What Lifts You?
During these trying times, it’s important to stay positive, get fresh air, and appreciate the things that lift our souls. The DCC team took time to reflect on the question “what lifts you?” while visiting the new downtown mural recently commissioned in Decatur, IL.
“I am inspired by great leaders, warm smiles, positive attitudes, generosity and kindness. Surrounding myself with family and friends that are always there to help one another soar to new heights and navigate this wonderful life!”
– Kara Demirjian Huss
“My family, friends and helping others. For almost 10 years, I’ve supported a local charity which provides a literacy grant program for kids in our local school districts (http://www.nicaricoliteracyfund.org). I’m also looking forward to the September launch of a mentoring organization for women where I’m partnering with some amazing women in Chicago (https://buildingup.club/). It’s a small way to pay it forward for those who have mentored me throughout my career.”
– Melissa Amedeo
“I love seeing all the creativity of everyone around me. It elevates me by giving me new perspectives to see the world in which I influence.”
– EJ Panganiban
“Hope is what lifts me. I am unrelentingly, probably unrealistically, always hopeful that the future will be better. That my family, my friends and the world in general will be OK. That glimmer of hope is what keeps me going.”
– Jennifer Sekosky
“If someone feels I helped make their day better, easier, brighter, or happier in some small way; that is what lifts me.”
– Brandy Robinson
“Selflessness, I really enjoy helping others and simply making people smile & feel loved. Knowing that I helped someone in some way is always a good feeling. Another thing that lifts me is music, anytime & anywhere. Music has the ability to improve my mood, relieve stress, and overall just makes me feel happier.”
– Monica Metzger
“Joy, laughter and beauty in faces/places/experiences. Something that makes me smile and cheers my day so that I can pass that along and share that hope with others. Searching for the bits of God’s light scattered throughout the darkness is what lifts me.”
– Pam Morrow
“Laugh! For me that’s the answer for everything. It could be a simple conversation, a meme or watching a comedy movie. I always look for moments on my day to joke to make others and myself laugh. It’s a scientific fact that laughing relieves stress. So try it! Another thing that has a tremendous influence on my mood is MUSIC. It has the power to make me sad, makes me reflect, brings back memories and, of course, lifts me up!”
– Erasmo Bussolin
“I’m always wanting to make the most of my time, not only keeping myself busy but constantly evolving as the years go by. Like my favorite quote, “Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living (Jonathan Safran Foer).” Nothing is more fulfilling to me than the pursuit of knowledge, the spark of creativity, and the thrill of adventure. I want to leave no stone un-turned, no path un-followed. My curiosity has me continually searching for new information, new insights, and new perspectives, and I have been so blessed to have the loving support of those around me. My family and friends motivate and inspire me even when I’m not always sure of the correct path. For me, my direction is always forward—though my nose often gets stuck in a book.”
– Rachael Coyle
“Staying connected with close friends and nature. No matter what struggles I encounter throughout my life, even just a short video chat with one of my close friends or a walk through the woods instantly lifts my mood. The COVID-19 pandemic has made me appreciate these friendships even more by showing me that when I take away all outside distractions, the people that I surround myself with makes all the difference in my happiness.”
– Evelyn Demirjian
“Live, laugh, love, ok now that people have stopped reading what lifts me is really just 450mg of Wellbutrin and death metal.”
– Lacey Maulding