September 2010
Inspired Path Inc. E-Newsletter
 
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Nola Drazdoff
In This Issue
Welcome to September
Inspiration for the Path
1000 Details
Inspirational Song
Nola's Movie Pick
Useful Links
 
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Welcome to September!
Here we are again, at the beginning of the 'back to school' season. September always kick starts my brain somehow. I feel like it's time to learn something new. All those years of starting new school years has conditioned my mind to 'expect' to learn something when the autumn chill sets in.

Life long learning is one of the great gifts of human life. It is never to late to learn something new, cultivate new skills and expand our horizons.

As the kids buy their school clothes, backpacks and notebooks, give some thought to something that you would like to learn. Read a book. Take a class. Converse with someone who knows something you don't. Let the energy of all the 'new starts' motivate your own enthusiasm for expansion!

Happy autumn!
 

~ Inspiration for the Path ~

"Do not let trifles disturb your tranquillity of mind... Life is too precious to be sacrificed for the nonessential and transient... Ignore the inconsequential."
       ~ Grenville Kleiser 

"When you have gone so far that you can't manage one more step, then you've gone just half the distance that you're capable of."
~ Greenland Proverb 
 
"Two men looked out of the prison bars; The one saw mud; the other saw stars." 
~ Frederick Langbridge

1000 Details

What it Takes to Open the Door

 
This past month, I have been helping a young relative prepare to start his college career at a state university. For several reasons, the preparation that should have happened over the course of many months, has been compressed into a very short span of time. It has been an exhausting whirlwind of activities for him and for me.

What amazes me is the number of details that must be attended to. Each simple tasks has many other tasks upon which it depends. The intricacies of all the dependencies and required sequencing of activities has been dizzying at times.

One of the complex processes has been determining his schedule and attempting to plan out the next four years of coursework to achieve his desired degree. Each required course has pre-requisites. Many of the courses are only offered in specific quarters of the year. It is no small task to plan all of this out.

At times the 'to do' list has seemed impossible to handle. Both of us have become weary at times and cranky as well. Yet, through it all, I KNOW what is at stake and I KNOW, from personal experience, just how amazing his experience will be when he gets to school and begins this great adventure. It is almost like there is a price to be paid for the privilege of attending college. All this busy work, hoop jumping and coordination are the gatekeepers to see how motivated you really are to undertake a four year course of study at a university.

Having had a fantastic and successful college career motivates me to help this kid get the chance to do the same. When he doubts whether it's worth it to do all this stuff, my own experience inspires me to keep the fire burning and move him forward. I know it's worth it!

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Everything in life has a price. It's up to us to pay that price in order to have the experiences that we seek. 

As I prepare to launch my young friend into his grand adventure, part of me wishes I was going with him. College was a challenging and exhilarating time for me. Another part of me is thrilled that those days are behind me and I am engaged in other pursuits.

The benefit for me, is to be reminded of the satisfaction of working hard for something and then watching it unfold before my eyes. Perseverance pays off! Stick with it and hang in there! Work for what you want, never give up and watch it come to you.

Inspirational Song

Beggar on a Beach of Gold
Mike & the Mechanics
 
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.

This is an old song that has always picked me up when I feel down. It reminds us that we have far more than we realize if we will simply open our eyes and widen our perspective. Powerful and true lyrics. Take a listen! 
 
Here is an excerpt from the song lyrics:

When I was searching for solutions
I found the answer lay in me
I'm a drifter
But I'm drifting on a silver sea

Oh lord I'm a poor man
With all the riches I can hold
I'm a beggar
And I'm sitting on a beach of gold

I didn't have courage
My life was as dark as night
When alone in the darkness
I saw the brightest light
Let the light shine down

Are you out there now on empty
Feel you've nothing left to give
Sick of trying
Have you lost the will to live?

Don't be drowning in the shallows
With the beach so near at hand
Hear the voice say
Stand up get up
And join me on the gilded sand

Listen to the song here on Youtube: 

Nola's Movie Pick

The Secret Life of Bees

 Secret Life of Bees DVD Cover

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.

 

The Secret Life of Bees is a marvelous movie about the unique and intriguing power of women. The healing light and love that women possess, share with each other and the world is a beautiful thing. In this story, Lily Owens is a 14 year old teenager being raised by an angry and abusive father. Lily mourns the tragic death of her mother and struggles to find security and peace while coping with her lonely and troubled life. The scene is 1964 South Carolina. Lily rescues her black housekeeper from incarceration, after a racially sparked attack against the woman. As the two women flee their own forms of persecution and unhappiness, they come across a family of three black sisters who raise bees and sell honey. As these four special woman surround Lily with their love and support, she begins to make peace with her past and find her way into a hopeful future that can sustain her.

 

This is powerful and moving film. It touches on the themes of child abuse, domestic violence, racism, sisterhood, friendship and love. A must see!

 
 
 
Inspired PathLiving Blog
Each week day, I use my blog to share my thoughts and spiritual perspective on this thing called life.
 
I invite you to check it out:

www.inspiredpath.blogspot.com
Happy Fall! Go learn something!
Nola Drazdoff
Inspired Path, Inc.