[Procyona]

Since we already have a wisdom sayings and useful articles section, why not a section for people who inspire us? This section is of people who you can find information in the internet, to follow their facebook/twitter etc. accounts, but if you want to share a story of your mom, dad, uncle or that nice guy next door, you may do so. For any person, please make a short introduction and state a reason why they are inspiring. Thank you!

Recently I have read about Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid revolutionarist and former president of South Africa. His political anti-aprtheid carrier lasted over fifty years, including youth legue activity, confinement in three different prisons (for 27 years - because he did not want to give away his principles), and to precidency. He was accused of terrorims and of treason, but on the other hand, his work as a president helped to unify the country despite the social stigma. So, to me he is a symbol of keep on going and you get far, but also about the idea of peacy and unity. Rest in peace mr. Mandela.

more in the mandela foundation website
http://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography   

[Haveunique]

Milla, I've recently learned about Finnish dancer and fashion star Aira Samulin. I find her personality quite extraordinary! It seems her life was not that easy and she managed to get this far, taking such well care of herself. But I didn't find much about her in English. Could you please translate some information about her and post here with her pictures? I think her example is amazing, the more details the better Thank you in advance!   

[Procyona]

Sure thing Tetyana, she really shines even with her age, doesn't she?

Aira Samulin was born in Ignoila in 27th of February in 1927, and today she is 86 years old. She has held her own dancing schools, been filming secretary and taken part in politics. She is also a member and forspeaker of Theather assisoation of Helsinki, and takes part in other assisiations as well. She has been given an Finnlands Lions mark of honour for her autobiographical book Solar Eclipse (Auringonpimennys), to mention just a few examples.

As a child Aira had a nickname Mökö (Sulky), because she was serious and pondering of nature. She was 14 years old when her father Viktor died in a war. Then Aira's mother and her three siblings moved in Helsinki. Originally there was 5 more, but they died in young age. Aira started her own company when she was 18 of age. In year 2011 she was, and probably still is, the CEO of a travelling company in Hyrsylänmutka.

She has two childer, a girl called Pirjo and a boy called Jari, both with her partner Helge Samulin. They parted ways because of abuse and misusage of alcohol. As she was 40 years old, she was diagnosed with cancer, but after one surgery the condition has not arisen again. Her daughter Pirjo, now 62 years old, was diagnosed with Schizophreni in the age of 16. Aira was later married to Ekku Peltomäki, 16 year younger man, for 30 years, until they parted ways. Aira believes that believing in the reason of life and a want to live is the secret for long life. She collects toys.

The picture is from year 2011.   

[Haveunique]

Thank you, Milla! I indeed wish I am in a great shape until my late years, when I see people like this Are there any other Finnish inspirational people you could share information of with us on the forum? Kiitos! =)   

[Procyona]

I don't know that much of more Finns (I'll let you know if I find any), but now I have been very much inspired by Haruki Murakami, a japanese writer. More info, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami

What most inspires me in Murakami is his simple attitude toward life: At the age of 30 or so, he just got the idea that he could write a novel. Because of that feeling - even when he was already an owner off a good company, and had not paid all his loans - he just sold his company, and started writing. Today, about 36 years and many books later, he is a best-seller writer.

As Murakami states in his memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2008), that he has a need to always write a book that is better than the last one, and feels that he needs to evolve more and more to achieve this. Also, he has adjusted his whole life to help achieve this goal, to write better and better.

When I read his book, I feel confident that I can achieve that too Thank you Murakami-sensei!   

[Haveunique]

Thank you, Milla! This is a great example.
I found another one. Who'd want to be like this when you are 80 years old? I DO!!!!!! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152087698753546&set=vb.225046513545&type=2&theater   

[Procyona]

There is a soccer player called Ataulla Guerra. At the moment he plays in Rovaniemi soccer league in Finland, but he comes from Trinidad and Tobago.

Guerra wants to become a good enough soccer player to play England or Spain and also a role model for the young people living in poverty in Trinidad and Tobago, to show that there are other possibilities beside joining a gang.
Both of his older brothers were killed by local gangs in Trinidad and Tobago, where the average age can be as low as 25 years.

sources (in Finnish)
http://www.lapinkansa.fi/Lappi/1194807375837/artikkeli/ataulla+guerra+pelaa+ammutulle+veljelleen.html

http://www.lapinkansa.fi/Lappi/1194900005478/artikkeli/marvinin+muistolle+vuoden+parhaat+-kilpailussa+palkittu+juttu+.html   

[Procyona]

Oh my, that lady is incredible, Tetyana. Thank you for sharing!   

[Procyona]

Yesterday I briefly talked with Ilkka Rajala, a master practitioner of NLP and
the leading mental trainer with two companies and lots of educating.

It was so amazing how simple his philosophy of just doing what you love, and
felt very good and easy afterwards. It seems easy going persons can have
this effect on you even on the phone.   

[Haveunique]

Actually, sometimes you don't need to know the person to feel what atmosphere they create. I hope this video opens https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=687293464623693&pnref=story   

[Procyona]

Thank you Tetyana! I guess you get this kind of amazement when people do what they love (or talk about it)   

[Faroth]

Since music is a big part of my life, writing something about inspiring musician should be a good way to start.
There was so many possibilities, but in the end there was only one who I can choose and he is Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978)
an English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer. Matthew was born in Cambridge, UK. He's father George Bellamy was a guitarist
of rock band called The Tornadoes. First British band to establish number one position in US single charts. Matt has one older brother, Paul.
Matthew is also very interested about georgism as philosophical view, which states that people can’t own land, but it belongs to all of us evenhandedly.
He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist and songwriter of the rock band Muse.

https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/public/matt-bellamy.jpg?_subject_uid=116878099&w=AAC9iyi-ssfV-AOYfC0446H4Sml-nZgKKg7xlitEns9IYA

Some of you might have heard about Muse, but those who don’t the band consists three members; Matthew Bellamy as the lead guitarist, pianist and songwriter,
Christopher Wolstenholme as the bass guitarist and backing vocals and Dominic Howard as percussionist.
They started the first incarnation of their band while only 13 years old, changing the name from Gothic Plague to Fixed Penalty to Rocket Baby Dolls.
They won a band contest, which lead to them taking band more seriously.
Before releasing their self-titled debut EP in 1997, they settled on the name Muse.

Muse's music blends alternative, art rock, experimental rock, progressive rock, classical music, electronics and much more.
In the early years you could hear Radiohead in their influences and these days there is also some Queen.
Many of Muses songs display revolutionary views as well as a dislike of political corruption.

Muse has released six studio albums, Showbiz (1999), Origin of Symmetry (2001), Absolution (2003), Black Holes and Revelations (2006),
The Resistance (2009) and The 2nd Law (2012). Their seventh studio album Drones (2015) is to be released in the early 2015.

The most inspiring part for me in Matthew Bellamy is hes musical themes and lyrics. Also for staying true to roots of Muse
and still developing bands music forward. In the end I would like their music do the talking, so here's some live footage
from their newest DVD Live at Rome Olympic Stadion (2013).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6f_7G71p_w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCUZSS54drI

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Bellamy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgism   

[Procyona]

Writer's Life - Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is one of the most successful writers of our time. Born in Brazil year 1947, he attended a strict Jesuit school. In his teens Coelho decided he wanted to become a writer. His family however was very worried and discouraging toward his plans. Because Coelho was determined not to follow a traditional path, at the age of 17 he was send to a mental institute. After two escapes and years of electroshock therapy, he was released at the age of 20.

At that time, Coelho gave up his dreams of writing and went to study law, like his parents wished. During this period of life Coelho traveled a lot, and did all kinds of small writing on the side: he wrote songs and newsletter articles, and acted and directed theater pieces. Coelho did not engage to writing until he made a turn-point trip to Santiago in late 1980s. The following years, Coelho wrote about his journey in Santiago, and so The Pilgrimage was born. The same year he wrote his most-successful-book-to-be The Alchemist.

At this starting point of his career Coelho was not a well recognized author. On the contrary, he was literally knocking doors to get publishers. Only after 15 years The Alchemist was written, it hit the best seller list in United States. Afterwards Coelho's success has only grown. Today, The Alchemist has been translated to over 80 languages. This far all his 30 books have sold more than 150 million copies world wide.

In social media Coelho is very present, and communicates with his readers daily. He is most well-known from his empowering quotes. Today Coelho has almost 10 million followers on Twitter, and over 25 million on Facebook.


His Writing

Over all, all Paulo Coelho has written 30 books, both fiction and autobiographical pieces, including novels and essays.

His first two novels, The Pilgrimage (1987) and The Alchemist (1988) are stories about personal growth and finding your own path. The Pilgrimage follows the journey Coelho made himself in the strange path of Santiago in late 1980s, and reflects his growth on the path.

Following short after, The Alchemist is like a continuity to the story in The Pilgrimage. The Alchemist tells about a young shepherd who goes on a journey to find treasure. Along the way, he finds that it is the journey that matters, and the universe that provides him what he needs to fulfill his dreams.

The later books take a more definite subjects toward life, and Coelho also writes about taboos and tough themes, adultery being the newest theme (in 2014). The Winner Stands Alone (2008) for instance tells about fame in Cannes Film Festival and reflects on how being famous affects the people in movie and fashion industry, and how alone people can be there.

Coelho also describes people that are different from the main stream. In Veronika Decides to Die (1998) the main character Veronika tries to kill herself. Because of this she is confined inside a mental institute. Learning she has just few days to life, she finds what it means to be alive. The Witch of Portobello (2006) tells even more about prejudge toward other people. It is a distant story of a woman who practices one kind of magic, or witchcraft, or life philosophy, that is controversial in her society.


Life as personal pilgrimage

To Paulo Coelho, life is a pilgrimage itself. Back when he was invited to Santiago, Coelho thought it was very stupid idea to do a pilgrimage, and only took it as a task. Only when walking on the strange path of Santiago, he became very aware of his body and his soul, he tells in On Being interview (2014). At that time, the road of Santiago was an instrument for changing his life for better, Coelho tells.

After Santiago the real pilgrimage was about to start, he tells. Coelho realized he needed to make a choice: He would either fulfill his dream, or forget it forever. So, he decided to become a writer. Even in his forties he decided he was going to change his path and follow his heart.

Nowadays Paulo Coelho takes every day as a possibility to do a pilgrimage, meeting new people, talking to strangers and being open to life, he tells. He says he wakes up as a new person every morning, and that makes his life interesting. "I am on pilgrimage from the day I was born, till the day I die. I have to honor this pilgrimage through life," Coelho says in On Being.

"Sometimes it is uncomfortable at times. You have to accept your contradictions and battle with them. When you dream about something that is against other people's plans, you face a choice: Either you start living the dreams of someone else, or pay the prize of your dream."

"This is the most hard choice that you have in life," Coelho continues. "In the very beginning in life you know what you want, but then you might forget it for a while. But life always gives you another change. You cannot forget it forever, because there is always this inner child within yourself saying: E-ee, I'm here. I had a dream to be something else."

Coelho thinks there is magic that combines visible and the invisible world. He describes it as emotions behind words: "We cannot touch emotions, but the emotions change the world, love especially. I am also in a process of learning but when I was not scared to be the manifestation of love, it can be more powerful than anything."

"That kind of love it's not about thinking, but actions," he tells.


Funny facts

- Coelho believes in symbols. He takes a whiter feather as a sign to write a new book.
- Coelho meditates with archery.
- Coelho finds the core of beauty in simplicity.

Sources

http://www.onbeing.org/program/paulo-coelho-the-alchemy-of-pilgrimage/6639
(On being audio article Aug 14, 2014)
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/
https://twitter.com/paulocoelho
https://www.facebook.com/paulocoelho
http://www.wsj.com/articles/paulo-coelho-digital-juggernaut-1408055080
(Article on Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2014)
The Pilgrimage (1987)
The Alchemist (1988)
Veronika Decides to Die (1998)
The Witch of Portobello (2006)
The Winner Stands Alone (2008)
Photo by Niels Akermann (2014)