The M.A.P. Maker [Meaning, Abundance & Passion]

Who inspires you? Who can you inspire?

I'm a big believer that tapping into the inspiration of others is a huge piece of successfully creating a thriving life you love.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, last week I went to listen to a talk by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. Maathai, a woman who by dint of hard work, sheer determination, and refusal to compromise her values has had a hugely positive effect on the world, is an inspiring figure.

As I sat in the balcony in Benaroya Hall, I found myself looking out over the nearly 2500 people that packed the auditorium and wondering, "Who is she inspiring? And how? And to do what?" Hers was such a compelling story, and such a compelling message, that I was sure I was witnessing the seeds of change being planted - I just didn't know where they were going to sprout.

While I found the content of her talk moving, what really got my blood pumping was that ripple effect idea. Somebody, somewhere in that audience (and probably a lot of somebodies) was going to be inspired enough by what she had to say that they were going to take action and be the source for some kind of positive change in the world. 

Maybe for one person her talk inspired them to take a step that had long been  percolating in the back of their mind.  For another it might have sparked an idea that they're going to take and run with. For yet another person, her story may have given them hope and confidence that they too can overcome any obstacles they come across and make the difference they feel moved to make in the world.

As I sat looking at all those people, I realized that each of them in turn had the potential to inspire someone else in their lives. Each of us is a walking, talking box o' inspiration just waiting to happen. Just like the stories of people like Wangari Maathai can fuel our own journeys, each of us can be a source of fuel to others.

It might come from the example we set. It might come from the message we spread. It might come from actively reaching out and telling someone we believe in them.

Take a look at your life. How can you feed that inspiration? Who inspires you? Who can you inspire?

How can you tap into that cycle of positive energy to spark that positive momentum, both in your own life and in the lives of others?

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide
Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Life's too important to take seriously

Do you have enough fun in your life? If you don't, you're not alone. Somehow the pressures and responsibilities of being a "grown-up" often leave us wallowing in an over-serious state.

Bummer.

One of the abundance concepts I like to explore with people is "fun abundance." Fun isn't some frivolous, non-productive activity better left to kids and slackers. It can play an important role in helping you stay energized and focused.

Creating the life you want takes work. It's not always easy, and it requires a commitment to it for the long term. Part of the key to success is taking advantage of all the ways you possibly can to keep you motivated, engaged, and moving forward. Like having fun. 

Fun can help you take a break and refocus so you can come back to your "serious stuff" with a fresh perspective. It can loosen you up so you can stay more open to the possibilities life has to offer. On the physical side, laughter has been shown to reduce stress and provides numerous health and healing benefits.

Is there enough fun in your life? What small steps could you take to bring more of it into the picture, starting today?

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide
Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Doing the little things we can do

One consistent thread you'll find woven through this blog is a spotlight on people who inspire me.

Last week I went to hear Wangari Maathai speak here in Seattle. Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement in her native Kenya, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and author of the books, Unbowed: A Memoir and The Green Belt Movement, is definitely one of those inspirational figures.

One thing that stuck in my head was a reminder of something really obvious that we sometimes lose track of. She said...

"It's very, very important to learn to do the little things we can do. We can get sometimes overwhelmed by the big picture...you can almost get overwhelmed and feel like there is nothing we can do. But there is something we can do. We can all do something. And planting trees is one of the most doable activities that can be done by children, by adults everywhere."

Maathai was talking about global warming and planting trees, but the message applies to just about anything we think is important. It's easy to get so lost in the big picture - and the big picture frequently seem next to impossible - that we forget to focus on whatever it is we can do right here, right now.

Take a look at your life. Take a look at your dreams. Take a look at what's important to you. What are the trees you can plant - figuratively speaking - on the way there?

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide
Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Inspiration and perspective

I never cease to be amazed at the uber-cool things people feel called to do, and the obstacles they can overcome to do them. For me, real people's stories both inspire me and help me keep things in perspective. 

Stories like this one about Will Spence. Confined to a wheelchair by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and able to breathe only with the help of a  respirator, Spence  recently launched a social networking site for people with debilitating diseases or injuries. As the article describes it...

Spence has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. His movement is limited to his head, and even that is limited.

"You can only spend so many days focusing on you or your disease," Spence said. "Choice is a powerful thing. I choose to try and make a difference."

That is why he has spent 5 months and his lifesavings to create a social networking Web site for people with debilitating diseases or injuries.

"If you are like me and you have trouble getting out of the house, at least you have another avenue to connect with people," Spence said.

He said, "It gives me a personal significance because I am going through a disease that is debilitating and devastating and I feel like I can connect with others through this Web site. It gives me personal satisfaction. To be able to help people is just as exceptional."

Much as I would like to pretend that I have a perpetually sunny attitude, the reality is that there are times when I just feel downright cranky about the things I see standing in the way between me and what I want.

When that happens, stories like Spence's offer an invaluable sense of perspective. For example...

Spence built the Web site one painstaking keystroke at a time. He uses his mouth to maneuver a metal rod over each computer key. 

Snippets like that leave me feeling, "...and those obstacles standing in your way feel like such a big deal...why, exactly?" Followed quickly by, "Dude, get over yourself and get back to work. You've got a world to change."

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide
Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

What's in this blog?

OK, you're here. Now what? What will you find here? More to the point, why should you care?

In a nutshell, I want to take a look at how the limitless potential of our dreams can meet our limitations, fears and flaws and come out the other side as a life filled with Meaning, Abundance, & Passion.

Beyond that basic framework though, the door is wide open to what this blog might become. It's not that I'm too lazy to think through the details and plan the content in advance. I'm simply a big believer in defining a basic focus, then letting nature take its course.

I'm interested in the full spectrum of reality. Each and every one of us is human, and that means we have the potential to be both divine and excruciatingly fallible.

We have big dreams and we have fears that prevent us from taking a step. We have spurts of genius and then manage to do something completely boneheaded. We're inspired to achieve our goals and then forget to take care of the vehicles (that is, our selves) that are going to take us there.

In this blog, I want to motivate and enlighten, giving you the tools and ideas that will help you be a M.A.P. Maker in your own life. At the same time, I want to shine a light on the bumpy side of getting there. Because finding the dream isn't a matter of living a life with no bumps. It's about moving past those bumps, knowing what you want, and not letting them distract you.

Change is in the wind

Life is a progress, and not a station.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.

– Viktor Frankl

Four years ago I launched my first blog, The Occupational Adventure. It was a great ride, and opened up some amazing opportunities for me.

Today, it's time for something new. That something is The M.A.P. Maker. The focus of this blog reflects the evolution of my thinking and my approach in my work and my interest in the potential each of us have to create a vibrant, fun, meaningful life.

On a personal level, it also reflects the fact that it is simply time for something fresh and new.

I'm not leaving behind the ideas I wrote about in over a thousand posts in The Occupational Adventure. I'm carrying them forward, building on them, and expanding the focus. In a way, this blog is The Occupational Adventure, version 2.0.

Any journey, if you stick with it long enough, is inherently about change. That's as true of my own journey as it is of anyone's.

When I first started my Passion Catalyst work six years ago, the notion that work could be fun and energizing lit me up. I was on a mission to bring positive change into people's lives. It excited me to think of the positive ripple effect that inevitably spreads out from someone when they're happy with what they're doing in life.

That still excites me, but over the years I've realized that it's not the whole picture. What is really turning me on these days is the enormous cumulative potential we have to make a positive impact in the world simply by the choices we make in our careers.

Passion is still in the picture. I still see it as a vital component. But rather than the end result of my focus, it has become a means to an end. Right now, I'm over the moon about the idea of finding what lights you up, and then putting that to work towards change that is meaningful to you.

What really starts my arms waving in the air as I talk about it is making a difference. Changing the world. And doing it in a way that not only lights you up, but also allows you to thrive on multiple fronts.

And not so coincidentally, that is precisely what this blog is about. Focusing on M.A.P. is a way to help you get there.

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide
Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Welcome to The M.A.P. Maker!

M.A.P. Making is about crafting a life of Meaning, Abundance, and Passion. Who is "The M.A.P. Maker?" In your own life, you are! Find out more about the M.A.P. concept (and if you like what you read here, be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed).

This blog is brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst.