Yay! You signed up for the
Be Inspired
blog written by me,
Kim Manley Ort.
I’m looking forward to being inspired by you.
As a way of saying thanks, here are
Eight per month around a monthly theme.
These are things that have worked for me.
Pick one and give it a try.
Enjoy!
About the Guide
For each month, you will find links to my writings, blog posts from favorite
bloggers, videos, books, music, and more, loosely based around a monthly
theme.
Bloggers include Danielle Laporte from White Hot Truth, Chris Guillebeau of
the Art of Non-Conformity, Jonathan Fields, Career Renegade, and Leo
Babauta of Zen Habits. I hope that by experiencing some of their blog posts,
you will want to explore more.
If you don’t like the book or music choices, think of books or music that inspire
you.
If you have an inspiring choice you’d like to recommend, leave it in the
comments section on the 365 Days section of the website.
Thanks!
January................................ Inspiration
1.
/ Beauty
For Reading: Living Inspired
2. Blog Post – Danielle Laporte – the manifesto of encouragement
3. TED Talk – Niel Pasricha – The 3 A’s of Awesome
4. Download Seth Godin’s e-book, What Matters Now
“more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head
into the new year”
5. Book – Ansel Adams: An Autobiography by Ansel Adams
6.
Music – Simone Dinnerstein
– Bach Ste. no 5, III
7.
Podcast – On Being – The Inner Landscape
of Beauty with John O’Donohue
8. Image - Purple grapes
by Kim Manley Ort
Click to enlarge or purchase.
February ................................
1.
Winter/ Waking Up
Take snow pictures. Check out Winter Photography Tips
2. Blog Post – Chris Guillebeau – Who you are and what they say
3.
TED Talk – Elizabeth Lesser – Take “the Other” to lunch
4. Take the Enneagram, a very insightful personality test
5.
Book – The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth
Kostova
6.
Music – John Legend and the Roots – Wake
Up
7.
Podcast – Radio Lab – The Shy Baboon
8. Image - Winter Abstract
by Kim Manley Ort.
Click to enlarge or purchase.
March ....................................
1.
Heroes / Education
Read about my Top 10 Heroes and then make a list of your own. What qualities in your
heroes do you admire? You have those qualities too. Which ones are untapped?
2. Blog Post – Jonathon Fields – A Teaching Moment
3.
TED Talk – Ken Robinson – Changing Education Paradigms
4. Do a Lesson in Creativity – The Word Pages
5.
Book – The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and
Change the World by Chris Guillebeau
6.
Music – 25 Most Inspirational Songs from
the Personal Excellence Blog. Choose your
favorite and listen. I like #17, Return to
Innocence by Enigma
7.
Podcast – On Being – The Body’s Grace
with Matthew Sanford
8.
Image – Respect earth’s diversity,
Principle 1 of the Earth Charter.
Click to enlarge or purchase on Zazzle
April ....................................................
1.
Numbers
Learn more about environmental photographer, Chris Jordan
(and then watch his TED Talk #3)
2. Blog Post – Leo Babauta – achieving, without goals
3.
TED Talk – Chris Jordan – Pictures Some Shocking Stats
4. Check out Jessica Hagy’s Indexed Blog – Smart and witty Venn diagrams
6.
Music – TED Music – Jake Shimabukuro
plays Bohemian Rhapsody on the ukelele.
7.
Podcast – Radio Lab – The Nature of
Numbers
8. Image – Abundance of Cherries
by Kim Manley Ort
Click to enlarge or purchase on Imagekind.
May .....................................................
1.
Listening
Weigh in on The Lost Art of Conversation.
2. Blog Post – Danielle Laporte – what’s on your stop doing list?
3. TED Talk – Brene Brown on Vulnerability
4. Listen to a poem aloud – A Supermarket in California by Allen Ginsberg
5. Book – Turning to One Another: Simple
Conversations to Restore Hope for the
Future by Margaret Wheatley
6. Music – TED Music – Evelyn Glennie on
Listening
7.
Podcast – On Being – Listening Generously
with Rachel Naomi Remen
8.
Image – Relationships are everything.
Click to enlarge or purchase on Zazzle.
June ............................................
1.
Water / Oceans
Celebrate World Oceans Day on June 8th.
2. Blog Post – Wallace J Nichols in The Huffington Post – 12 Connections between Oil Spills
and Plastic Pollution
3.
TED Talk – Sylvia Earle on protecting our oceans.
4. Take the Ocean Issues Quiz at National Geographic.
5.
Book – The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap
between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected
World by Jacqueline Novogratz
6.
Music – Sounds of the Ocean on YouTube
7.
Podcast – Radio Lab – Do I Know You?
8. Image – Rocks, Sea, and Sky
by Kim Manley Ort.
Click to enlarge or purchase on Imagekind.
July ..............................................
1.
Slowing down
For Reading: Awareness is Everything
2. Blog Post – Jonathan Fields – Hair on Fire Minus One
3.
TED Talk – Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight
4. Creativity Lesson – 365 Days of Genius – Illusion as the Path to Creativity
5.
Book – Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
6.
Music – Derek Trucks Band, Sahib Teri
Bandi
7.
Podcast – On Being – Play, Spirit and
Character with Stuart Brown
8. Image – Awareness is Everything available
on Zazzle
August ..........................................
1.
Read about the book, Life: A Journey Through Time by Frans Lanting
2. Blog Post – Leo Babauta – the insidious, perfidiousness of doubts
3.
TED Talk – Denis Dutton on A Darwinian Theory of Beauty
4. Creativity Lesson – 365 Days of Genius – on Fear
5.
Book – Life: A Journey Through Time by
Frans Lanting
6.
Music – Bruce Cockburn – Last Night of the
World
7.
Time / Doubt
Podcast – Radio Lab - Deception
8. Image – Trees in all Four Seasons
by Kim Manley Ort.
Click to enlarge or purchase at Imagekind.
September ..........................................
1.
Happiness
Read about The Everything Series, words with images that provide a foundation for life.
2. Blog Post – Chris Guillebeau – Always be thinking about these things
3.
TED Talk – Matthiew Ricard on the Habits of Happiness
4. Construct your own Happiness Project with this toolbox by Gretchen Rubin
5.
Book – The Not So Big Life: Making Room
for What Really Matters by Sarah Susanka
6.
Music – The Sound of Music Flash Mob at
Antwerp train station, Belgium
7.
Podcast – On Being – The Happiest Man in
the World with Matthieu Ricard
8. Image – Sunflower Backs
by Kim Manley Ort.
October ......................................
1.
Non-conformity
Read about non-conformist Wendell Berry.
2. Blog Post – Jonathon Fields – I’m a Freak. And so can you and Chris Guillebeau – A Short
Collection of Unconventional Ideas
3. TED Talk – Vik Muniz makes art with wire, sugar, etc.
4. Read quotes on non-conformity.
5. Book – The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris
Guillebeau
6. Music – Alicia Keys, Wait Till You See My
Smile
7. Podcast – Radio Lab – Who am I?
8. Image – Windows of Tuscany
by Kim Manley Ort.
Click to enlarge or purchase from Imagekind.
November.......................
1.
Compassion / Mindfulness
For Reading: What is Compassion?
2. Blog Post – Leo Babauta – The Minimalist’s Guide to Cultivating Passion
3.
TED Talk – Karen Armstong on the Charter for Compassion
4. Download a vook (video e-book) – Karen Armstrong’s 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life
5.
Book – The Compassionate Life: Walking
the Path of Kindness by Marc Ian Barasch
6.
Music – Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful
World
7.
Podcast – On Being – Opening to our Lives
with Jon Kabat-Zinn
8. Image – Lotus Flower by Kim Manley Ort.
Click to enlarge or purchase.
December ....................................
1.
Poetry / Writing
Learn about John O’Donohue, Irish poet, writer and mystic.
2. Blog Post – Danielle Laporte – One of the most powerful questions, ever
3.
TED Talk – C.K. Williams reads poetry of youth and age.
4. Download Tara Sophia Mohr’s pdf, The Real Life – Poems for Wise Living
5.
Book – Ten Poems to Change Your Life by
Roger Housden
6.
Music – TED Music – Natalie Merchant sings
old poems to life.
7.
Podcast – Radio Lab – Musical Language
8. Image – Energy at the Edge – Poetry by
Norah Weir Oulahen
Thank you.
I hope that you have been inspired in some way by this guide and uncovered
some things that light your fire. Because that is what this is about; inspiration is
unique to each person.
Please feel free to share this guide.
Images copyrighted by Kim Manley Ort
Contact Information
365 Days of Inspiration
Kim Manley Ort Photography
Writing on Squidoo
Twitter: @kimmanleyort
Facebook: kimmanleyort
Email: kimmanleyort@mac.com
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