I get my energy from people; the stories of inspiring people.
I believe we all have the capacity to inspire and engage others and to live fulfilling lives that provide meaning to us and those around us.
Below are stories, deeds, acts and ideas that inspire me.
In the climate of almost limitless knowledge and information there can almost seem to be no end to the amazing information and ideas and inspiration at our finger tips. Below are a few of my favourite places for inspiration, stories that challenged and inspired, ideas that grew my knowledge and some things which made me loudly proclaim “People are cool!”
This is a continually growing list with more videos, books, blogs and people’s stories added as I come across them. Enjoy!
Books
These books gave me “aha” moments or sparked ideas or thoughts in different directions or reaffirmed what I believed but didn’t know how to put as eloquently as the authors.
- The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson
- Make the Impossible Possible by Bill Strickland
- Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries by Peter Sims
- Thrive by Arianna Huffington
- The Purpose Economy by Aaron Hurst
- Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill
- Screw Business as Usual by Richard Branson
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
- Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
- Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
- Everything I Know by Paul Jarvis
- Choose Yourself by James Altucher
- The Enlightenment of Work by Steve Nobel
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (the only fiction book on the list currently)
- The $100 Start Up by Chris Guillebeau
- The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin
People and Networks
- World Domination Summit (WDS) – a yearly gathering in Portland, Oregon, USA for people wanting to lead a remarkable life in a conventional world
- Pioneer Nation – a two-day conference for solopreneurs and freelancers put on by some of the amazing WDS team. A collection of inspiring and committed individuals
- New Zealand Business Women’s Network – a network of amazing kiwi women based in London
- Escape the City and The Escape School – inspiring talks and people in London who are leaving the corporate world to make a difference
- School of Life – a great bookstore and source of inspiring courses, talks and workshops
- Danielle La Porte – a beautiful soul inside and out that speaks the truth and calls for people to use their desires to follow their dreams
- Seth Godin – a remarkable man calling for change on almost every level. He can use so few words to say so much.
- My inspiration group – a group of remarkable kiwi women who I meet each month and who keep me focused, energised and inspired
- Stories and photos of random people shared on the Internet. Like these ones in Boston, USA, the Humans of New York series, or the photo a day in 2013 of Londoners.
- Videos of everyday people living their bliss, like Slomo of Pacific Beach
- Everyone I follow on Instagram – Each of these people are telling their stories through photographs and I love the stories they are telling
Talks
Jonathan Fields’ Good Life Project – www.goodlifeproject.com
There are so many amazing interviews with interesting and inspiring people that I would recommend you just go and watch them all (or listen to them, as it is now audio only)! But if I had to pick my favourites they would be:
Marianne Elliot
Brene Brown
Ted and Tedx Talks – www.ted.com
You could lose yourself in the almost endless Ted and now TedX talks that exist. Below are some that spoke to me.
Ken Robinson
Brene Brown
Logan LaPlante
Amanda Palmer
Monica Lewinsky
Alain de Botton
Simon Sinek
Andrew Hewitt
World Domination Summit – 2013
I had the utter privilege of attending the World Domination Summit in July, 2013. It is so hard to choose just a few of the talks that really spoke to me, but below are my absolute, absolute favourites!
Darren Rowse
Tess Vigeland
Jia Jiang
Commencement Speeches
Tim Minchin
Arianna Huffington
Neil Gaiman
Steve Jobs
Do Lectures – www.dolectures.com
Andy Middleton
School of Life – www.theschooloflife.com
Ken Robinson