I am completely, 100% addicted and obsessed with Friday Night Lights. It relives things for me a bit, having grown up in the Midwest ... and raising my children during the early days in a similarly "casted" movie set.
Based on a book, then turned into a movie, I am hooked on the television series on DVD ... and having just finished Season 5, am now in mourning !
Recently, one of the characters was writing a college application letter and I just loved it ::
Two years ago, I was afraid of wanting anything.
I figured wanting would lead to trying and trying would lead to failure.
But now I find I can't stop wanting.
I want to fly somewhere on first class.
I want to travel to Europe on a business trip.
I want to get invited to the White House.
I want to learn about the world.
I want to surprise myself.
I want to be important.
I want to be the best person I can be.
I want to define myself instead of having others define me.
I want to win and have people be happy for me.
I want to lose and get over it.
I want to not be afraid of the unknown.
I want to grow up and be generous and big hearted, the way people have been with me.
I want an interesting and surprising life.
It's not that I think I'm going to get all these things, I just want the possibility of getting them.
College represents possibility.
The possibility that things are going to change.
I can't wait.
Really ... even though Tyra was speaking about college representing these possibilities, don't you think that any choice to explore, redefine, take a leap also represents those possibilites?
Carrying on with the school speech theme, I'm WAY behind the times in JUST now hearing Amy Poehler's commencement speech to Harvard's Class of 2011.
Seems that for everything that Tyra wanted in her college application letter, Amy has the advice to back up her desires ::
Seems that for everything that Tyra wanted in her college application letter, Amy has the advice to back up her desires ::
Be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you. Spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. No one is here today because they did it on their own. ...take your risks now. As you get older, you become more fearful and less flexible...
You never know what is around the corner unless you peek. Hold someone's hand while you do it. You will feel less scared. You can't do this alone. Besides it is much more fun to succeed and fail with other people. You can blame them when things go wrong.
So if the general theme is wanting more, experiencing more ... and doing it with a crew of folks that you trust .... what are the practical steps to accomplishing that? Short of reading a bunch of self-help books, watching you-tube videos of life coaches rambling on about how to take the next BIG step, how do you get from wanting it, to achieving it ??
I saw this quote recently via Real Simple ... and I like it. Thought it doesn't 100% fit with this post, I think there is some truth to the concept that you have to make sure you are nurturing yourself (mother or otherwise) so that you truly CAN offer the best of yourself to others.
