Artists Passion

by: Liane Schmidt

By: Liane Schmidt

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” - E.E. Cummings.

by: Liane Schmidt

The path toward making your dreams come true is up to you.

Everyday, you are presented with opportunities. Choices to make. People who you decide to associate with. Successful, wise people surround themselves with like minded people just as the opposite is true.

If you want a certain life, you must look toward those who have what you want already and find out how they were able to make their dreams come true.

Role models, positive uplifting stories, quotes, continually educating yourself is key to your success. It is just as important to fill your mind and spirits with all the positive thoughts, ideas, etc as it is important to eat healthy. Positive, supportive thoughts will ensure you a healthy mind, one that can function and work at higher levels of productivity. A healthy body will ensure you more energy, better day-to-day quality and longevity of life and so very much more.

Do not sell your talents and self short. Give yourself the best chance to succeed. Learn from others mistakes. Listen. Listen. Listen. This is one of the best ways to learn.

And, always believe in yourself. You are making your dreams come true.

by: Liane Schmidt

When I am dealing with any struggle or just want to lift my spirits one of the many things I turn to are inspirational beautiful quotes. I wanted to share some with you all.

by: Liane Schmidt

What are your goals? Have you really taken the time to sit down and decide what you want to do career wise? Have you written down what’s most important to you?

If not, there’s no better time to do it than today.

From all the books, successful people, and personal experiences I have learned from, I know that if you don’t know where to begin the best place to begin is with what you do know about yourself.

Take a moment now to list all the things that are important to you value wise, i.e., job benefits, short commute, etc. These elements all make up important pieces of the total effect the career you choose has over your everyday happiness, well-being and life. Every little element that is not how you want it will eventually cause you some discomfort down the line, unless you can learn to look at those elements differently (and you can! This option is possible too!).

In addition, as we all know, many times it is difficult to find that ideal position, so the next question to keep in mind is: just how much are you willing to sacrifice or put up with for the ideal job of your dreams? Can you give up a short commute for a salary increase of 25%?! Think of the accumulative time spent on the road, wear and tear on your car, less hours to yourself. But, maybe for you the payoff is worth it?

If the career of your dreams seems out of reach, next on your list of goals can be to start talking, researching, and finding out as much as you can about those who have the position you want. Learn from them. Most likely, at one point in time, they have felt like you do right now. And despite this, they still struggled, fought, and persevered for the position you want. You can achieve it too if you truly want it! You can do anything! Do no let anything keep you from reaching your goals!

This is just a beginning! Just one of the many avenues to take to start your ambitious dreams stirring!

Best wishes to all!

by: Liane Schmidt

Everyday is a new opportunity; new doors can open, new treasures can be discovered, new things can be learned.

When we were children this is exactly how most of us saw life. We were young, we believed we could do anything. This kept every moment exciting, electrifying. We could do, be, hope, and make ourselves as happy as possible at any given moment with just our imaginations. If we wanted to be a princess or the President of the United States, wah lah - in the blink of an eye - we were. We changed how we were acting and became whatever character we wanted to be. Though we may not realistically hold these titles, we can still “be” these people, by living as they do; living by doing our very best to make this world a better place. Titles do not make people great, people make people great.

For many, however, this is not easily achieved for life, time, fears, traumatic experiences, etc. have often stripped away this idealistic mindset. If you touch fire, you learn to never do it again. But, because we have learned how to see fire for its strengths and weaknesses, we as society have been able to learn from it and allow it to enrich our lives and make our world a better place. If we had just discarded it after it first hurt us we all would have lost out on the limitless benefits it can provide.

This is not to down play the importance of the known, safety, and being cautious. Taking time to make wise decisions without jumping into any new situation too soon; habits, yearly customs, etc. all have intrinsic value. With such widely televised events like the Olympics countries have been known to put aside violent warring disputes in order to participate. This is an unbelievably powerful feat; this alone is a miracle.

The trouble comes to play when people continue to only cling to known or unfounded assumptions and discard all opportunities to learn and hence discard valuable opportunities to grow emotionally, spiritually, etc. This can lead to unfortunate self-sabatoging. For example, if one believes all parking meter officers are rude, most likely the next one they encounter will be. How we think of others is often a self-fulfilling prophesy. This idea can be applied to all things in life.

“The more you learn, the less you realize you know.” This quote is beyond significant.

When one learns something new their world is broadened, their heart often moved.

Remain open, surprised, alive to all the endless possibilites life will always have to offer. Leave your heart as unfettered, unbiased, and open as possible. It will keep you young and full of life. It will make your life even more beautiful than you ever imagined possible.

My best wishes to all.

by: Liane Schmidt

It’s all up to you. It always has been.

No more excuses, no more procrastination. Start your lists. Start prioritizing. Get it done. That’s how you make all your dreams come true, bottom line.

One of my closest girl friends told me that she has lists for everything she wants to do, detailing timelines, steps, and everything that needs to take place in order to ensure that her goals are met. She knows if something doesn’t get done it’s on her and nobody else; it has always been this way.

Of course, we must all also allot for the unexpected.

Life still happens. We cannot control certain circumstances no matter how much we plan ahead or take care, but we can control how we react and work through them. A few days or months and even years cannot stop the most determined of minds from finally reaching and achieving all their dreams. It cannot.

When you want something with all your heart, you will never let anything stand in the way of realizing it. You will never, let anything stand in the way of reaching it, ever. Your dreams are immeasurably important and invaluable.

Never stop believing in yourself.

Make your dreams a reality.

Best wishes to all.

By: Liane Schmidt

It is not always easy to stay positive in a world that throws more challenges at one sometimes in a given hour than one can keep track of. “When it rains, it pours” definitely has a resounding quality that I am certain we can all relate to and have had impact our lives on more than one occassion. The light at the end of the tunnel is there, it has always been there, but sometimes depending on circumstances one can sometimes forget that it is there.

Currently, I am in a situation that consists of high risk, high potential gain, great trust, perseverence and belief. It is something that I will not see the actual fruits of until a good four to six months potentially. It is something that is an amazing opportunity; it is something I do believe in. However, for the time being, I am left to a situation that is much less favorable to my everyday well-being. It is a situation that in some ways makes my life easier and in many ways challenges me to my very core.

Of course my ultimate plan is to finish my novel and continue forth with the writing career of my dreams, but that takes time to establish, to bring to a solid tangible reality. I know it will happen, but it is not something that will happen overnight. I am still in the 10th re-writing/editing phase. It means everything to me and I will not say it is completed until it is exactly how I want it to be, a masterpiece.

But, in the meantime, having to work through my current situation challenges my ability to stay positive on a daily basis. It takes everything inside of me. I have to turn to the beautiful angels in my life. Those who I am blessed beyond words to say are my friends. I must reach out and find inspirational motivating books, quotes, and other such invaluable tools. I must keep my health at the forefront of my mind. Health will grant me longevity of life and an optimal quality of life on a day-to-day basis. All these elements will help keep me as happy as possible right now, while I am in a less than ideal situation.

I have to keep reminding myself that everyone had to go through a sort of “internship period” to reach their ultimate career goals. Whether a person worked independently and had to do months or years of research living hand to mouth on three square cup o’ noodles a day, or one struggled through exam after exam only to apply to dozens of internships thankfully landing one that they then were accepted at and had to work for little to no pay to gain the necessary skills, experience and credits to move on to the next level of their field.

Reaching ones dreams is not necessarily an easy path for anyone, but it is a path that is worth working for. The life of your dreams is worth everything. You can make it through any challenge and come out better, stronger, wiser than ever before. Keep believing in yourself and doing what is the absolute very best for you.

Best wishes to all.

by: Liane Schmidt

I think one of the hardest things to do in life, is to keep believing, is to keep being your greatest support and best friend when times are toughest, when giving up seems like the easier option.

Again and again, I have to remind myself at these times that: Life is not black and white. The variables stretch far into the grays and off whites of alarm clocks not working, too many appointments in the day, and the need to just be alone sometimes.

But, when you are on the receiving end. When someone tells you they will do something, and they don’t, all you have to go by is their word. All you know is what you were told and what actually happened.

I have tried most of my life to be as understanding as possible to these infinite possibilities. I have done so because my life has been anything but “cookie cutter” (as I am certain many of you have found for yourselves as well) since the starry-eyed upbringing I began with.

After the 6th grade, my vision of the “cookie cutter” life started to fall away, yet part of me has always held tightly to it, knowing that fairytales are possible, if I just believe, if I just believe.

But sometimes, when you believe too much, give too much, trust, your heart is broken, your heart can be betrayed; you risk everything and are not sure if you will ever enjoy the slightest glimpse of any gain. You work for next to nothing knowing that things of value take incredible amounts of time, patience, perseverence, great risk, etc and no guarantees.

But you will continue to do it because you love with everything in your heart. You look in another’s eyes and you believe their words. You believe that they are infinitely beautiful and would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. You know the complex variables will always be there and all you can do is be you and trust and trust and trust.

You continue to do it, because you will not let the world change you.

You do it because you will always believe the best in people.

Take of yourself and eachother.

Best wishes, always.

by: Liane Schmidt

What brings you inspiration?

Everyday, I feel blessed that I am introduced to more and more things that continue to inspire me to reach for my dreams and goals. Things that help encourage me to continue to believe in everything I have ever wanted and give me the drive to see these hopes to fruition.

A beautiful new movie, knowing that a long term friend loves you more dearly than ever, and the potential for even more beautiful hopeful experiences to come. Such simple pleasures; these are the things that feed our soul, nourish our hearts, and bring joy to our lives.

If all else fell away in this world: your youth, your material possessions, anything transient, what would would matter most to you? What would you regret the most not doing? What would you wish you would have done differently?

These are important questions I try to challenge myself with every single day. Among other things, such questions help me keep on track, keep focused when other such options are sure to come across my path.

The grass often seems greener. But, every field of greens has it’s share of weeds and thorns. Do not let the unfounded quick fix pleasures in life tempt you. They are just what they are: quick fixes and they will disrupt your path.

For example, if you want to be fit, you will not partake in the multitude of breakfast pastries that glisten with gooey glaze tempting you to be steered off the great weight and health regime you have started for yourself. It will last a few moments on your lips, and yes as our mothers wisely stated “a lifetime on the hips”. Is that slip in will power worth disrupting all those hard earned hours of working out and the discomfort you will feel when you try on your favorite jeans a month later and they no longer fit?

Of course, everything in moderation is fine, but for myself, I find the more I turn away from “junk food” the easier it becomes. I no longer crave it. It no longer appeals to me. After all, would you put dirty corroded oil in your car? No, of course not. So why would you even think to do the same to your body?

And, in fact the more that I stay away from all things that are not good for me: body, mind, and spirit, the more I am able to stay away from things that are not good for me. Habits are easier to form than most people think: good and bad habits and everything in between.

You can develop only the best habits for yourself. We all can.

Live life to the fullest.

Live your life to the fullest. Do what is the very best for you everyday. There are more things in life that give natural highs and natural quick fixes that are good for you and they are just waiting to be discovered. Do not fall prey to alluring deterents that will steer you away from your dreams. You deserve better than that. You always have.

Best wishes to all.

by: Liane Schmidt

There is nothing in the world that seems to feed the soul more, than a friend that has lasted year after year. Sometimes months upon months can pass by without ever seeing that friend - let’s face it our lives go in different directions - different job locations, family priorities, and all the other activities that draw us seemingly farther apart. But what I have found throughout the years is that true friendship, no matter how many days fall in between seeing or hearing from the other, can never be broken. True friendship is a gift that transcends all else. It is something that has fed my heart and spirit through some of the toughest moments of my life.

I must admit, it seems no matter how many people I meet, I enjoy my alone time so much that I tend to only have a few friends that I truly ever spend any of my time with. When I get home from work, it takes a huge effort to get me out of the comfort of my small studio apartment. As soon as I get home, I am able to take off whatever stiff work outfit I had to wear and slip into comfy pj’s and curl up in a blanket while I read and continue steadily editing and reworking my almost 400 page novel. It is almost finished. It is a miracle to me. I still have to stop myself sometimes and remember to breathe; remember to breathe because I am truly making my dreams come true.

And, when I am alone I am my most comfortable. I don’t have to worry about anything. In any given moment, I can do whatever I want.

I say all this because this is what makes me limitlessly appreciative of true friendship.

The amazing friends that I have been lucky enough to make throughout the years and keep are a blessing. They are people I know will always be a part of my life and yet most of them I do not see hardly at all. Thank God for email and the telephone or I might have to go back to pen and paper to keep in touch. I thank God that they understand and I thank God that they have loving people who surround their lives with beauty and joy.

But, such is the life of a writer, I guess. We can spend many hours alone, in our thoughts, in our imaginations. For me one visit with a close friend can last me the whole year. I’ve always wondered where people find the energy and drive to go out with several different people in one day! Just thinking about it tires me out! I used to fight the whole introvert vs. extrovert theories and now, I believe maybe there is more to those theories than I had originally given credit to.

I suppose this article today is being written more to take a moment to thank all those beautiful friends who have loved me all these years for who I am. Who still love me when days, months, and even years have passed without seeing the other. I want these people to know that I will always love them. Love them beyond words for they have touched and forever changed my heart. I know that I am a better person for knowing each and every one of them; I thank them with everything in my heart for knowing me and still wanting to be a part of my life.

My best wishes to all.

by: Liane Schmidt

“There is no limit to what you can imagine.”
-Ralph Marson

Recently, I have been introduced to Ralph Marson’s exceptional motivational work as well as some of his powerful, extraordinary quotes.

As a continual seeker of any motivational, uplifting material that will keep taking me to the “next” level in my life, Marson’s work left a permanent impression on me immediately. Like one of my other favorite successful role models, Brian Tracy, self-made millionaire, both men know that one of the key elements to being successful is the ability to lift, support, and believe in others as you continue to grow and increase the levels of success in your own life. You must lift others up in order to be successful yourself. You must believe in others to believe in yourself.

It is my belief that this philosophy goes back to the time old adage that, we truly do treat others how we treat ourselves. If we believe in others, we do so because we believe in ourselves. If we put others down, that is because we most assuredly putting ourselves down as well. It is, as simple and as complex as that.

The complexity that comes into play, is what throws all of us the many challenges we face in our lives. And, of course, this level of complexity differs from person to person and background to background. This is why I constantly seek uplifting, inspirational role models and experiences; to keep my spirits high for the moments when they might otherwise fall victim to the doubts and fears many of us deal with on a daily basis. The less negative worries and input I hear and am exposed to the better for me in all aspects of my life.

As Brian Tracy has repeatedly expressed, “everything is important”; from what you watch, to who you surround yourself with, to what values you hold dear to your heart. Never compromise who you are for anyone. Be a completely honest, good person and this will be returned to you a hundred fold.

Or as Deepak Chopra believes, you attract what energy you are giving off. If you want certain things in life you must believe that you can have them, that you deserve them and then they will come to you. These wants and desires will be attracted to your energy; like energy attracts like energy.

Like plants, we all need to be placed in the best conditions possible for our optimal growth, well-being, and ability to be successful. When we are we feel our best, are able to perform at our best, and can strive to do even more than we ever thought possible. Like a plant needs the correct amount of sunlight, not too much for some, and much more for others, we need to figure out what combination of factors are best for us.

Trust the intuitive voice inside yourself to find out what these factors are for you. Make time to sit and get to know yourself better; even if you can only manage a few moments out of every single day, this will improve your life. We make time for friends. We need to because life can get busy, hectic and we may lose track of what their new interests and activities are. These daily changes, change that person forever, just as your experiences change your self-concept forever as well. Without taking time to really reflect and, literally, be a friend to yourself, you can lose track of what has or still is most important to you.

Do not let yourself get swept away in the rushing influx of life without having a clear direction of where and what you want to accomplish. You will only be happiest and feel your very best when you know that your goals and dreams are in alignment with your heart, spirit, mind and body.

Take care of each other and yourself, always.

My best wishes to all.

(Incidentally, I was introduced to Ralph Marson’s work by a wonderful, positive gentleman who is opening a new Nightclub called 24K! It will be the hottest new club in the OC. For more info click the picture below to check out:
)

by: Liane Schmidt

Sayings and quotes that have lasted for generation after generation have staying power for a reason. “Less is more”, “all things in moderation”, and many others ring true year after year because with time, with age, with wisdom one learns more and more, just how very true these simple, yet profound statements are.

When our days are filled with too much - between multiple appointments, locations to stop at, problems to deal with, etc. one can feel as though a whole day has passed them by in “the blink of an eye”. Why does this happen when the same 24 hours prior one might’ve been painfully counting the hours until 12 noon rolled around and a grumbling tummy could be filled with one’s favorite luncheon meal?

It is no wonder that “East meets West” is becoming a popular trend. With ying yang philosophies, meditation, and other such balancing, spiritually healing practices we are being reminded how very important simplicity and quality spent quiet moments are to one’s overall mental and physical nourishment. Yes, nourishment. Our bodies need more than just food nourishment. We need all aspects of ourselves, “body, mind and spirit” to be in peaceful equilibrium in order to be able to function at our very best, peak levels.

If our prized shiny red convertibles (or ‘97 Toyota Tercels - reality check - LOL) have great tires, but haven’t had an oil change in a year, one will for sure begin to notice performance problems and or find that down the line the damaging effects of not maintaining a vehicle properly; it breaks down on the I-5 right before a crucial sales meeting with the top executives of NBC.

Don’t let such avoidable obstacles enter into your life. And obstacles such as these are avoidable. Take the time to do whatever pre-mediatitve steps necessary to eliminate these potential obstacles. Do it now. There is no need to wait. The quality of your life is dependent on it.

Slow down when your body wants you to. Speed up when you know it’s best. Eliminate excess factors that can slow you down, make you feel bad, etc. With simplicity you have more time to focus, to know what’s best for you completely. You also have more time to become an expert in any one given field.

With simplicity you have less places to be and more time to appreciate where you are currently at.

“Less is more.”

My best wishes to all.

Note: Incidentally, author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowlings, was on welfare, with two children while writing the incomparable series and remained focused on her dream. Her friends were telling her to get a “real job”. She wouldn’t listen. She is now the richest author in history: www.thebookstacks.com/trivia-wealthiest-author/. She had “less”, believed in her dreams and now, ironically, she has “more” (to put it lightly).

by: Liane Schmidt

One of my closest girl friends inspires me in how she lives her life. She is so full of life, passion, joy, exceptional values…shall I go on? To describe her would fill volumes. Though I generally like all people that I meet, it is the exceptional people who instantly become a part of my heart and inspire me to reach my greatest potential.

My friend is constantly thinking ahead. Planning for tomorrow, but wholeheartedly living for today. She has long-term career goals and not only talks about them, but takes the necessary steps to achieve her dreams every single day.

Last week she and I went to lunch together and I discovered that not only does she hold a full time job, Monday thru Friday, but she is also working on several independent business endeavors that have her up at 5am in the morning and finally drifting off to sleep at 12 midnight! In addition to this she is able to make time for her closest friends and family as well as other extracurricular activities, maintaining her health through regular exercise and eating well! No wonder she inspires me - whew!

She also told me during our lunch that part of how she is able to stay so organized is by creating many to do lists, keeping detailed records of her finances and other such important things. I have always tried my best to be as organized as possible, but I know I have great room for improvement - great room.

Talking with my friend is like spending time with the walking talking version of the next success story. I know that she is making great things happen for her life. Just knowing she considers me one of her closest friends is something I can’t help but feel proud of. A lady who is that put together, who is that amazing; there is not one thing negative anyone who knows her can say about her; a lady like this thinks that I am amazing. I know, I am blessed beyond words. If I never had another friend in the world, I know I am beyond blessed to have her as a true one.

One of my favorite quotes: “It is not quantity, it is quality.”

Now, I just need to get started on my lists…5am in the morning…that might be another story…LOL.

Best wishes to all!!

by: Liane Schmidt

(The following is a poem I wrote about two months ago.)

Tonight…

Stand by me tonight

I am your fireside, purple
Golden

I am your midnight, blackened
Cold

Whisper to me
I don’t care.

Look my way
It doesn’t matter.

Take me in your arms
I can’t feel
Anything
Anymore.