How Curiosity Leads Your Journey

Last week, I had an opportunity to attend a talk by Vivian Schiller, the president of NPR. Her talk was extremely inspiring to me, but it was something that she had said in a previous interview that struck me, "Curiosity has led me through journey." Her journey has led her behind the "iron wall" serving as an interpreter in the former Soviet Union to CNN to New York Times and now to NPR. What struck me was how she mentioned that she never had any set goals in mind--she just allowed her curiosity to guide her. Now, that's what I am talking about!

I, myself have gone on a journey. I started my own company at 27 years old. I've moved from the comforts of my hometown to a new city, and I have explored my career--willing to learn more than I did when I was in my 20s.

My latest ambition is being a children's book writer. I've always loved children's books--the stories, the lessons and even the illustrations. I've even gone ahead and written my first draft--my inspiration is my dog, Nikki.

So, how did this inspiration come about-it? About eight years ago I found myself walking through the children's section of Barnes & Nobles looking for a book for my niece, Sapna. I came across this lovely book called Angelina Ballerina. The story was simple. It was a about a little mouse with ambitions to become a ballerina. The story and the illustrations brought the book to life for me.

But, unfortunately, life took over and I put my book on the back burner until now. Needing some inspiration, I decided to e-mail the author of Angelina Ballerina, Katherine Holabird. Just this a.m., I received the most thoughtful e-mail from her. Her e-mail has given me so much hope to pursue my dreams. Like anything else, a career in writing can be both exciting and upsetting especially if rejected. But, don't be discouraged!

• Take a risk. Submitting my first article was the most difficult thing I ever did, but I did. Though, I sent it to many magazines, I ended up selling it to an Asian American woman magazine in Los Angeles called Audrey Magazine. I had not been published, but that didn't stop me from trying.
• If you're rejected, pick yourself up and go for it again. I remember submitting an article about my fears of the outdoors. The article was about a trip I took to Puerto Rico and how I had overcome my fears of adventure by kayaking at night in a lagoon and hiking in a rain forest. The first publication I pitched the article too rejected me with the editor basically calling me a freak (not kidding!). I sent it to a second online publication called TangoDiva.com and within five minutes I had a response from the editor saying that they would run the article. They later published four my stories!


• Take your time: It has taken me over a year to write the copy for A Dog Named Nikki, feedback from friends, and lots of rewrites until I became satisfied. Now, I am excited about seeing it come to life!

What risks have you taken? Who has inspired you? And, if you do have ambitions, what's stopping you from fulfilling them?

Taking a Step Outside My Comfort Zone

Last Saturday, I attended my first belly dancing lessons class. I decided to sign up for belly dancing lessons because I wanted to do something fun and different that took me out of my comfort zone--and it did!

I have two left feet. I am not coordinated, and I have no rhythm. But that didn't stop me. While it took me awhile to grasp the steps and the assistance of the instructor (literally holding my hand and dancing with me acros the floor)--it didn't matter. At the end of the class I felt like I had accomplished something. And, when I thanked my instructor, she told me "You've got it. You looked great out there." Two years ago I would have never even considered doing something that I didn't feel comfortable with, but things have changed since then.

My first year in Washington D.C. was extremely difficult. Between an unsatisfying job, two car accidents and unrented home in Charleston, I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life, but I didn't. Change (even in a place that you feel like you know so well) can be extremely hard. even if you want it so badily, but you learn to adjust, surround yourself with people who care, and find things that you enjoy to get through the days:

• Try something that you have never done before. The first risk I ever took was to try something different. I literally did by trying a Mexican delicacy-grasshoppers in cheese sauce. They weren't as bad as I thought they would be, but will I ever eat them again? Probably not.
• Try something you've tried before, but with a different attitude. A few weeks ago, I saw a special with a local belly dancing studio. It was a crash course in belly dancing. I had taken a four week class in Charleston, but I quit by the third class. But, this time, I came out of the class with the desire to learn more. And, I find myself practicing the movements, remembering my in instructors tips like "say the steps out loud."

So, for me 2009 has definitely been a year of "getting to know myself." I have learned a lot of myself thanks to the risks that I have taken over the last year. The steps that I am taking are having an impact on my confidence, the quality of my work and a change of attitude.

What about you? What actions have you taken to step out of your comfort zone.