Nothing Can Be Anything Until It Is Imagined... The Note

I received this note in an email this morning. It really resonated with me and I think it's soo true, and aligns with what I think, how I think and what I believe in. Inspiration is always worth sharing.

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The slate is clean, the past has released its grip, and before you sparkles The Universe, yearning for direction. All that lies between you and the life of your dreams is just one teeny, tiny, gentle, little rule. Only one condition, prerequisite, principle that matters.

It's not love. It's not God. It's not fate, or luck, or karma. It's not complicated or esoteric, and you needn't sacrifice, plead, or pray to invoke it. It's the only rule that's ever existed, and it's the only one that will ever exist. No reality can exist in its absence. With its existence, the power, the light, and the way are revealed. It's your purpose to discover it, and it's your destiny to master it. It's the beginning, the middle, and the end. The Alpha and the Omega. The be-all and end-all of every wish, desire, and dream, and you are its keeper.

This caveat of all caveats is that absolutely NOTHING CAN BE ANYTHING UNTIL IT IS FIRST IMAGINED. Thoughts become things, nothing else does. And so, IT'S THE THOUGHTS YOU CHOOSE FROM HERE ON OUT THAT WILL BECOME THE THINGS AND EVENTS OF YOUR LIFE. There's no other way. It's your ticket to anywhere you can dream of. Your passport to abundance, health, and friendships. The key to the palace of your wildest dreams. Your thoughts, and your thoughts alone, will set you in motion. YOUR THOUGHTS WILL YIELD THE INSPIRATION, CREATIVITY, AND DETERMINATION YOU NEED. Your thoughts will orchestrate the magic. Your thoughts will carry you to the finish line if you just keep thinking them.

Never give up. Never waiver, doubt, or ask. Aim high.

That you're even reading this NOTE, that you're able to read it through, means you are so close. The hardest work has been done. The wars have already been waged. The lessons have already been learned. The journey, now, is for you.
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You know how they say "Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you'll fall in the Stars." Happy Imagining :)

I Luv My Boss

I just celebrated 5 years at Deloitte, which is huge. They say that 1 year of consulting is like 2 years of a regular job (I can vouch for that... I'm at at 4am in London.) But seriously - after having worked for over 4 years, and on countless deals with a Partner that I totally love working for, he just out of the blue sends this super-nice little "i never have to worry about you" message...
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-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin (US - Irving)
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 3:17 AM
To: Ots, Diana (US - San Francisco)

Subject: RE: Checking in

Man. I feel like you're a million miles away. I know you're doing all great stuff... I don't mean to be disconnected. Going coast to coast and have a few fires. Nothing around you is on fire.


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... talk about motivation. Or maybe I'm just a happy-go-lucky / cup-half-full / easily inspired person, but I really really appreciated that little note. I've been working on his last 2 deals the last 6 months, and haven't seen him in 3. But his message... It's simple. Sincere. Casual. And effective. And I appreciate that SO much more than any small monetary award they could give. I was just preaching to someone yesterday at an event about employee motivation and the importance of communication. It's seriously little stuff like this. I love it! Think it's fantastic (his favorite word). I know know - you're probably saying I'm totally on KoolAid. But I do love my job (as I write from a 5***** hotel in London on a gig). I would go to Siberia for a year for some people at work. I say - ask yourself who you are. what you like. what gives you a constant sensation of happiness. and then do that. and surround yourself selectively with positive, happy people like that. You only live once. It makes all the difference how. You're the owner of the company called "You". Live fulfilled.

Smth Old Can Be Smth New

I'm moving from one room to another, and in the process, am going through a box of old papers, files, notebooks. To my own surprise, found not only a set of various lists (books, songs, places to visit), but also one of my favorite little poems. I think it's simple & genuine - just the way I like the things on my journey:

* * *
Today - I wish you a day of ordinary miracles...
A fresh pot of coffee you didn't have to make yourself
An unexpected call from an old friend
Green stoplights on your way to work.

I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in...
A good sing along song on th radio
You keys right where you look.

I wish you a day of happiness and perfection - little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you the funny feeling that someone is smiling on you, holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.
* * *

After Looking So Hard... I Found It

Mr. Pickle Knows Best

I'm really really exhausted right now. It's been an insane weekend of just non-stop 'on-the-go' (all these New Year's conceived babies having their BD's in the same week with the theme of picklejuice & vodka!!!) But even after arriving at my 3rd home - the San Diego Avis office - I find funny Mr. Pickle. My fave sandwich shop in the world is called Pickles too. So I totally LOL myself at another set of - connecting the dots (or, ok, picles!). At least I was awake enough now to drive 40 miles to Carlsbad.

I've had another 2 illuminating human encounters in the last 2 days. I'm wondering if I'm having so many of them because I'm sort of feeling open, and inviting this kind of feedback, thinking, and questioning? In Estonian there's a saying that "One that seeks, shall find" - and I'm truly seeking... AND to my utter surprise - finding! (In certain circumstances, in Estonia, we say that when you look too hard, you won't find... but I'll leave that to another time). So Sun night I madly drive from the cozy mansions of PacHeights to the eclectic vibes of the Mission. Totally happy about going - was just late, nicely trusting my feminine sense of direction that lead me the exact opposite direction. But finally I get to Beretta (totally expecting a Russian revolver theme!)... and 3 tequila-ginger coctails later, I find myself inspired. By this human being that's barely a few years older than me, but that's probably lived 25 more years within that time (and I've been around the block myself!) After dinner -- 4 wholesome, funny, sad, perplexing, tormenting, hopeful, exciting, freeing -- hours later, I walk out, confirming once again that there is not A Right Answer. Society, and certain friends, and at the end of the day - my own inner desires & fears - want to put myself in a box (even be it the "boxless box") and have my life follow a certain timeline, only to realize that the most amazing things happen when you're sort of making other plans. I'd once again like to believe that there's a time to play and a time to chill out a bit, but it comes back to the same - you plan & you plan, thinking if you have X, Y, Z, you'll have the a,b,c you're looking for but you realize that "mad" actually makes you happy. So I'm really letting life take its course. Maybe I should be hustling & bustling right now, forcing myself to find "my spot" but I'm sort of happy just 'sailing' right now - being open for any and all opportunities, people, learnings, discoveries. Some of my revelatory conversations have been with people who's lives by all standard means are just really f*** up. But the fact that they've come out the other end, and have it all f*** much more together - I'll respect that. So from my crazy friends to my crazy family that's never followed the golden midway and just gone with the flow and figured things out - I love that. I won't drift forever, but now - it's listening to the inner voice, and doing whatever I feel whenever I feel it. And that makes me happy. And at the end of the day - that's all that's true. Me. And Happiness.

And when there's a little bit of picklejuice & vodka... or, hey a whole Mr. Pickle... to go with that! I'll take it. Na Zdarovye. Or Terviseks!

The Universe

I got a cute note from The Universe this morning:



"Every single minute of every single day, they're there. They may be hidden behind circumstances, people, or light poles. They're behind challenges, closed doors, or lost keys. Camouflaged, dovetailed, or whispering. Purring, kissing, or hissing. But more often than not, they're laying about in the open, under a clear blue sky, in plain view. Absolutely. Guaranteed they are. 10,000 reasons to be happy."

Life on a screen

On Monday, 1:12am:
Sunday night - I go to bed at 12am. Get up at 4am. Take my
normal 6am flight - 5 hours from San Francisco to
Chicago. Long day at the office (very cool office - all gold & marble private bank and trust).

But then... at midnight I come to the hometel - the W in Chicago, and get upgraded into a suite. My first reaction at the front desk was "ok - thanks". And then I walk into the room, and see this.

I think it speaks for itself. I've never seen anything like this before.

We must enjoy the little things in life. Going to bed, thinking of a new way of thinking of this. The little things.

Hanging with the President of Estonia in SF

The President of Estonia and the First Lady conducted a state visit to the Bay Area over the weekend of June 11-14th. I was supposed to take the First Lady shopping that Friday afternoon, but to my great relief, she preferred just chilling, going to the spa, rather than having yet another occasion to smile and chat. What a relief.

As a compromise, I had the honor of attending that evening's official state dinner - all with 20 US Secret Service guys (very cute!) and an escalade of cars waiting outside the restaurant on the Embarcadero. I'll never look at the Waterfront restaurant the same!

I was surprised how proud I was to be Estonian that weekend! I was rushing down Embarcadero to go for the dinner, when I saw the President's cars pull up, and the First Couple started walking towards the restaurant. Everyone was staring, and as I was rushing by, my hair in the wind - I kept cheerily exclaiming: "That's my President. That's the President of Estonia!" People probably thought - WTF is Estonia? But hey - we still get the Secret Service, bodyguards, and the whole nine yards. I think it was all pretty cool!