At a fun happy hour with bestie, Cindy K. to celebrate my daughter, Amanda’s, birthday, the conversation turned to ideas about getting back on track with her candle business. While having left a toxic situation in her last job, and now working for me, we could see the sparkle in Amanda's eyes as the creativity and purpose bubbled out when she talked about new projects.
Then, I saw this quote from Plutarch, Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, and it reinforced the importance of encouraging new thought patterns and ideas:
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
Often, though, we are not sure how to jumpstart ideas to spur on a dream or important goal.
Try This: Kindle a Fire Under Your Dream!
From Dr. Michelle Gibbs** on her Mrs. Mummy PhD blog, her suggestion is to "use a bite-sized approach to help me stay motivated and actually achieve my big goals." Offering ideas to find motivation, here is one exercise mentioned to do this week. Answer the following questions when feeling anxious as a way to light a fire:
- What are my passions?
- What are my strengths?
- What are my goals?
- What are my values?
- Who am I as a person?
As noted by Dr. Gibbson, this is a step to uncover what makes you happy. I believe these questions are a great way to flip your inner dialog to get back the fire going under your dream once again!
* Plutarch, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/plutarch_161334
** How To Stay Motivated And Make Your Dreams A Reality, https://mrsmummyphd.com/stay-motivated/