I had been thinking all week about possible topics for this last newsletter of the year, and not coming up with anything very much at all. I have been writing these newsletters every month since September 2009 so I’ve pretty much covered everything you can think of when it comes to clutter, organising, and related topics.
My inspiration for this newsletter came during a client lunch on Friday, when I had the privilege to listen to a young man who is one of the most inspirational speakers I’ve ever heard. And as we near the end of 2016 and look forward to a bright new year, I thought what better to talk about than aspirations, dreams and goals. I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions as those too often become ‘shoulds’ rather than desirable goals and dreams. It’s more about the things we put on our ‘to do’ lists and either don’t get to, or somehow get stopped along the way by fear or procrastination.
Cam Calkoen had his audience of around 25 of us enthralled, inspired, and alternately moved to tears and then raucous laughter. He is such a delightful character you can’t help but love him, and admire his courage and extraordinary tenacity. His catch phrase is “Dream Big, Achieve More” and that’s certainly what he has done all his life and continues to do.
Here’s the brief introduction on his website which will give you an idea of who Cam is.
“My name is Cam Calkoen. I dream of a world where everyone is inspired to embrace opportunity, and our physical being is no barrier to succeeding in our dreams and aspirations. It is dreams that have brought the world to what we see today. And our aspirations will propel it into the future.
No one can walk or talk at birth. But some people, like me, are presented with this likelihood for the rest of our lives. I chose to defy the odds, and now I have the opportunity to showcase what can be achieved when we see opportunity, clarify purpose, and live for awesome!
I was born with Cerebral Palsy, but today the only labels I need are my name and occupation: Cam Calkoen, Inspirational Speaker. The inspiration is not because of my Cerebral Palsy, although that’s a part of me I choose to embrace. It comes from an aspiration to make life as awesome as it can be through the pursuit of excellence. I have gone from people doubting I would ever walk, to exceeding expectations.
Life is what we make it and the values needed to achieve awesomeness are simple – we need to believe, and in doing so, leave no stone unturned. My offerings help you identify these unturned stones – in other words, I inspire others to dream big and achieve more!”
http://www.camcalkoen.com
The extraordinary Stephen Hawking, the famous physicist about whom they made the movie “The Theory of Everything”, is a shining example of the heights one can reach with a debilitating degenerative disease. Here is one of his inspiring quotes:
However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.
It’s not important how big or how small your dreams or goals may be, inspirational people such as Cam Calkoen and Stephen Hawking lead the way in showing us that we can really achieve what we put our minds to.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and that 2017 brings you blessings, love and joy.
Angella
In Joy!
Angella Gilbert
P: 09 410 4166
M: 027 224 8937
E: angella.gilbert@xtra.co.nz
W: www.gioia.net.nz
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