Aspire: To direct hopes towards achieving something. Or, in a literary sense “to rise high.” As in “the towers aspire skyward.”
In the safety of home (which I count as a privilege and a blessing), I aspire to be a great mom, to someday be able to write full-time, and to continue enjoying my fresh garden flowers outside as well as in vases decorating rooms throughout the house. Having something to aspire towards is important to each of us and our well-being.
Aspiring to something bigger than what we are currently doing gives us focus; provides inspiration; gives us cause to learn new things and develop new skills. Aspiring helps feed our souls, give us hope, and shine long rays of hope for others.
This week, while reading Douglas Brinkley’s book American Moonshot, managing my concerns about family members and friends in cities where riots are happening, and pondering what I can do, I’ve arrived at this.
As a nation, we need one positive thing we can aspire to. One thing that will unite our thoughts and actions. One overriding purpose that keeps hope alive and heightens our sense of working together to achieve positive outcomes. Whatever it is has to be tangible – not academic. Has to be a stretch-goal that helps individuals learn and grow as my colleague Jeff Prouty likes to say. And, has to provide a nationwide focus.
What I can do today is to start this conversation. I can brainstorm ideas about what “it” could be. I can lead a mastermind next week that explores individual, community, and nationwide aspirations. I can keep listening so that when “it” shows up, I can spread the word and take action to help.
Past aspirations that were achieved, or are still in progress, by the peoples of the United States working together include and are not limited to the following. This is a short list – and not one we might all reach agreement upon. So, add your suggestions of decade by decade aspirations.
- 1910s: Win The Great War/World War I. Achieve air flight for humans.
- 1920s: Flight across the ocean. Achieve ratification of the 19th
- 1930s: Works Progress Administration established to provide jobs and build infrastructure and objects of art/culture.
- 1940s: Win World War II.
- 1950s: Recover family life. Civil Rights pursuits.
- 1960s: Further pursuits of civil rights. Challenging the status quo.
- 1970s: Women pursuing equality in the workplace.
- 1980s: Take down the Berlin Wall. Manage the Cold War.
- 1990s: Prepare for the Millennia. Remember buying new computers so the whole world wouldn’t come to a halt at the stroke of midnight 1999/2000?
- 2000s and 2010s: What has the country aspired to in the last twenty years. Please do share your list.
NestingCards was an aspiration in the early 2000s, before other online art-selling sites grew. Because they were going live, I decide to table the idea. Then, in 2018, I was reinvigorated to pursue the idea. Because hope seemed to be wearing thin and ongoing stories of divided families reached me week over week, I decided to focus on home and what it takes to create it. The NestingCards.com premise is “home can be created by the objects and experiences we have in it.” The promise is that the hand-made fine-art and products found on the site will delight you, your family and friends. The site and amazing collection of artisans is live and growing. We invite you to browse, relax, breathe deeply, and smile if you are inspired to do so.
To what do you aspire?
What are you doing towards achievement?
Photo Note: Panning for gold was aspirational in the 1800s – and in the hands of a child in the 2000s.
Nesting is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive. Enjoy the Nesting series of blogs on your search for and creation of a deep sense of home. –Jana
Jana Kemp
