What Are You Passionate About?

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200 words, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, integrity, joy, life, mission, passion, Purpose, true to yourself, vision, world issues

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How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.

– Coco Chanel

I once asked a man what he was passionate about and he replied, leadership. “Leadership of what?” I asked. “I just want to be a leader, it doesn’t matter what.”

I could be wrong, but that sounds a bit like a power grab to me.

It’s a bit sad, if you ask me. But it’s not an unusual answer.

So many of us seek the most coveted position, which isn’t a bad thing if we’re seeking it in an area that we are passionate about and we have the gift-set, but when we want it just for the sake of having it, we will find ourselves in an excruciating uphill journey that feels mostly like trying to run quickly under water.

Worst of all, we’ll not be happy with the experience.

Co Co had it right. I think she knew well that putting aside our wish to be something, and seeking to be true to who we are and act from where we are passionate, immediately releases us from unnecessary cares.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

So, what are you passionate about?

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The Little House Sparrow

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courage, Diana Schwenk, dreams, Fear, God, kindness, living in the moment, love, My Creator, Purpose, trust, vulnerability

This morning, just before I awoke, I dreamt of a little House Sparrow.

She appears suddenly from behind the curtain in my living room. As I wonder how I might best get her back outside, she flies toward me and lands on my hand which is casually propped up by my elbow on the armrest of my chair.

Amazed and delighted by her courage, I chance a quick look at her, not wanting to scare her. Her little heart is pounding; she does not look at me. In an instant I know that she knows her only way out of this dilemma is me. I could be her savior or I could be the end of her. She has concluded, however, that at least she has a chance of getting back out if she just gathers up her courage and trusts me.

“Open the window,” I say.

And then I woke up.

It occurs to me now, as I reflect on this dream, how often I have found myself in a situation where I have had to let go of my fear and trust the one, who could both save me and destroy me, to get me out of my dilemma.

Wishing you all a happy Sunday filled with trust and gratitude!  ❤

Diana xo

How To Set The World On Fire

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200 words, authentic, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, grace, Gratitude, growing up, happy, History, joy, life, mission, passion, Purpose, That thing you're meant to do, true to yourself, vision

Be who you were created to be and you will set the world on fire.

St. Catherine of Siena

There was a time when it was considered good and sensible to accept one’s lot in life with grace and gratitude. A time when if your father was a servant, it would follow that you would be a servant, and your son would be a servant.

These days, we tell ourselves that we can be whoever we want to be. Some folks achieve their dreams, many don’t.

I wonder have we set ourselves up for failure and ultimately, a life of misery because of it?

Just as with any stream of contemporary thought in any given time in human history, when we examine our ideals over a long period of time, we discover that the pendulum has swung from one extreme to another.

So I find myself thinking it best that the pendulum rest somewhere in the middle.

That it doesn’t have to be completely this way or that.

That purpose can be found in this way AND that.

That any person using their unique gifts can set their world on fire; no matter their station in life.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Those Blue Shorts Dad Used to Wear

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British Columbia, Canada, Dad, Diana Schwenk, dreams, family, growing up, Hump Day Chronicles, Life's like that, love, memories, Mom, parents, Pinantan Lake, Relationships, Stuff my parents used to say and do

The other day in the early hours of the morning I was sleeping and in my dream Dad was waking me up. I opened my eyes and he was wearing those blue shorts he used to wear and an undershirt. It was a younger version of Dad and he was handing me a gift…

I woke up thinking, I got to remember this dream and the gift. Later in the day I’d forgotten the gift. I should have written it down when I woke up.

“Those blue shorts. Man I saw him clear as day in that dream,”  I thought to myself. And then yesterday after work,  I remembered I had a picture of him, wearing those shorts and an undershirt!

Mom was always good at taking pictures. I still joke that if I go to the bathroom, I have to lock the door to prevent Mom from coming in to take a picture. But back in 1985, Mom and Dad came to visit me in Pinantan Lake. They’d flown to Calgary, rented a car and drove through the Rocky Mountains to see me.

Mom with Dad wearing those blue shorts and undershirt

Dad, me and Mom at Paul Lake

Me, Shannon and Dad

Mom and Dad on the last day of their visit to Pinantan Lake

It occurs to me as I write  this post, that Dad was two years younger than I am today back then and in my dream it’s sort of like two peers connected for a moment in time. And maybe that’s all the gift I really need to remember. I miss you so much Dad, thanks for visiting in my dreams.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Have you ever looked at picture of your parents at the age you are now and wondered what it would have been like to hang out with them as peers?

Where Are You? What Time Is It? What Are You?

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200 words, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, Fear, growing up, integrity, kindness, living in the moment, love, peace, Peaceful Warrior, Purpose, Relationships

Nothing is worth more than this day.

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

…or more precisely perhaps, than this moment.

Children know this. All you have to do is watch them happy at play and you’ll see it. They are alive in the moment. Nothing else exists. The joy of this very moment is written all over their wide-eyed little faces.

Recently, I saw the movie, Peaceful Warrior. In a nutshell it’s about a cocky, but talented college gymnast who ends up having a bad accident that ruins his shot at the Olympics. While he’s feeling sorry for himself, he meets a stranger who changes his way of thinking. He teaches the gymnast that a warrior never gives up on what he loves. He does what he loves in the moment, without thought of where he’ll end up. He cares about others. There is no greater purpose than service.

At the movie’s end, the gymnast is about to try out for the Olympics and he hears the stranger’s voice ask three questions which he answers as follows:

Where are you? Here.

What time is it? Now.

What are you? This moment

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Those questions have stuck with me

My First Father’s Day Without You

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daughters, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, family, fathers-day, growing up, Heinz Schwenk, joy, laughter, life, living in the moment, loss, love, memories, parents, Relationships, Stuff my parents used to say and do

I’m thirsty Dad.

Nice to meet you Thursday. I’m Friday, come over Saturday and we’ll have a Sunday.

Heinz Schwenk

Today is my first Father’s Day without you. The beginning of many firsts without you. Yes, I’m a bit sad about that Dad, but I don’t want to talk about that today. Because I am the luckiest woman in the world.

I am incredibly grateful for having had you in my life. You always made me feel so important and cherished. From day one I knew you were in my corner; even when I was wrong.

You’ve only been gone seven months. Gone yet not really gone. I still see you everywhere. I catch a glimpse of you in the mirror. You grace me with your presence in my dreams. And Dad, the other day an older gentleman who had your walk and your playful facial expression stopped in his tracks and looked at me. It made me smile. I know how blessed I was to have you as my father.

You’re in a better place now, free from pain.

I know you’re ok Dad.

And I want you to know I’m ok too, thanks to you.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

What If You Don’t Know What You Want?

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200 words, believe, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, Fear, happy, life, Life's like that, love, mission, passion, Purpose, vision

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.

Mark Twain

We’ve been told that we should pursue our purpose.

But what if you don’t know what your purpose is?

I had dinner with an old friend last night to celebrate her newly acquired PhD. I’m proud of her, it’s been a long time coming!

This is an exciting time for her, but now what? Now that it’s done she wonders what she should do next; realizing she is no longer happy in her current job.

A job that I once had came up in the conversation. It was my first position after having left a career I had loved. I soon knew that this new position wasn’t the job for me. But having signed a contract I stayed for a year, all the while learning important skills I would need when I launched The Other Bottom Line. And I loved the work I did with my consultancy, all of it, except the marketing of myself!

I guess sometimes knowing what you don’t want is the beginning of understanding what you really want.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

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alive, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, Fear, inspiration, life, longing, love, pain, poetry, true to yourself

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesnt interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moment.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

A Leap of Faith

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200 words, believe, community, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, Fear, growing up, happy, health, integrity, joy, living in the moment, mission, no regrets, Purpose, true to yourself, vision

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~ Anaïs Nin 

When you take a leap in faith to follow your heart, you do so knowing that there is no guarantee that you will succeed.

Often, when you finally do pursue your dream, it’s because it has become too unbearable for you to remain docile in a particular situation or way of being. For whatever reason, you resolve that change is needed.

And so you calculate the risk.

Is it what I really want? Is it worth pursuing even if nothing comes of it? What are the pros and cons of taking this risk? What might I lose? What might I gain?

All growth seems to happen when it becomes uncomfortable to remain where and how you are. And whether it manifests itself the way you hoped it would or not, growth always adds value, sometimes it even leads to more than you envisioned.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What’s the most important risk you ever took? Did it work out the way you hoped it would? What did you learn through the process?

If You Want to be Happy…

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200 words, believe, caring, community, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, growing up, happy, health, joy, kindness, laughter, life, living in the moment, love, mission, Purpose, Relationships, vision

Rules for Happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for. – Immanuel Kant

If you want to be happy you need to have purpose.

You need to have a shtick, that thing that you do that makes a difference in this world and has great meaning to you.

Your purpose.

Your calling.

Your mission.

Your service to others.

To be happy, you need to be connected.

You need to love people and be loved by people.

And even when they correct you, when they call bullshit on you, it’s ok, because you know they love you.

You know they’ll always be there for you and you’ll always be there for them.

To be happy you need something to hope for.

There’s got to be more. Always.

You need to believe in something bigger than yourself.

You need to dream, to work toward a vision for the future.

You need to have faith that it will all work together for the good, that it will come to be, maybe different or even better than you imagined, even though you may not yet have all the skills or know-how or support to make it so.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~