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~ Igniting the power and passion in others…

talktodiana

Tag Archives: inspiration

Trust

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by dianasschwenk in Hump Day Chronicles, My Stories

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Diana Schwenk, grateful, Hump Day Chronicles, inspiration, integrity, loyalty, peace, self-awareness, trust

mechanic

You know that feeling you get when you are able to trust a person or business; that sense of calm and ‘all is well in the world-ness’ that washes over you?

I’ve never been big on trust. For most of my life I thought I was – you know as in, “everyone starts with a clean slate and I take them at face value until they prove otherwise.”

It’s funny how you can be so wrong about yourself. It took a friend, a few years back to point out that I actually make people work, so to speak, to earn my trust. I’m not demanding about it or anything, but I do stand back and cautiously observe a person or service provider before I fully place my trust in them.

But once I trust, like my father before me, I am fiercely loyal to the person or business in which I place my trust.

A visit to my mechanic yesterday is what prompted me to write about trust today. I’ve heard many stories of women being taken advantage of when it comes to car maintenance; being charged for things they don’t really need, for example.

Over the years, the place I go to deal with my car woes has proven to me that they have integrity by the service they provide and their honesty in regards to what is needed and what is not. And that gives me peace, for which I am so grateful.

People and businesses that are trustworthy inspire me to be trustworthy as well, to work to earn the trust of the people I care about and do business with.

Because trust is so foundational in any relationship, isn’t it?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Do you trust easily or do you make people work to earn it? When you do trust, are you a loyal customer?

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When Inspiration Begins To Reveal Herself

07 Sunday Aug 2016

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, In My Opinion

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

200 words, bigger purpose, creativity, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, hard work, helpful, inspiration, mission, teamwork

IMG_6475-Recovered

Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.

Pablo Picasso

Maybe your mom used to tell you that idle hands were the devil’s workshop. She may have felt that if you weren’t working on something productive you would end up getting into some kind of trouble.

I’m sure we can all recall times when we longed for our muse to inspire us, hoped for that next great idea that would catapult us into fame, desperately tried to move past the latest round of writer’s block…

So when I read the above quote it reminded me that inspiration doesn’t just present itself to you on a silver platter. Inspiration typically hits after a long and arduous period of hard work and/or an I-wanna–poke-my-eye-out-with-a-screwdriver monotonous time period.

It’s while we’re living our lives, doing those mundane tasks with loved ones, co-workers and sharing our thoughts and hopes and dreams with each other.  It’s when we do something, anything that is productive while letting the inkling of ideas turn themselves over and ruminate and bloom in the back of our minds that inspiration begins to reveal herself.

Inspiration does exist but it must find you working.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

15 Sunday May 2016

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

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

Waiting for a new day

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 ~

What Do You See?

13 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, In My Opinion

≈ 42 Comments

Tags

200 words, community, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, gifts, goodness, health, inspiration, joy, kindness, laughter, passion, Personality trait, Relationships, values

IMG_20150904_145757 (2)

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves. – William Arthur Ward

In my professional life, one of my responsibilities is to proof written materials. In this role, I look for mistakes and fix what is wrong. In other words, I see what I’m looking for.

That’s my job.

But I try to be mindful about not looking for mistakes in other areas of my life.

When it comes to people, I work hard to look for what is right and good.

I am moved by their passions.

I spot the traits that I aspire to, and try to incorporate them.

I focus on their strengths and value the gifts they bring to the table.

And find joy in encouraging them to use their gifts.

There’s nothing more beautiful than watching someone shine in their natural abilities.

Bringing out the best in someone else brings you joy.

And it’s possible to do, even with people you may not particularly like!

It’s rather amazing how looking for the best in others can bring out the very best in you.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What do you see? What are you looking for?

The Other Bottom Line

07 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by dianasschwenk in Hump Day Chronicles, In My Opinion

≈ 38 Comments

Tags

community, Community engagement, Diana Schwenk, diversity, donors, gifts, health, Hump Day Chronicles, inspiration, leadership, mission, motivation, non-profit, organizations, passion, Philanthropy, Philosophy, resources, talents, vision, volunteers

The Other Bottom Line  is the name of a blog I hope to introduce to you soon. The name is based on the premise that money is not an organization’s only bottom line.

I believe that a healthy organization is a group of individuals that work together toward a common vision. In order for an organization to make a real, sustainable impact, it needs to engage its entire community.

A plant seemly overcoming all odds and reaching for the sunlight through a cement barrier.  In the same way, when a community is engaged and working toward a common goal, anything is possible.

A plant fights for life by overcoming all odds and reaching for sunlight through a cement barrier in my parking lot.
In the same way, when a community is engaged and working toward a common purpose, anything is possible.

An organization succeeds when impassioned people motivate others to become engaged by inviting them to participate in fulfilling its mission.

The Other Bottom Line  will be a resource and a place to discuss non-profit workers, those they serve and the communities who are engaged with them.

Below are the beginnings of the foundational pieces for The Other Bottom Line.  Let me know what you think!

~

Vision: An engaged community

Mission: building capacity in non-profit organizations by encouraging them to invite like-minded people to become engaged with them.

Philosophy:

When an organization’s community is engaged, heart, soul and mind; the resources to support their mission will follow

When two or more people are passionate about a cause, project, mission, etc., and they work together using and valuing each other’s individual gifts and abilities, you create an engaged community. It makes sense to seek out those with a common heart and vision and employ their gifts toward a common purpose.

There really is no point in chasing after highly skilled people or wealthy donors in the hope that you will be able to convince them your cause is worthy if they don’t share your organization’s passion to fulfill its mission . Why spend your time coercing someone to believe in something that doesn’t interest them?

Rather encourage them to engage in an area that relates to their own passion and move on – after all, philanthropy is bigger than just one cause.

The organization’s mission should apply to everyone; from leadership and front-line workers to volunteers, funders and clients

Most organizations have a mission statement. Often their mission is thought of by staff as applying only to their clients/program users. The mission should apply to everyone.

For example I worked at an organization who looked after homeless people. Their mission statement was to mobilize the church and work with the community to compassionately respond to the needs of the less fortunate.

This mission was relevant for everyone from the board of directors and staff to the clients, volunteers and supporters. All were called upon to empower others to fulfill the organization’s mission.

Achieving sustainability through diversity of talents and funding sources

If every person has the same perspective most of the people are not necessary. It is an amazing thing to behold an organization that employs and values gifts and abilities at all levels from a diverse community made up of people with varying backgrounds and experiences.

Adopt the tested and best practices of others – there’s no need to re-invent the wheel

Non-profits need to, and often do, share with and learn from other organizations. If an organization does something well; it should share it with others. This benefits the greater community.

Keeping it to themselves does not give them an advantage. Being generous with information is its own reward.

And when an organization is diving into new waters, they would do well to talk to those who have been there before while also getting feedback from their engaged community.

It’s not about the organization; it’s about their community

What a shame it is when an organization focusses on its own needs over the needs and desires of its engaged community. ESGEE Musings  illustrates this well in this post that compares the customer service provided by two different airlines.

Too often organizations deem the latest technology or internal processes as more important than the experiences of those who want to be engaged with them.

This can result in their supporting community being unsure of how they can contribute and wondering if they bring any value at all to the organization. If organizations do not endeavor to understand the heart’s desire of their community or honour their contributions, someone who does will scoop them away.

It’s not about the organization. It’s about the community and facilitating a way for people who care, to engage with the organization without overwhelming them with difficult systems.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

related posts

Dreams, Dragging my butt…

If Momma’s Not Happy…

Open your Package

09 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, In My Opinion

≈ 32 Comments

Tags

200 words, believe, community, courage, Diana Schwenk, doubts, dreams, hope, inspiration, love, mission, passion, Purpose, strength, together, vision

Everyone is gifted, but some people never open their package ~ unknown

When I’m tired and have had enough…

when I’m sure I don’t have what it takes…

You amaze me.believe

Your gifts and talents

Your passion, your dreams…

They inspire me, I’m drawn to your strengths.

I know you don’t always believe in them…

that some days are harder than others.

You wonder, “What was I thinking? What made me think this would work?”

Even your cracks, your doubts; draw me.

They reveal your humanity, they make me feel normal.

If you can do what you do…

If you continue to pursue your dreams in spite of your fears…

If doing what is right trumps your self-doubt…

You give me strength to follow through on my dreams.

You give me hope that there is a way…

that determination, passion and love lend their courage to achieve the impossible.

That dreams inspire others to act…

that together we can do anything to achieve the dreams of our hearts…

to leave this world a better place while inspiring a new generation to unpack their gifts and take up the work.

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Thank you for showing me that my dreams make a difference.

Talk to Diana


"I RELATE WITH, PROMOTE AND SPEAK COMMUNITY WHEREVER I AM..."

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