You = Impact

I am always astonished by how desolate the trails are in SoCal.  People, what are you doing?  GET ON A MOUNTAIN!

With that being said, the quiet and sweet silence on my hike today with my trusty dog, Bear was absolutely perfect and so eye-opening.

We hiked up the dog-friendly trail in Temescal Canyon late afternoon today.  We took a new route, trail ran a bit, and encountered a total of 4 humans, 2 dogs, 5 chipmunk style rodents, 7 desert-looking lizards, and an assortment of birds.  We were pretty much solo the entire 2 hour hike.

What I realized today was the ripple effect in our movements.  Bear would run ahead of me and move a tree branch sticking out that would shake the tree, make some noise, perhaps shake another tree, more noise and settle back.  Or, I would accidentally kick a rock forward in the ground that would cause something to scurry off into the brush nearby, make my heart beat faster and Bear jump forward.  There is this massive ripple effect of movement, that I could really only experience audibly and visually.  Who really knows what else is going on out there (nor do I want to, snakes?).

Once you get far enough into the hike, beyond the cars noisy engine and the hustle and bustle that is our lives both externally and internally; this is where quiet and space to listen intersect.  You can actually hear everything and realize how alive the Earth is, how very alive you are.  In one tiny movement, you causes a ripple effect of sound into the atmosphere, amongst the plant life, the wildlife and then back to your life.

It’s a rush to feel so powerful and large, and yet so small and puzzle-piece-like in the grand scheme.

So, what if we all were aware of this epic ripple effect?  At all?  More often?

Reminder:  you = impact.

What if you knew that a smile to that stranger today could shift a mood, to enhance an encounter, to some how inspire 57 people to passionate action?  Possible.

What if we realized the impact of one bottle cap dropped on the ground, picked up by the wind, broken down by the Ocean, consumed by a fish, consumed by a bigger fish, then consumed by you?  Truth.

What if we truly, truly, truly realized the radical impact of ourselves?

What would we really get up to?

What is your ripple effect?  Own it.  Every.  Single.  Day.  #impact

Wow.  Beautiful.  Be Powerful.  You.

Dear Self, Just For Tonite

Dear Self,

Just for tonite, don’t turn on the computer.

Just for tonite, don’t waste minutes, turned into hours on a social network that is not your life.

Just for tonite, celebrate you.  Love you.  Be you.

Just for tonite, turn off the TV.  Silence the iPhone.

Go to the corner store, buy a cider beer and toast to nothing and toast to everything.

Because this is it.  This is your life.

Celebrate.  Create.  Vibrate.  Eminate.

Compassion.

Just for tonite, don’t waste minutes, turned into hours on a social network that is not your life.

Get off line.  To get above the line.  And be you.

I Am The Dealer

I know I am the dealer, not the cards I was dealt.

And, I know I am  worth it, for real, not lucky.

I know the deep force that is love, because I feel it, I am it.

And I know the force of collaboration, for I can’t do it all alone.

I know what I know, and I don’t know what I don’t know, so tell me.

And I know that we can come together, right now and create a vibration.

I know family.  I know friends.  And their family.  And other people.

And, I know how and when to speak and I am always learning to listen.

I know that I am uncool, which makes me very cool and then uncomfortable.

And I know my body.  I know the triggers, the pull and the push.

I know joy.  I know not joy.

And I know that every little thing is gonna be alright, because I sing it every day.

I know that I have a purpose.  I know I will live it.  I just know what I know.

And I don’t know what I don’t know, so tell me.

gentle reminder:

Project Inspiration: Kristina Gong

As I dig deep and look into who I really am, I look into who I invest my time with and how they have moved me in what I have called Project Inspiration.

I wanted to take this time to tell you how one of my best friends, Kristina Gong has inspired me and been a part of my life evolution. You probably have one of these; the World-traveling-smart-Karaoke-singing-tech-saavy-loud-laughing-goal-oriented-cool best friends.  Let’s compare notes…

Dear Kristina,

We met while moving somewhat fast, breathing heavy and in need of water. While training for a marathon in sunny Santa Monica, California, our life paths crossed. My first memory was passing you on the boardwalk and you yelling, “hey, are you a soccer player or something?”. I get that all the time … big quads. Anyways, I yelled back “no” and just kicked it in and sped off.

From there on out, we were running partners. Then marathon finishers. And now, best friends.

What I wanted to let you know is that who you are has and continues to shape who I am.

You are such a commander of your life. Your decision to quit your job and travel the World for eight months the past year was and remains truly inspiring. Keep sharing! Find her story in video posts, here.

Your candid honesty is superior to any fluff some non-friend would provide to smooth a situation and encourages me to be honest in return and in all areas of my life.

You crave knowledge. You are so rich in culture by choice. And that choice is powerful. Thank you for sharing everything you learn with me and inspiring me to search for more.

You are wise beyond your years and you stand up for what you believe in. And wow, you karaoke a mean version of Gladys Knight’s “Midnight Train to Georgia”…nasty mean. In these moments, you are vulnerable, fearless and demanding – and I admire that.

You want to truly experience this life, laugh deep and loud in this life and be madly in love in this life. And that is someone I want to be around, talk to daily on gchat, go with to adventures places, sing far too loud with in the car, roll out my mat to yoga with, and call my best friend.

Thank you for allowing me space in your life. Thank you for inspiring me everyday to be in constant wonder of the World, to be adventurous, to be honest, to seek knowledge always, to laugh and sing way outloud, and to stand for what I believe in. 

As you continue to rock in this life, keep being who you are. And I promise that I will do the same.

Inspired,

Jacki Carr

World Traveler

Life is Yours

Midnight Train To Georgia