I’m so excited that today, athlete and entrepreneur Ian Warner is empowering us all to #fuelpersistence through sharing his story, passions, and life lessons. Ian reached out to me through Twitter and after connecting with him through email, I had to invite him to share his story on The Self-Disovery Retreat. I love his passion for life and how he created a company with his brother, also a fellow athlete.

Ian Warner grew up in Toronto, Ontario, where he attended the athletic powerhouse, Birchmount Park Collegiate. There he won provincials 8 times and earned himself an athletic scholarship to Iowa State. At Iowa State, he excelled as an entrepreneur by raising $150,000 from an angel investor. The same year as that investment, he became an NCAA All-American and made the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team.

If you asked Jacqueline, “What is the most important goal in your life?” She would answer, “To follow my heart every step of the way.” Her heart has taken her to some pretty phenomenal places, including living in China for 3 years, one of them in rural Hunan when she didn’t speak the language, to working on a ranch in Montana, to San Francisco, in the midst of a recession, and to many others. 

Nearly 3 years ago, she began writing a blog called 6 Months to Live, which started out as a life experiment and turned into a life philosophy. Jacqueline’s vision is to create a community of people who support and inspire each other in choosing meaningful and authentic lives. Life is waiting. Will you join her?

The song “Crazy Dreams” by Carrie Underwood resonates with me this week.  When you have an idea or dream, it may seem crazy or unattainable at the beginning.  However, just because the idea may seem far-fetched, as the song reminds you, the dreams will come true.

On a random shuffle of the songs on my Ipod this week at the gym, the song "So Small” by Carrie Underwood played. I have been inspired by Carrie ever since I saw her on American Idol in 2005.  I hadn’t heard this song in a while and forgot how powerful of a message it had. 

I love reading magazines and thought, “Why not create my own version of a magazine?”   It will be kind of like my own version of a book club with ideas to make you think. Written responses and feedback are encouraged; if you feel inspired to write, share with the rest of us.