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Photo courtesy of RJP Photography

While chatting with my friend the other day he applauded my efforts for wanting to help people get inspired. He noted though, that most inspiration is touch feely – downright cheesy. Admittedly, this is true. Inspiration has been relegated to pictures with thick black borders, Jesus fanatics, cheesy music and landscape portraits to places you’ll never visit. It feels so distant and out of touch. We need more than just pics and quotes.

Inspiration has become a marketing tool filled with buzz words and catch phrases. It has made you think that to be a success you have to be a millionaire. Through inspiration marketing you have been shamed into thinking that you are not worthy, your life is a mess, you need better – you deserve better. The fact of the matter is, inspiration is not a one size fits all deal. For every person who wants be a millionaire you can find a mother who knows her children are priceless. No, you don’t have to be Henry Ford, Rockefeller, Gates or Buffet to be inspiring. You just have to be you.

And for many of us just finding out who we are, can be the most excruciating, time-consuming – most put-off thing we have yet to do. So many people nowadays are unhappy with who they are because they desire the dreams of other people – people who don’t care who they are yet they influence their lives. Yes, there is a great need for inspiration. And yes, the parcel that inspiration is delivered in needs to change. It’s not a marketing strategy, it’s not a buzz word, it’s not a formula, it’s not a philosophy, it’s not a catchphrase. It’s you.

That’s why I want to change the perception of what is inspiration is. I want to take inspiration out of the dark and into the public eye. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s okay to seek out motivation, to be uninspired, and to feel unmotivated. It’s not cheesy, not sappy. It’s necessary. It won’t be all touchy feely – I promise. It will be more like a kick in the face why-didn’t-I-think-of-that-I-can-do-that type of vibe. Are you feeling sad and unmotivated? Good we can change that.

Speedo Guy from: Truth About Duke

With the advent of social media sites, we are bombarded daily with a plethora of diverse opinions. All too often our voice can be lost in the drone of mediocrity. How can we break through the noise and let our “signal” be heard? Here are 7 ways.

1. Keep it short – Brevity is wisdom; keep your words clear and concise.
2. Question everything – Don’t swallow every bit of information you hear and take it at face value. Ask yourself why do I feel or think this way? Know what you believe in and why.
3. Be different – This is so simple and yet difficult at the same time. Don’t give in to peer pressure. The masses are only too eager to follow and hate brand X or love person Y and then parrot each other, thinking that they are unique. Set your own course and speak your mind.
4. Keep it simple – Any fool can grab a thesaurus and confabulate eloquently. However, it takes a true genius to speak simply so that everyone may understand. Big words are fine, but to appeal to a wider audience, keep it simple.
5. Think rationally - Speaking words in a moment of anger will make you feel good now, but you may soon live to regret it. It takes more strength to walk away then it does to engage in a fight. What is your goal? What are you trying to accomplish? Think before you speak.
6. Control the swearing – While we all enjoy a spicy sentence sandwich from time to time, swearing is one of the surefire ways to not be heard and blend in with the noise. Do you want to be unique and sound intelligent? Then cut the swearing to a minimum.
7. Hold your tongue – Silence is golden. Knowing when to keep silent shows others that what you have to say is important. Speak when everyone is ready to give you their full attention and listen.

Photo courtesy of Aiko Heiwa

Many of you may wonder how in the world did I get an interview with (insert name here)? To be honest I just asked. I just tell them honestly how I feel. I feel that interviews today are a little flawed. They focus too much on what a person is doing and not enough on WHO that person really is. Who are they? What’s has been their greatest failure? What inspires them? How have they handled negativity? Like a potter who shapes clay, in a small way I want to give shape to these ones by asking them who they really are and sharing that with you.

Read more about how we give shape to people....

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Why Tivate? Simple, because everyone needs inspiration. Now I know what you’re thinking, “I’ve already heard those ‘mouse that churned butter stories’ and I’ve seen the pics of the frog choking the stork what else do I need.” Well, to answer that, all of us need people. We need the human element. We need to stories from people who have ‘been there’ and ‘done that’ and came out the other side successful. We need to hear from those and see how opposition has molded their life. And though we live in a society that worships perfection, the fact of the matter is that we all make mistakes – from minor ones to major bone-headed ones. But, it’s not how or how hard we fall, what matters is how we get up again. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone.

Why? Isn't that always the question? Read more....