Category Archives: Daily Cup of Boldness
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!
-Dr. Seuss
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The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
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 doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon…
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you 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 moments.
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Hillary Clinton’s Equal Rights Speech
The following is a recent speech given by Hillary Clinton on human rights and equality. Whether you are a fan or not of her politics, her words are a bold challenge for all!
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20 Things to Be Thankful For That Don’t Revolve Around Cash
Have you found yourself cash deficient and losing sight of the beauty that the world has to offer? Whatever you do, don’t allow your fears and frustrations to get the best of you. Allow for what is working and beautiful in your life to offer you strength and courage. In an effort to help us remember the many free things in life that we can be thankful for, here are 20 things to be thankful for:
- The art of conversation
- A forever friend
- A stranger’s nod and smile
- The love of a child
- The touch of a loved one
- A listening ear
- Legs on which to walk
- Eyes with which to see
- Hands which can build and touch
- Words of wisdom
- The ability to be kind and help
- Tummy tickling laughter
- The sun shinning in the sky
- The moon illuminating our nights
- The blue sea
- Prayer and meditation
- A good ole’ jog in the park
- Sleep for a weary mind
- Grace and forgiveness
- Hope
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If This Were My Last Day on Earth I’d…
The days we live
just skip on by
as we think about what could be
what should have been
or what may one day be.
All this thinking
and planning
plodding
just seems to cloud the mind
depress the soul
inspire more couch sitting
staring at walls
grinding of teeth.
But what if this were your last day on earth?
What would you do?
There are some who would probably fret until they fell to the ground...
Others who would grab onto their loved ones and hold on tight...
Some who would do that one thing they wanted to do for the past 20 years...
I've thought hard about what I'd do,
about the moments I've felt most alive...
Visions of me long ago
gliding along on a jet ski on a desert lake
permeate my mind...
my hair blowing in the wind
face warmed by the summer sun
and me singing a song
that only my heart could hear.
This is when I felt most alive...and free...
I wonder sometimes why we bind ourselves?
Why we sit and ponder our dreams,
yet punish ourselves
for
wanting something more.
If this were the last day on earth....
I think I'd inspire all who I love
to come with me and journey to my warm and sunny desert lake
and there we'd laugh and play,
listen to a bit of Beach Boys and Frank Sinatra
while enjoying the feel of warm water,
a desert breeze
and the smell of sage baking in the sun.
When I was a kid,
We'd spend amazing days on the lake...
and when it came time to leave my heart would ache...
I'd wish that if only the car would break
then we'd be forced to stay
and just play...
If it were my last day on earth...
that's it...I'd just play.
And smile...
Maybe even laugh
Sing
and swim until the sun dipped
behind the sandy, cactus covered hills...
Then I'd feel amazingly free...
----
What about you...what would you do?
- Jen Engevik
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Why Achieving Your Dreams is More Possible in Today’s World Than Ever!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about systems of old and how they use to hold us back from reaching for our dreams. For
instance, if you wanted to publish a book, you had to write a query letter and be at the mercy of sometimes limited thinking publishing companies.
Or if you wanted to make a film or documentary, you had to run around like a wild person and plead for a production company or studio to help bring your project to life.
In the case you were an innovator, you had to find distributors and try to convince them that your product was worthy.
Fast forward to late 2011 and now we have the ability to be our own publishers, our own production companies, and product distributors via our personal computers. Yeeehawww! Now that’s a lot of power to hold!! The only thing that limits us is our outlook, creativity, and resourcefulness.
Let’s take my three above scenarios to reveal what an amazing age we are living in…
1. Writing and publishing a book. The first step is to write your heart out. Second, is to create a simple blog or Website, open a Paypal or Google Checkout account, and learn how to post your book with link to purchase via Paypal or Google Checkout. Third, create e-book publisher accounts on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other key publishers. Once you’ve finished your book and edited it carefully, you can post it on your Website and/or within various online stores and advertise it via Google and social media. Done!
In the case that your e-book goes bananas and sells millions of copies, publishers will be knocking down your door. In today’s world, chasing a publisher may take years…now we can do it ourselves! The secret is to just get your work out there and get eyeballs on it, rather than letting it sit on your computer hard drive until you’re old and gray.
2. Make a movie. The same is true where movies and documentaries are concerned. Invest your time and effort into creating something that people will love. Give the world a teaser…and then sell your movie via iTunes or your savvy Website. You can even get creative and go after product placement deals within your movie…you’ll just need to prove that potentially millions of eyeballs will see your flick. The sky is the limit!
3. Releasing a new product. The key is to fill a need for humanity. If you think your product idea has the ability to solve problems and/or inspire people, the only thing that limits you is your ability to promote it. Thanks to the Web, it is possible to launch a new product within moments once it’s been produced.
Throughout my marketing career, I’ve learned that there are many amazing products out there…but…if the marketing effort isn’t there…they tend to fade into oblivion. Beyond delivering innovative, high-quality products, we must find the right method for advertising and marketing. Once a product starts selling in masses, distributors will be knocking down the door to become a part of our visions.
As the new year approaches, think deeply on how you can improve the lives of others…follow your passions…and open your eyes to possibility! Looking for help in guiding your vision, I’d love to assist you…e-mail me at jen@projectbebold.com. Also, feel free to scroll down and comment below to share your ideas and thoughts!
Have a beautiful day!
Jen Engevik
Project BE Bold
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What is in a Dream?
I’ve found myself thinking lately about the dreams that live within the heart. I fight for dreams realized, yet wonder just
like everyone else if they should be given up for a different road that could grow into a new dream. Within my deepest longings, I’ve always longed to live by the warmest of seas…and walk barefoot 12 months of the year. I also dreamed of an amazing and fulfilling love. Today, I’m here in Gothenburg, Sweden…an amazing city near a chilly sea. It is for love that I’m here.
As I try to imagine my future, I am struck with how dreams evolve…and how things like love and family can reshape destiny. The balance of compromise and dreams realized is an art to say the least.
My mind tosses between my love for a dream and the call of reality. Today, I wandered into a tiny coffee shop called the Mahogany…it’s a famous spot with amazing coffee drinks and fresh pastries. Behind the desk was a man from Washington D.C. He was excited to hear that I am from California and shared with me how he misses his hometown and followed love to Gothenburg. “I miss my home,” he said with emotion-filled eyes. “I’m just not sure how things will shape up.” Now with a child and a Swedish wife, he’s in a beautiful place, but lives between an amazing town and the place he calls home in his heart.
We all make decisions that lead us down a path…and sometimes our decisions split our hearts in two pieces. One piece loving a person…and the other loving a place or a cherished dream.
Yesterday I read the theory that Amelia Earhart may have survived her tragic crash and tried to make it on a small island in the pacific. Items such as a comb and compact mirror were found some time ago, along with a bit of bone thought to have belonged to a woman. DNA tests are currently being conducted. What if it were Amelia and her belongings found?
In an attempt at following her dreams, can you imagine her gazing at the stars at night on an island all alone, as warm winds swept from one end of the island to another? I wonder if she concluded that her dreams were worth the result? She could have played it safe and been strolling around the streets of Kansas or New Your City with a skirt and high heels…instead of sitting under the stars with a pair of torn trousers and only her thoughts. During the time she was praying she’d be rescued, did she dream of what life would have been if she had played it safe…or did visions of all she’d seen while flying in her plane flood her mind?….of her solo flight across the Pacific to Europe…gliding high above animal herds in Africa…or circling the majestic skyline of New York City…
Dreams and decisions can be tricky…the process confounding. How about you? Things shaping up OK?
- Jen Engevik
Project BE Bold
