Imagine if Amelia Earhart and Albert Einstein had sunrise coffee together on a balcony overlooking the south rim of the Grand Canyon!? Well, you could say that actually happened... kind of! Let us explain... during a morning coffee on the porch of the El Tovar hotel, we waxed philosophical about how and what had motivated each of us to have the adventuresome spirit to do the things we do (i.e. pursue collegiate degrees in the third quarter of life, sell our home and become digital nomads, etc.).
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| Savoring our sacred place, The Grand Canyon... |
Phyl traced back her initial motivation to reading the biography of Amelia Earhart at the tender age of nine...she was fascinated by Amelia's accomplishments and courage to pursue flying during an age when women were expected to stay grounded in the kitchen. Not Amelia! She ignored those stereotypes and flew to grand heights, both personally and professionally, forging her own path. For Phyllis, that story translated to 'if she can do anything, then so can I. The sky is the limit!'
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do." -Amelia Earhart
For Jer, at the age of 12, it was encountering the works of Albert Einstein. In a moment of insight, he realized that he was able to briefly comprehend and feel (for about 30 seconds!) the encompassing meaning of Albert's famous equation E=MC2 wherein Energy equals Matter at the Constant speed of light Squared. For Jer it was startling - like someone had parted the background curtain of life for a moment. Jer is still questing to reestablish that sense of connectedness where "thoughts are things" (and things are thoughts). This included pursuing a Philosophy Minor in college, studying a variety of martial arts (Kendo, Judo Chi Gung etc.), meditation and a host of personal and spiritual development coursework explorations.
"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed." -Albert Einstein
It suddenly occurred to us that we both had been deeply inspired and encouraged by those two historical and courageous souls... we smiled in gratitude, then peered across the balcony railing of the El Tovar hotel on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in speechless wonderment. Thank you Amelia and Albert!
So, do tell... who or what inspired you to do the things that make your soul sing!?
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Reminds me of another favorite quote: “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Friedrich Nietzsche
I'm still crazy after all these years...