Motivational Quote: We are gifted for something

“We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”

I am in my last few weeks of the semester and business graduate school is testing my patience, abilities, and sanity. While I do LOVE LEARNING, I am beginning to realize that the classroom is not necessarily the best, or ONLY, outlet for learning that will fulfill me anymore. Recently, I feel an overwhelming sense of anxious energy building up inside me. It just needs to get out and get to work, literally! I am starting to feel more like an adult than ever before, almost like some amazing job is just calling me to come find it and become the best I can be. I know it sounds cliche, but I have this desire to get out and make a difference; in my life and the lives of others. I know there is something out there for me, something that I am going to do exceptionally well in, and I am just dying to figure out what that is and how I can get there, FAST! The quote is true, whatever the cost (ahem, try schooling for almost 20 years of my life?) that THING (amazing future career) must be attained.

I am on my way to attaining it. Just watch me. :)

I NEED HELP DECIDING!!!

>>>I NEED HELP DECIDING ON WHICH PICTURE IS BEST<<<

So my "assignment" due this week in my *amazing* photography 101 class is supposed to be one picture that describes your job or hobby... so I took some at the wedding we did this past weekend. I have narrowed my selection down to 5... I need your help in deciding which one *Only One* that I am going to send to my instructor by tomorrow!!!

PLEASE look over these and just from your perspective which one do you think looks the best? I am an event planner at an event production & catering company, so I was aiming to showcase an interesting part of an event...


#1: Flowers on cheese display


#2: Centerpiece with Bride & Groom's Champagne Glasses


#3: Top view of centerpiece with Bride & Groom's Champagne Glasses


#4: Another view with the cake in the background


#5: Just a flower I played with my camera settings on.. not really "event" related but I liked it


PLEASE comment and let me know which one you think suits my assignment best and looks the best too ;)

*THANK YOU*

"The only way to enjoy anything in this life is to earn it first."

I just took my first Photography class (101) this week!! *so excited* Although I only have a little point-and-shoot (Sony Cyber-shot.. I'm not knocking it, it really is great) I am still learning a lot and actually using settings on my 'little one' that I have never ventured to use or ever understood before (yes, I call him little one because he is like my child. he goes everywhere with me. I use him more than my cell phone. He must be homosexual, I mean come on he obviously knows the best shots to take and he is pink... *smile*)

I have tried different shots, of different things, using the different settings and just *experimenting* so far.. I like being able to find a subject and practice various settings to make the picture come out better. That, I feel, is the only way I will ever get "better" at it on the first snap or two.. practice. But, I will admit that practice is hard work. I mean even though I might be doing something I really enjoy, the whole process takes time and effort... but that is what makes it good AND worthwhile. You put your heart into it add time + effort + honest commitment and you will find yourself happily encouraged and performing to the best of your abilities. Plus, it feels great. Have you ever really worked toward something? I mean really put your heart & soul & effort into something you were passionate about and gave it your all? Not something half-ass you were made to do and you just scraped by, but something you really got into and were proud of afterward? I am looking to take on this "state of mind" in all that I do...

So my quote for today is: "The only way to enjoy anything in this life is to earn it first."

You can really apply this to any situation in life. Whether it is related to a trade you are learning *like my photography* or even opening your mind to new ideas in life *say, relationship improvement* you have to accept that it all will take time and effort. But, once you truly work on it and EARN it for yourself it will feel like you just won a million dollars.

And I think that is totally worth it *smile*

Here are a few of my "new shots"... they don't look much different than everything else I have ever taken, but I can tell my mind is expanding and they WILL be better soon!:

This second one is where I am taking my Photography Class *smile*

Oh, don't worry there will be many many more...

So I like this quote I heard today. I have heard it a few times before and always thought it was kinda *corny* even though I usually LOVE corny stuff. David *my amazing bf* and I were watching our usual nightly line-up of Seinfeld & Family Guy and I heard the quote. Stewie said it...

"If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're right."

The more I really think about this saying the more I like it, the more it really means something. I try to think about it in real life situations and honestly, I completely believe it. The power of the mind is so intense. You do have control over how situations play out in your life according to how you think about it and how you really want it to work.

I told David this. I reminded him of it and will continue to, but mostly because of his current situation. David is an amazing person. He is smart and sensitive and funny. I really could not have found a more perfect guy.. for me. We are so unbelievably compatible and I know with that, plus having the same interests and morals and values, we will be able to get through anything together. *more about David & me later* .....He is incredibly intelligent. He is a network engineer.. yea, I try to be funny and tell my friends he is my "computer nerd" and he DOES NOT think that is funny... because he works on NETWORKS, not computers. *hehe* He has invested SOOO much $$ and SOOO many long hours in studying for this ^Expert^ exam. He is taking his test Thursday so he can get his "number" and be deemed a ***C.C.I.E*** (yes, that required all of those asterisks). This is a BIG DEAL. Such a BIG DEAL that he has been a slave to all his equipment for weeks straight studying... and studying... and studying... well, he has gotten to the point of no return (really cause I am taking him to the airport tomorrow, so he has no choice) and I think his big brain is so overloaded he is thinking negatively. I will not allow that. #1 because I know he smart enough to pass it, but #2 because I really believe in the power of positive influence.

I want to be his positive influence.

So, I related it to him, just like Stewie said... "Babe, you have to think & know you will pass because that in itself will help you pass. If you think negatively like you won't, you are just ruining it for yourself before you even get a chance to take it." Geez I mean at least pretend you think you can and make you mind happy.. I just completely believe staying positive will help boost his adrenaline and confidence and calm his mind, so he can breeze through it, PASS, and come back home to me ;)


Moral of the story is... STAY POSITIVE in all you do. It may be hard at times not to doubt yourself or situation, but just remember... there is such a *power in positive influence*, even just within yourself. So think optimistically, and know you have the control in your life. Mind over matter, and heart over it all *smile*

David & Me in front of our house :)

The true feeling of a heartbeat

First I would like to start off with a big Thank You to my new friend *Jen.* I have gotten some great feedback from Jen, which I appreciate greatly. One thing really sticks out in my mind is the quote/relation to life that Jen wrote. It truly inspired me..

"One way I like to think about the passage of time is in ‘heartbeats of life’ rather than in seconds. For me, this puts a whole new perspective on the value of my time. One way that I use to get my friends to think about this kind of special time is to ask them to hold their breath for 10 seconds. For sure, it has an interesting way of letting people know what 6 to 20 heartbeats feels like, and how precious the time is for each one."

I think this is amazing. I have always wanted to be able to explain the feeling & value of a heartbeat to others, but really all you can do is lead them to learn how to listen so they can understand it for themselves.

Time is the first thing that comes to mind. How often do you really sit down, breath, touch your chest, and listen to your heart beat? Probably rarely, if ever. I would like to encourage you to do it once in a while. Seriously. I know, I know.. you are thinking, oh this is just a silly "trying to soothe my thoughts kind of BS" and really I am too busy to try to get into "that kind of mood." But you honestly don't know how relaxing it is until you give it a try. You will see after this little "exercise" how important it is for you to take a moment and acknowledge this precious thing we have inside us. It gives you peace of mind, serenity, a calm sense of power, and encourages you to consider a new perspective on the value of time.

So now- Sit down, breathe in and out a few times to relax. Try to free your mind of anything negative *just for a minute... longer if you can* close your eyes, and place your hand on your heart *that is your right hand to the middle-to-left part of your upper chest, just in case you haven't said the pledge of allegiance in a while.. smile*

Next, try to breath slowly and softly so you can feel the tiny pulses on your hand that are coming from inside you. They may be going fast, they may be going slow, but just take time to actually feel. This is life. This is you. This is a feeling that no one else can describe to you. You can only feel it for yourself....

To me, I feel the beats and I start to think about the passing of time, the value of it, ..and it makes me realize how important this time passing me by is. Day in and day out of our hectic & exciting lives, we sometimes forget to realize how fast time really is passing us by. Although we can't stop the clock, or give ourselves more time for things we need to get done, we can give ourselves the lesson of how precious every second is. Feel your heartbeat and I promise you will slow down once in a while to appreciate the time you do have.

The other KEY lesson to all of this is *learning to interpret things on our own.* The older I get, the more I realize that this heartbeat description/analogy is how all of life works. When I look back I am starting to see the times when my mom wanted soo badly to just tell me how to do something, or how explain how she knew I would feel about something before it happened.. but she couldn't. You can't make someone feel something without actually letting them experience it for themselves. You can explain a feeling in the most detailed way, but it is always just your way, coming from inside of you. Until that person has come to personally feel an emotion, or be put in a situation themselves, they will never be able to fully grasp what you are trying to "make" them feel.

Perfect example in the above heartbeat instance.

You can describe how a heartbeat feels to YOU & the value of time that it teaches YOU, but no other person will be able to define it for themselves until they stop to feel & truly listen... *breathe* *heartbeat* *smile*

BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING.. *good & bad*

See time just flies by... where did it go? I am going to have to make a goal to update my blog everyday with at least ONE inspiring thing. Today's will be about being *grateful.* Honestly, I know we all have a lot to complain about these days... "everything is so terrible, why are things so wrong, everything is so unfair"... but you know what, that silly saying about "if you spent .5678 amount of time thinking good thoughts as you do bad thoughts, things would be better.." it might actually BE TRUE if we all tried it once in a while...

Really, if you are in a FUNK and can't get your mind off of something that seems so horrible in your life *I know I did this for a long time last night* try thinking of one thing about THAT situation that has brought about something good... I KNOW IT IS HARD, isn't it? Believe me there are so many times I just want to *and do* SCREAM about something in life that is "unfair" to me. Then I think, maybe that something was put in your life to help you get through something else. Maybe that something that is so awful has made you a better & stronger person just by you having to deal with it. Ever think of it like that? Oh, and then there are people who say "yes, I have tried this too and I don't see ANYTHING good, not even ONE THING that can even possibly be ok or beneficial about this situation." Well those people are either giving up on someone or something before even giving it a chance, or they are not accepting the little chance they do give it as the beginning to a solution. You have to have FAITH in all you do. And I am not even speaking about religious Faith *even though that is very helpful too* but you have to believe that *Things Happen For A Reason.* Whether you see them or not, whether they are presented to you at that moment or later on, you have to have faith in knowing there is ALWAYS something good to come out of something bad. No matter what. You know, I have had a few friends pass away in my short life so far, and never would I say it is justifiable to loose people in your life, but there is an ultimate plan that fits all the puzzles pieces *good, and bad, and ugly pieces* all into place. No one knows why, and many time it is SO UNFAIR, but you can't live your life asking WHY WHY WHY, WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF... because if you did *and people who do this know* that it is a WASTE OF TIME. You are RUINING the time you have to figure out what is supposed to be teaching you, and what you can learn from it, by not accepting it. When you have a problem in your life, the BEST thing you can do is just accept it. Say "ok, shit, this is a problem. I hate it and it is so unfair. But now that I see it and I admit how awful it is, I can't just sit here and POUT because then I will only feel worse and make others around me feel negative. What can I do to get through this? What can I do to make this HUGE HORRIBLE feeling lessen each and every day?"

And it is hard.

It isn't going to be something easy like "oh I just won't think about it" because you do, and when you do you don't want to fall back into that WHY/WHAT IF waste of a life... Just breathe, think about how BAD it is to have the negative mentality and how much it pushes others away. Regain strength and composure and find a statement or a quote that will help you recover from that looming relapse... I personally like, " I am only going to be a weaker person thinking negative thoughts all the time and I would never want to be around me. Start being the person I would always want to surround myself with..."

That is just a mentality that gets and keeps me motivated. I think about how I can be better for those around me.

I also like a quote I saw recently...
"Remedy it, or welcome it: a wise man's only two choices." ~The Quote Garden

That hits home because life really is about picking a lesser of two evils at any point and time. You can choose to fix something or welcome something. Either way you have to deal with it. Letting something be pushed away and hidden is only going to make it harder to deal with when it creeps back up, and inevitably it will. It always does. So deal with it now, so when it DOES come back around the 2nd, 3rd, 4th time, you will be unphased by it because of your confidence.

I love that *confident* feeling. You know, the one you feel when you encounter a problem situation that has been around the block before... and it used to *still possibly could* REALLY bother you... but because you have this renewed sense of confidence with the situation because you previously *took it by the horns* so to speak- and dealt with it. you know exactly where to go to gather that feeling again make yourself realize HOW STUPID it would be to lose the confidence battle to something that isn't worth your precious time. You are a better person for getting through it and every single time it comes up and you fight it, you keep taking steps *full strides* to overcoming that negative situation all together.

*I guess you realize by now that I am in one of those negative situations at times. I am working everyday on overcoming it and keeping that built up confidence against it.*

So, anyways, today's lesson was all about being Grateful for those NEGATIVE situations and over coming them little by little. If you never had them, you would never have that power & confidence you built up while overcoming them. Now all you have left is that amazing feeling of control and those stupid things seem like silly nothings... *hopefully*


;)

My First Blog.. this year

Wow. I haven't had a blog *and actually kept up with it* since freshman year in college.. back then I had a lot of free time on my hands & I would write about EVERYTHING and post pictures of EVERYTHING, even random stuff like my roommate and I grocery shopping... hahahaha, I know, just sad.

But now are the days of actually working, per say (really it's my *internship* but damn it's as much, if not more work than working, minus getting a paycheck.. uh-huh I'm the free help...) Anyway, I don't have as much "free time" as before, but that isn't stopping me from sharing my life with others who care to indulge in it ;)

I decided to title my blog Aspiring to Inspire. I want to have an impact on others. Maybe it isn't saving their life in a hospital or writing a life-changing book series, but I have always had a drive to touch those around me. I am STILL figuring out what the hell I am going to do with my life and what direction I need to go in next.. *yes I am only 23, but time is f-l-y-i-n-g by* All I really know at this moment is that I like to interact with people. I have a passion for expressing myself in a way that intrigues others, inspiring them to be the best they can be. I am inspired by random things- everyday, and hopefully I can do the same for everyone who cross my path.

So here is to the old Claire, in a new time, with a new blog, and an undoubtedly interesting life! I guess you'll just have to wait and see...

If you don't feel like waiting you can start checking out my gallery of pictures. Those are continually updated too. www.gallery.me.com/c.e.m