Do you have a favorite dialogue, lyric, quote or affirmation? Please share with us below.

Crystal Carr | Photographer & Owner

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. Quote by George Bernard Shaw The idea of “finding yourself” implies that you don’t know who you are. It brings about a feeling of being lost. But if we view the journey of life as a time to create whoever we want to be, it gives us the freedom to change and grow along the way. I see this as an opportunity to be the best version of oneself and not settle for the person you “found.” Read more>>

Lavonne Cimbak | Catering & Events

“You don’t have to know where the road is going to end, you just have to have to be willing to take your next step.” Lisa Nichols When you start your own business there are so many doubts and uncertainties, you really have no idea if you will be successful or if you will book any clients. Taking the first step into the unknown was paramount for me and I never knew what that step would bring. Life is full of little tidbits of information to lead you in the right direction, sometimes it may be a wrong left or right but you will always find that just taking that step will lead you to new possibilities. Eventually you will realize those wrong turns guided you to the right spot at the right moment. Read more>>

Reyes Barrios | Teacher, Choreographer & Artist

Dance with your Heart and your feet will follow. Love the Life you live and you will live the life you Love and if you Live the life you love you will Love the life you live. Read more>>

Kerry Glass | DJ & Producer

One of my favorite quotes in regards to work and following your dreams is, “Never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale What I like about this quote is, it’s true! Don’t be discouraged from pursuing something that you really want in life because of how hard it may appear to be to obtain or the time that it will take. Follow your dreams relentlessly as the time will pass anyway. You will thank yourself later. Read more>>

Summer Kais | Photographer & Graphic Designer

“The camera therefore is an eye capable of looking forwards and backwards at the same time. Forwards, it does in fact “shoot a picture”, backwards, it records a vague shadow, sort of an x-ray of the photographer’s mind, by looking straight through his (or her) eye to the bottom of his (or her) soul. Yes, forwards, a camera sees its subject, backwards it sees the wish to capture this particular subject in the first place, thereby showing simultaneously THE THINGS and THE DESIRE for them.   If, thus, a camera shoots in two directions, forwards and backwards, merging both pictures so that the “back” dissolves in the “front”, it allows the photographer at the very moment of shooting to be in front with the subjects, rather than separated from them. Read more>>

Desiree Crossman | Certified Yoga Therapist & Thai Yoga Massage Teacher

A teaspoon a day keeps the ego at bay. One of the most challenging aspects throughout life is harmonizing the ego. The ego develops, shapes, and evolves to protect us from external criticism or some form of trauma, perhaps denial. Every person has their personal experience. To have an ego is neither positive nor negative, it should be neutral, at the very least oscillating back and forth within a humbling parameter. If the ego is underdeveloped, the lack of confidence prospers and a person may never grasp their true worth or experience their innate potentiality. If the ego is overdeveloped, it may demonstrate to the outside world a falsified persona, hiding a monumental amount of insecurities and the highest expectations of the self. Read more>>

Ari Evan Gold | Author, Inventor & Artist

“Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those that work with joy.” Kahlil Gibran The path to joy begins with self and ends with others. The work of your life is but an echo of you. Why spend any time pursuing the joy of another, when that work does not bring you any joy? When you are able to work with joy, you are free. When you can see all work as joy, you become limitless. The process is the journey and the journey is joy. May this inspire you to follow the fun. Read more>>

Cassiopeia Guthrie | Educator & MarCom Director

The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz, were transformative for me. They read as follows: 1. Be impeccable with your word; 2. Don’t take anything personally; 3. Don’t make assumptions; and 4. Always do your best. By leaning into the best, most authentic version of myself as I navigate through the unique situations that life throws at us (agreements 1 and 4), I know that I do so with integrity and my actions will always be in alignment with my beliefs. Just as importantly, agreements 2 and 3 give me the opportunity to put situations in context prior to acting and serve as a reminder to trust others at their word and to believe that they are operating with that same intrinsic goodness. Read more>>

Sula Vanderplank | Researcher, Explorer & Conservation Biologist

“Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission” Neil Kendall. I love this quote because it speaks to the importance of tenacity. It reminds me that I don’t have to be the person that is the most naturally gifted, just the one that works the hardest and never gives up. It also reminds me that life is short and I should chase my dreams with all my might. Read more>>

Mike Reeder | Boxing Gym Owner & Boxing Teacher

Kurt Vonnegut, “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different.” It might seem like a silly quote but, when you own your own business, especially during these times, it’s important to realize crazy, difficult things will be thrown your way. If you can somehow keep things in perspective, not take yourself too seriously, and take a deep breath, it goes a long way. Read more>>

Rebecca O’Brien | Ink Portrait Artist & Teacher

I have a lot of mantras that I invoke when needed, but one in particular that stands out to me is: “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” Often, as an artist, I can be presented with a multitude of opportunities and flexible deadlines for completing them. Just as in any self-driven business, the amount of time and dedication you put into your craft corresponds to the amount you get out of it. Every day there are always a multitude of choices in front of me regarding how and in what order I accomplish my projects and tasks. As an artist who is also working as a middle school teacher and a graduate student, I am juggling many proverbial balls at any given time and this quote helps with that. To do art, or to not do art today? That is the question! When I present myself with this mantra, it is usually when I am feeling a bit overwhelmed or lacking in motivation. This question really helps me to distill my thoughts into what, exactly, will be the most meaningful action I can take right now. Read more>>