High achievements and awards don’t really do that much for me. Don’t get me wrong they are nice to receive, but once you have a degree, and achieved “stuff” in your life what’s really left to motivate and inspire.
People. Just normal ordinary Angels. “Angel-A” and “It’s a wonderful life”, I love those movies, the type of thing I’m talking about.
Sure Richard Branston is cool with his enterprises, jet airlines, islands, playboy girlfriends etc, but he’s a bit of a myth, not really someone you personally can actually connect with. Not really someone you can really share anything with, a laugh, a joke, a smile etc. The people that inspire me don’t tend to be high achievers in the classical sense. They are more like a page or two out of “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie. They are the friends, the true friends, who’ve make the time for encouraging words, even when they themselves might feel rotten. There isn’t much distance between me and them because they don’t put much there.
Irene of IreneDesign2011 is one such person. She’s Danish, and it was a Danish woman who gave me my first real break when I was starting my business a few years back. In fact quite a large break, so the Danes have many brownie points already clocked up with me, have yet to meet one I didn’t like.
A few weekends ago I did some guest blog articles on aopinionatedman’s blog. I mentioned that I might take a trip to take photos of the nearby big Buddha on the hill and Irene and some others said they’d like to see it. So off I went, and took 180 photos in just over an hour and then spent a lot of hours editing and publishing them. You can see my blog to see where I got with it, 103 photos published (609 likes just yesterday). The spark was lit, and off I went and did it.
My point, for me it’s the encouragers of this world that inspire me a lot, a really lot. A lot of times they are women, dude inspirers are rarer. Dudes like to play at authority and position, which doesn’t do anything for me, it turns me off, to me we’re all at the same level, regardless of rank. So it was extremely frustrating for my PADI instructors and course directors when I did my instructors course ! They didn’t seem to get how when they asked me to jump I didn’t say “How high ?” … don’t get me wrong I made friends with these guys, and earn’t their respect, but no one gets to tell me what to do because of rank or status, f*** that, ask me or don’t expect me to do it.
Anyway, I digress, nobody’s perfect … the people I’m talking about are like family, out there in the world doing “random acts of inspiration” for their families, friends and others. They are the Angels that we live amongst day-by-day, that make our lives not just ordinary, but extra-ordinary, awesome in fact. The rest are often just “noise” in my equation. Often I turn their volume down and don’t really listen that much. Bla bla, six pack, bla bla, boob job, bla bla, gossip, bla bla, bores me to tears. Do something inspiring, and get others inspired.
Irene lives in Spain, lucky her, I love Spain, been there many times, Madrid, Malaga, Ibiza, Tenerife and best of all for me was Barcelona. She designs and makes her own jewellery, which obviously being a dude I’m no expert, but looks pretty damn awesome to me. So I’ve put together a small gallery here, that’s randomly “dude chosen”:
Thanks Irene. And thanks to the other Angels of WordPress who inspire me day-to-day, you already know who you are, Angels don’t do it for the mention 🙂 You do all make my WordPress experience up several notches from awesome, I am grateful, lovely to have inspiring people like you around me.
So pay Irene a visit, say hello, perhaps she’ll inspire you too or perhaps you’ll inspire her, who knows what might happen, maybe some new friendships, stranger things have been known – http://irenedesign2011.wordpress.com
Warm regards
Don Charisma
Don Charisma 
We meet so few angels in real life. Cherish them well and always return the favor or pay it forward and the love will never end.
It’s true, but they are there and I find they often turn up when I need them most 🙂 Do my best to help others as and when the opportunity presents itself … warm regards DC
It is amazing where you find them. I pray you never run out of angels.
For sure, and be one yourself when you can 😉
I accept this mission!
I’ll do my best !
DC, I couldn’t agree more. Generous souls and kind hearts impress me more than any amount of wealth or fame or power. Well said, my friend.
True say … Let’s hope I can inspire a few to be more kind-hearted, there’s a lot of mean spirited-ness about these days 🙂 cheers DC
Lovely post Don!
Going to check out this blog for sure.
Hugz!
Thanks Mini-magic 🙂 (wondering when I’m gonna get told off, seem to have got away with it so far !) … she’s a cool lady, definitely pop in and say hello 🙂 warm regards DC
Thank you very much Don Charisma
You are very welcome Irene, and thankyou for your encouragement and inspiring me to achieve beautiful photos … You’ll probably get some extra visitors today 🙂 warm regards DC
That’s gorgeous. I’m paying her a visit because I love her earrings 😉
And thanks for the compliment also. 🙂 🙂
You are welcome Suz, more than welcome 🙂