Drive.
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 2:13PM “To believe in yourself and to follow your dreams, to have goals in life and a drive to succeed, and to surround yourself with the things and the people that make you happy - this is success!” {Sasha Azevedo}

Today, I ask you.... What Drives You?
No, I'm not talking about the car you drive :) Your motivation? Your inner strength? Your reasons?
Whether by choice, or by fete or by luck, I'm surrounded by some pretty amazing, 'driven' people. People who work hard. People who have BIG dreams....and chase them. People who make a difference. People who care. People who make changes to 'be better'. People who achieve. People who prove they can do it!
And lately, whilst I surf the bloggy world & read some pretty inspirational stories & posts.....I've been thinking about motivation and what it is that drives each & every one of us.
I've recently received a few emails & comments, saying "Claire, how do you do it all?" And the answer is.... I don't. And I honestly don't know anyone who does DO it all.....and all perfectly! Like a lot of other women, yes, I do a lot. I juggle a hell of a lot of balls & I wear goodness-knows how many hats. But where I may be shining in one area....I'm probably lacking in another. On days when my work is up to date, I've blogged, I've played, baked & crafted with Ella, dinner is cooked & served & cleaned up all before 6pm and I've fit in a trip to the grocery store, post office & ballet lessons......is the same day where the housework maybe neglected or yesterday's washing is still hanging on the washing line getting rained on, or I hear the bin-truck driving off up the street & I haven't put the bin out for the 2nd week in a row! And vice-versa....on the days I clean & work & change bedding, my blog is neglected or my emails build up out of control, or I'm filled with guilt for not playing with Ella enough, or my started-projects are left gathering dust. And whilst I try to manage my time.....I blog instead of watching TV, I drink coffee instead of sleeping :) and I teach part-time instead of full-time so I can still have set days a week to just be MUM! You get my gist....we all just choose which areas need to be focussed on each day and our priorities & then we rely on whatever is driving us that day.
What drives me? Hmmmm......several things I guess!! And it all depends on what I'm trying to set out to do that day, to which 'drive factor' I'll draw upon! My main driving force is LIFE! I love life! And I want to make the most of this life of mine. I don't want to look back in 50 years time with regrets. Regrets that I didn't have a go, that I didn't love enough, that I didn't make more effort, that I didn't follow that dream!
So....I work to provide money for my family, so we can have a good life full of great adventures & opportunities. But, I also stay home part-time, so I can be a Mother. I'm a business owner, because I want control & I need a creative outlet. I dance because I need to have "ME" time & I need to express myself. I eat way too much chocolate....coz it tastes so damn good. I love BIG, because at the end of the day.....all that matters is PEOPLE! I'm driven to be good....to be better.....to do lots.....coz I'm a MUMMA....I'm a role-model and I want to show Ella that there's a big beautiful world out there & we're only given one chance to experience it! I'm driven by inspiration! Inspiration from quotes {hence my positive quote prints!}, and writers & artists & real-life stories of miracles & human spirit.
From the Mary Oliver poem which I studied in High School English {The Summer Day} "Tell me, what is it you plan to do, With your one wild and precious life?" Wow...just stop & think hard about that closing line of the poem!!!
THAT DRIVES ME!
So, again, I ask you {please leave a comment below or shoot me an email} What drives you? What's driving you today? Yesterday? Tomorrow?

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