“Each of us has to look there, inside of us, and find out what it is that burns hottest that we must do, the work we must do, with the goal, as I try to emphasize, not of doing better for ourselves but of doing better for everyone and to make this a better world.”
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Toni Reece: Welcome to the Get Inspired! Project. I’m Toni Reece, and today I am with Debbie Jordan. Debbie, welcome to the Get Inspired! Project.
Debbie Jordan: Hello, Toni. Wonderful to be here.
Toni: Debbie, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Debbie: I like to write. I like to communicate, actually, and so writing, talking … I try to share ideas, especially ideas that hopefully will help others to think, too. I’m hoping that we can find creative win-win-win ideas, so that we can make this a better world for everyone.
Toni: Debbie, I’m right there with you. Thank you so much for being part of this. Let’s go into the first question. What does inspiration mean to you?
Debbie: Well, of course the first thing that people will think, and I have always, is to look outward at others where these ideas come from, whether it’s what other people are doing or saying. What we have to be very careful of, though, is are we looking at the outer, at certain things we like about what they have, or are we looking at what they’re doing, the hard work?
That leads me to the more important aspect of inspiration, and that is, what is it inside of me? Each of us has to look there, inside of us, and find out what it is that burns hottest that we must do, the work we must do, with the goal, as I try to emphasize, not of doing better for ourselves but of doing better for everyone and to make this a better world.
Toni: So Debbie, the inspiration part of this and what it means to you, I want to make sure that I understand this, because I thought it was a very cool answer – it’s not being inspired by what someone has, but it’s taking that deeper look to see what that person is doing and really if what they’re doing is fueled by that burn that you spoke about. That would be pretty cool.
Debbie: It must be.
Toni: Yes, absolutely.
Debbie: Because if we don’t have that fire within us, we don’t have the fuel to keep going.
Toni: Absolutely; then you’re really just wasting your time, aren’t you?
Debbie: You betcha.
Toni: How do you put inspiration into practice?
Debbie: By doing it. By doing the work, and that’s the hardest thing about it, too. A little confession here – the two things that are the most important part of my work are writing and talking, like right now, but you would be surprised how hard it is for me, especially when I’m supposed to be getting ready for it. The burn is, “Can I do it? Am I going to fall flat on my face, or am I going to soar into the sky?” It doesn’t matter. I’m doing.
Toni: Right, right.
Debbie: Once I get into it, I don’t think about that, except when somebody asks me the question and I give the answer.
Toni: That’s great. You may have that fear going into it, but you really lose that while you’re in the moment?
Debbie: Absolutely. I forgot about it.
Toni: That’s fantastic. Putting inspiration into practice for you is really doing it and getting past that fear so that you can be in the moment and do the work that you’re so passionate about.
Debbie: Very much, because we all fear failing, but failing can be the greatest lesson.
Toni: Yes, it can. Speaking of lessons – this is a great transition – thank you, Debbie. What is your greatest life lesson?
Debbie: That is getting into it. Realize that it’s not the opinion that other people have of you, because there will be naysayers. All my life, I’ve had so many naysayers, and they were most of the time the closest ones around me.
I had to realize a long time ago that if the people around me are denying that which burns hottest within me, then they’re wrong, not me. Especially if I know what I can do will help others.
Again, that’s my touch zone. Am I doing something that’s going to help other people, that’s going to help make this a better world? Are those naysayers actually not doing that, and that’s the clue. That helped me to get past a lot of them, and sometimes I just have to turn my back and do my thing.
Toni: That takes a lot of courage to do that. As you know, life lessons are learned, and you said it took a lot of time to get to the point where you could turn your back and continue doing what you do. If you were to give a nugget of wisdom for people all over the world here Debbie that are listening to you that may be experiencing that same negativity and the naysayers that are saying, “Are they crazy?” – what piece of advice would you give them so maybe they can avoid the same life lesson?
Debbie: To me, it’s continuing to be involved in the doing. As long as I see my own productivity. Sometimes I don’t see the effects of it outside of me for a long time, but as long as I take joy in that productivity, and that’s what I would tell people – don’t worry about what the outside rewards they are heaping on you – reward yourself with the joy from your own productivity.
Toni: Thank you, Debbie. The final question is, what do you want your legacy to be?
Debbie: That’s the old, “What do you want on your tombstone?”
She was useful. She helped. She made this a little bit better for us.
Toni: Thank you so much, Debbie for being part of the Get Inspired! Project.
Debbie: I enjoyed it.
Toni: Me too. Take care.
