There is incredible power in words and the way we assemble them to create larger meaning.
The following collections of words keep me focused and drive me forward:
If “serendipity” means unexpected good fortune, what is earned serendipity? When you earn serendipity, you don’t follow the usual rules. You don’t take one step at a time as you move toward better times. No, with earned serendipity, you take one step and leap three, four, even ten steps ahead—seizing an opportunity and dramatically changing your fortune. Within earned serendipity is the power to catapult a life, a business and a career in an instant. Earning serendipity is about tapping into that power. It is the immigrant who has mastered this powerful force. ~Glenn Llopis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unlike most people, the immigrant and the entrepreneur are not motivated to find the perfect job, the perfect salary, or the perfect industry. Instead, they’re motivated to discover great opportunity. The field before them is the universe, without boundaries, expectations, or rules of engagement.
The immigrant leader believes that great opportunities are rare only to those who can’t see them.
The immigrant leader proves that great opportunities are abundant time and again through her ability to see past the social, political, or economical labels placed on the opportunities all around her. The secret of the immigrant is that she does not idealize her work. Instead of wading in the waters of half commitment until something finally moves her, she dives headlong into every opportunity, knowing that many opportunities are hidden behind the labels a culture or society gives them. The immigrant leader immediately goes about sowing opportunity with her own hands, then growing it, for she knows that it is the only way to keep control of the opportunity.
Some say that immigrants are a drag on the economy, but the opposite is true. Immigrants are creating companies and jobs at a rate that outpaces the native population. They are seizing more opportunities and in doing so, creating more for themselves and others. ~Glenn Llopis
Home away from Home 
I especially like the thoughts about immigrants and entrepreneurs. (And, someday, tell us more about this old Canada Dry image…)
Aren’t they powerful? Glenn Llopis really inspires me – here’s a link to his site if you’d like to explore his work a bit more: http://glennllopis.typepad.com/glennllopis/
And that photo…well, there actually isn’t a story behind this one – I just love how worn and weathered it is, and it makes me think that despite the ‘weather’ of lives, our cultural identity remains intact, even if somewhat softened or faded around the edges. My time in Asia and Africa has changed me forever, but I’m still Canadian in my heart and always will be, even if I never live there again… 🙂