Tag Archives: motivation

Yes You Can!

Posted in Motivation

At birth, Rick Hoyt was diagnosed as a “spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy”. His parents Dick and Judy Hoyt were told that there was little chance for Rick to live a “normal life”.  This didn’t deter them from doing their best to include Rick in everyday activities.

Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

And that was how Team Hoyt began.

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Top 10 Inspirational Movie Quotes

Posted in Motivation, Top 10

The other day we were discussing some of our favorite movie quotes and realized that many of them are actually pretty inspiring. So we thought it would be fun to share them with you. The list was pretty long but we cut it down to our top 10  (plus a few extras) . Continue reading »

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Top Ten Inspiring Nelson Mandela Quotes

Posted in Philanthropy

“The Mandela Day campaign message is simple: Mr Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. All we are asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting your chosen charity or serving your local community.

Mandela Day is a call to action for individuals – for people everywhere – to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time, just as Mr Mandela did.”

Get more information about Nelson Mandela International Day at Mandeladay.com

In honor of his birthday here is our top ten list of Inspirational Nelson  Mandela quotes:

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Explore. Dream. Discover.

Posted in Life

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

— Mark Twain, American author

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Between A Rock and A Hard Place

Posted in Life

There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.

— Richard David Bach, American writer

I stumbled upon this quote the other day and it reminded me of the movie 127 Hours, which we watched recently. For those who haven’t seen it, 127 Hours tells the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston (played by James Franco) who became trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone in Utah and *spoiler alert* courageously amputated his own arm in order to survive. Although the realistic amputation scene is a bit difficult to watch, the story itself is an inspiring look at the strength of the human spirit. The incident is also documented in Ralston’s autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

Although I had trouble at times connecting with the character and the choices he made that led him to that rock, there is a scene towards the end of the movie where Ralston, dehydrated and delirious after a few days of trying to lift and break the boulder, says something that got me thinking:

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If Today Were the Last Day of My Life

Posted in Life

Today I read a news headline that the first authorized Steve Jobs biography will be published in early 2012.  It reminded me of the famous Stanford commencement address he gave in 2005.  There are many inspirational quotes in this speech but the one that has stuck with me, since I first heard it several years ago, is this one:

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The Businessman and the Fisherman

Posted in Success

An American businessman took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village on doctor’s orders. Unable to sleep after an urgent phone call from the office the first morning, he walked out to the pier to clear his head. A small boat with just one fisherman had docked, and inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American asked.

“Only a little while,” the Mexican replied in surprisingly good English.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The American then asked.

“I have enough to support my family and give a few to friends,” the Mexican said as he unloaded them into a basket.

“But…What do you do with the rest of your time?”

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In a Giving Mood? Donate Your Things. Change Lives!

Posted in Philanthropy

With a pending move ahead of us, we are forced to take stock of everything in our apartment. Since we are downsizing, we know we have to get rid of some stuff, but its also great motivation to get rid of the stuff we don’t use or need. We’ve used online classifieds to sell of some items, but as we get closer to our move-out date, we’ve been wondering what we’ll do with the stuff we can’t… until we discovered The Giving Effect. Although a curbside drop-off at the local donation center is pretty convenient, using The Giving Effect gives the donor more of a choice regarding where the items go and they can see the impact of their donations. At the same time, its an opportunity to help local and national non-profits and civic-minded people that are struggling to get basic items to people in their communities. So, are you in a giving mood?

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Don’t Wait to Be a Hero

Posted in Kindness

Don’t wait til you make your first million to make a difference in somebody’s life.  If you have something to give, give it now. Serve food to a food kitchen, clean up a neighborhood park, be a mentor. Not every day is going to offer us a chance to save somebody’s life, but every day offers us an opportunity to affect one.

It’s funny, we had a different post ready to go this morning until I stumbled upon this TED talk. Not only does it have an inspiring and motivational message, a reminder that every bit counts, but it also ties in nicely with One Day Without Shoes, which is today.
By the simple act of taking off your shoes today, you will help raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life and affect the lives of millions of children around the world.

How will you affect somebody’s life today?

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Listen to Your Heart

Posted in Philanthropy

At age 18 Maggie Doyne set out on a backpacking trip around the world.  Where this journey led her is amazing and inspiring.

I have come so far from that girl, with the backpack, but most of all, now more than ever, I know that anything is possible. My heart is full and the future is exciting. There is so much, still, to do.

Hear more of her story after the jump.

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