As a motivational coach, motivation is what motivates me!

Inspiration is part of that, something that ‘turns you on’ and gets you all excited and in flow!     Memes do that for me sometimes, and for others, as Facebook is full of them to read and share!But what else can motivate or inspire you?  Well, lots of things.  Some planned, others reminders, and yet more you just come across.

Whilst unpacking my many boxes and bags in my move back to the UK and my new house, I have found a couple of things that worked for me.

This one in particular was responsible for me living my dream!   I don’t know who wrote it or where I found it but I did, laminated in and for many years had it pinned to my bedroom cupboard with quite a few other motivational memes and verses!   They really worked as reminders daily as I got up and did my make up, as thought-provokers in some instances with my parenting of my children, and some that just made me smile.

This one was at my left side, just head height at my dressing table.   I saw it every day for many years.  It made me yearn to travel and do reckless things again, although a responsible parent and professional business woman, I held back –  or did I just lose that along the way perhaps?

Well, on my travels I found it again!   I did the reckless things and lived each day as if it was my last, although I never thought like that.  I just took the opportunities that passed my way, never waiting or wondering, just jumping at them whilst I had the chance!

So now I have had so many moments my head, heart and soul are full of them!   So much amazing, stunning, beautiful scenery from deep, dark rivers to head tilting mountains and humid beaches to icy glaciers;  I’ve held a sloth, seen whales in the ocean, swam with dolphins, rode bare back on a huge, stroppy elephant and hand fed koalas (thank heavens, not the crocs!)

I have swam in the Amazon with potential piranhas, caiman and anacondas, wandered jungles and outback where I might walk upon a poisonous snake (sadly, not!) or tarantulas (yes, two!);  I walked on ice and over swarming glacial rivers, hiked mountains in Abel Tasman and generally lived my life as never before!

And it was fantastic!   I am so glad to have done that year out, so pleased to have tried those things, built my confidence that little will faze me now, and solo backpacked so am fitter and healthier than I have for a long time!   I came back with new ideas, insights and plans that I took away with me, with new qualifications like the NLP I’ve always wanted to do that came literally days before I was due to leave on my trip – but a chance I just couldn’t ignore, nor miss!

So take a look around you, read anything and everything you can from memes to newspapers, and see what inspires you and what reminds you of your dreams and hopes to travel – and what can really motivate you to act on your dream and take steps from your well-formed action plan!

I created a travel book in publisher with lots of pictures, memes and quotes that really did inspire and motivate me – and controlled my mind so it began to believe it was real and it could happen – and IT DID for me!  It can for you too!