10 Things to Inspire You This Month

As it is Veteran’s Day, I wanted to extend my gratitude to those serving or who have served our country. Men and women who are brave enough to put their lives in harms way, to protect and defend our country and the principles upon which it was built. These men and women are heroes in my book, and like those emergency responders who also lay down their lives for others; these everyday heroes deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.

Last month I attended one of my favorite tech conferences, Gartner Symposium. While focused on technology trends and leadership skills, they always bring some high-powered speakers and thought leaders. This year, among others, I saw a theoretical physicist, a Super Bowl MVP, a billionaire, the first Indian-American woman to run for Congress, and a true “future thinker.”

And then for quite the contrast, the other night I attended a pre-summit mixer for a Neighborhood Summit. It was held at a local food pantry where I serve on the board, around turquoise picnic tables, bringing together people and neighbors, who want to make a difference in their community.

This month, I want to share some of my favorite quotes and moments from these events, that can apply to us all. Enjoy!

1. “Don’t ever go through adversity alone.” ~ Peyton Manning

Gartner does a great job of bringing in a variety of speakers that aren’t necessarily in the tech industry. Peyton talked about leadership, philanthropy, and his view of the NFL going from analog to digital. This quote can apply to all of us, in many situations in life. Lend a shoulder to cry on or hold someone’s hand during their personal struggles. You shouldn’t have to go through it alone.

We have a close friend of the family’s that I have known for almost 40 years who decided not to treat her cancer, and she just recently died alone. She didn’t want to lean on her extended family and be a burden. But sometimes allowing someone else to help you is just as beneficial for them as it is for you.

2. “All progress is born of new ideas. Ideas rupture the status quo and incubate the future.” ~ Nilofer Merchant

Nilofer was promoting the concept of “onlyness” – only you stand in that spot and have that idea. No big idea starts off big. It starts off with one person seeing something only they see. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, share your ideas, collaborate, and innovate. And  make your ideas might enough to dent the world.

3. “Find something you’re passionate about. Give your time. Give your talent. Give your money if you can.” ~ Peyton Manning

We all should care about something and volunteer our time and our skills. It just takes a single act of kindness to start a ripple effect. Small, selfless acts can make a difference in someone’s life.

4. “You should run fast, run very fast; but don’t run scared.” ~Fareed Zakaria, CNN Anchor

We should try new things, and be brave doing so. If we want to innovate, we cannot be scared or intimidated.

5. “We can change the world by teaching girls to code. If you want to heal our community, you have to teach girls to code.” ~ Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code

Growing up, boys are taught to be brave and take risks and girls are taught to be perfect and play it safe. We should be teaching our daughters bravery, not perfection. Girls and women have a unique perspective, and can help solve some of our toughest problems. And for the American economy to thrive and innovate, we shouldn’t leave half of our population behind.

6. “Failure is a necessary part of evolution. Just don’t give up.” ~ Daryl Plummer

Remember that failures and set-backs are temporary. “If you fail, fail while daring greatly.” Learn from that experience, so you can grow and evolve.

7. “If NASA had looked for experienced “Moon walkers” in 1969, we would never had landed on the Moon.” From Sam Olyaei’s presentation on “The Outlook on Security Talent”

Someone has to be the “First” at everything when it comes to innovation. We all just need to be brave, believe in ourselves, and be willing to take that giant leap!

8. “The experience at the table was more than a meal, it was nourishment for my soul,” Kristin Schell

She writes about her experience in France as a teenager in her book The Turquoise Table. Fast-forward years later and the #TurquoiseTable movement is born. “The Turquoise Table brought with it far more than I ever imagined. It led to a revival of community in the simplest of all: a table in our front yard.” Find more about the turquoise table movement and her blog and book here.

I  had the pleasure of meeting Kristin at Good Samaritans of Garland, a local food pantry who has embraced the concept that you learn a lot about people and their struggles by just sitting down and having a conversation with them in your front yard. (Especially around a #TurquoiseTable)

9. “Running your own race demands trusting yourself, even when others don’t.”  ~ Robert F. Smith

Use your skills, your knowledge, your instincts to serve and to change the world in the way that only you can. Believe that you can.

10. “The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe.” ~ Michio Kaku

And I will just leave you with that deep thought.

 

I hope you enjoyed this month’s post. Remember that you are remarkable. You have so much good inside of you and so much to share with the world. Trust yourself. Believe in yourself. Be passionate. Be brave. Share those bright ideas.

“It’s in the chasing of the idea that we catch it.” ~ Nilofer Merchant

And don’t do it alone.

For more inspirational quotes, follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @photobaugh.

Cheers!

Cynthia