are gonna lay down
I've been too long
Standing still
All I know is whenever you need me
You just reach out and set me in motion
You can listen to the song on Rhapsody at this link:
"Set Me in Motion" by Bruce Hornsby
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Nola's Movie Pick
BACKDRAFT
Movies are one of my favorite ways to relax and inspire myself! Many movies have profound messages for us, embedded within the stories they tell.
Backdraft is a fictional story about two brothers, Stephen and Brian McCaffrey who are firefighters in Chicago. Their father before them was also a firefighter who died in the line of duty when the brothers were young boys.
It is an interesting and entertaining look inside the personal lives and struggles of the men and women who put their lives on the line for the rest of us, each and every day.
Stephen "Bull" is a hot shot firefighter who leads his station, the "Fighting 17th". He is known for his commitment, courage, successful record, as well as for sometimes taking enormous risks.
Brian, Stephen's younger brother, witnessed his father's death in a fire at an early age and struggles to find his way in the world. He returns to Chicago after a number of 'careers' for a second try at being a firefighter. He's assigned to his brother, Stephen's station house.
Through this excellent Ron Howard film and stellar performances by Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland and Robert De Niro, we witness the complex relationship between these two brothers, the impact of their father's death and their own career choice makes on their relationships and personal lives. We also get a fascinating glimpse into the world of firefighters and the enormous bravery that they display every time they go to work.
Where would we be without people who are willing to take these sorts of risks for others in peril? Police officers and firefighters do so much for all of us!
One of the messages of this film for me is about the importance of loyalty and commitment to a team. They use a phrase several times in the movie, "You go... We go," that refers to the code of conduct and honor that guides these firefighters. They simply won't give up on 'one of their own' who is in a bad situation. If one guy is holding on to another to keep him from falling to his death, he simply won't let go; even if it means losing his own life. The firefighters know they can absolutely count on each other to do EVERYTHING they can to save one another in bad situations.
That kind of commitment and loyalty is all to often unseen in this world of ours. It deserves respect and admiration.
If you're up for an inspiring and entertaining film, give Backdraft a try.
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Enjoy the crisp days and 'new beginning' that is available this September to every school kid and to all the rest of us if we but claim it.
If you happen across a police officer or a firefighter... say "Thank you!"
Embrace the POSSIBILITY and the NEW BEGINNING that this September offers! |
Nola Drazdoff
Inspired Path, Inc. |
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