New thinking

After writing an extremely negative post a few days ago and trying to end it with "I'm not usually this negative..." I realized aw crap, maybe I am that negative. I'm not really sure. Then I read this blog post from the Chief Imagination Officer (how cool is that) of Sparkspace, a super awesome business retreat center in Columbus, OH. His whole blog and business are remarkable and will inspire you. Check them out. [Sparkspace] [Spark New Thinking]

In case you're not planning to read the link, the post talks about eliminating the negative nouns in your life and replacing them with positive ones. May sound cliche'd but this guy covers it with panache, like you've never heard it before. So I'm thinking about what inspires and energizes me and how to surround myself with these positive things, and also how to be an energizing inspiration to others instead of a drag. (As appealing as the very word "drag" is, I think I'll pass.)

Ghost Town is one of my favorite movies, and this line is pretty much my life's thesis: "Your story isn't boring or ordinary... We just get one life, you know? Just one, and you can't live someone else's or think it's more important just because it's more dramatic. What happens matters. Maybe only to us, but it still matters."

So I'm starting a new project. How your story wrote my story, blogging about how women have been influential in my life. And I'm going to use my complete list of Facebook friends, from brief acquaintances to bestest buds to family. It is definitely new thinking for me, because I typically believe that because of having three brothers and mostly male friends all my life, that guys have been my biggest influences. But when I really think about it, it's the complete opposite.

It's a little scary, as all good projects should be, but I think it will inspire a whole lot of people. And it will unfold right here for anyone and everyone to watch. That's mostly what makes it scary, by the way. The accessibility.

What inspires and energizes you? What wild (or tame) lengths can you go to to replace the negative thinking with positive and make it a habit? If you figure it out don't just tell me, let Mark know, too. He should hear that his life and words inspire people.

I remembered to bring the camera home for the weekend. Hoping for lots of waaaay more interesting photos than this one! But this is pretty cool, as far as mirror photos go. Our landlords have the best taste in paint.