Archive | September, 2015

Making It Happen

15 Sep

There are times in our lives when we really want something to happen. It consumes our thoughts, and we try our best to make things work so it’ll come to pass. Oftentimes the things we want to occur involve others. Sometimes they agree with our plans, but sometimes they don’t, and when they don’t we may try hard to convince them to change their minds. We might try pleading with them, cajoling them, and at our worst, even threatening them in an effort to sell our idea. When things work out the way we want them to, we feel satisfied. We’ve accomplished what we wanted most of all. But when they don’t, when whatever it is doesn’t happen, we may feel angry, defeated, and disappointed.

Everyone gets to make their own choices. We all understand that but when we want those choices to agree with ours and they don’t, accepting it is a little harder. Sometimes our choices are going to be different than what others want. It’s frustrating to be told “no” when we want something very much. It’s hard to accept that our dream isn’t going to happen, especially if it’s a good thing that would benefit others. But if we can’t bring others on board, even if it’s the best idea ever dreamed up, we either have to change it, or we have to let it go.

Sometimes when we fail to get the support we need, we can revise the plan in a way that will bring the results we’re seeking. Maybe we have to wait a little longer until things fall into place. Maybe we need to involve a different group of people, or change the plan to suit the needs of those we need support from. There are no guarantees in this life. We can only try to do our best, and sometimes our best can’t make it happen. Sometimes nothing we do can make it happen. When that occurs, we have to redirect our course. There is nothing wrong with changing our plans. It doesn’t mean we’ve failed. It means we are capable of understanding the situation, and modifying our direction. And those are two very commendable attributes.

Today if you’re up against a brick wall, if things just aren’t working out the way you want them to, or the way you think they should, it might be time to revise the plan. If there is nothing you can do to make things go your way, change lanes. Turn a little to the right or the left, and redirect your course. Modify your plans so you can succeed. Be flexible. Don’t let a setback hold you up. You know what you want, and you’re creative enough to figure this out.

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Where We Live

14 Sep

Everybody knows they should take care of themselves. We hear the good advice all the time– eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep – but sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle. We’re busy and finding time to take care of ourselves isn’t always a priority. We want to eat right but end up grabbing something on the go between appointments.  We know we should exercise but getting to the gym or even out for a walk sometimes doesn’t make it onto our day planner. And sleep happens when we finally get to bed – often too late. The important needs for good health are always there in the backs of our minds, but we’re focused on other things and those things take all our attention and energy. Time goes by and even if we’ve made the decision to do better, our best intentions can get lost.

Each day we’re alive is a blessing. We get to share who we are with the world and be a part of the human experience. We get to learn things, meet people, go places, and accomplish our goals. We take it for granted that tomorrow will come and we’ll be fine. But sometimes things go wrong, and we get sick. Or we have a frightening experience that shakes us out of our apathy regarding our physical forms. Maybe we have an unexpected health scare, or maybe we finally step on the scale and see a number we can’t believe, or maybe someone close to us dies suddenly. When these things happen, we tend to stop and take stock. If we realize we haven’t done our part to be strong, and if we’re wise, we’ll adjust our lives to make good health a priority.

We live in a resilient, but fragile human body. Since science hasn’t yet figured out how to transfer us into an artificial existence, if our bodies fail, we can’t leave them behind and enter another physical form. If they fail, we fail. We don’t have anywhere else to go. Given that reality, if we want to be here as long as we can, we need to take care of things. Nobody can take care of our physical health but us. Our doctors, our friends, and our families may lecture us about taking care of ourselves, but we are the only ones who can do it. When we decide we want to change and be more proactive, we need to make it important in our lives. It’s not a hard decision to make, but it requires diligence, and attention to hold onto. We’re all busy. We have a lot on our minds. We all have a lot to do, but if we don’t make ourselves a priority, none of it matters. Once our bodies die, all the tasks in our pending box will be inconsequential.

Today if you haven’t been paying attention to your physical needs, think about how you can begin to take better care to become your personal best. You don’t have to run a marathon, you don’t have to starve yourself, and you don’t have to go to bed with the children. But there are things you can do to improve your health and become stronger. You are a gift to the world. Your influence is important and needs to be here as long as possible.  Do everything you can to make that happen. You’ll feel better, you’ll be happier, and you’ll be glad you did.

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In the Mix

13 Sep

There are a lot of differences in the people of the world. They are different everywhere we go. In some places they look like us, in other places they don’t. Customs vary widely and what to us may seem strange may be commonplace for someone else. In our very mobile society, people continually move from place to place, from country to country, even continent to continent. This mobility has created a lot of diversity in many places, and although it’s fun to learn new things about new people, when we first meet, it can be hard to understand them. Some of us are afraid of the differences, and some of us are excited by them. Either way the differences exist, and it’s up to us to accept them.

If we come from a place that is somewhat isolated, and if we’ve lived there for a long time, it may be harder for us to understand those that are very different from us. We may be nervous about the disparity in customs, the challenge of language barriers, and our lack of knowledge of their beliefs. But if we take the chance to get to know them, we will find that most of us are basically the same despite all the differences. We all want to be happy, and safe, and we all want our beliefs to be respected. If we focus on the basic needs we all share, we can broach the differences, and make them a compliment to the relationship, and not a hindrance.

If we live in a big metropolitan area, where there are, and always have been, people from around the world, it may be second nature to accept differences. But even then, we may have to overcome perceptions and prejudices, ideas about certain groups, and uncertainty about how to communicate. But if we try to see each person as an individual, extend the hand of friendship and try to understand their perspective, we can make friends with everyone. Most of us want to be loved. We want others to like us and we want to get along peacefully. Of course there will always be some who prefer tension and trouble, but most of us want to be friends. Embrace that and trust in it. It takes all kinds of ingredients to make a delicious cookie. It’s not all flour or sugar, and we need all the ingredients to combine and cooperate to have success. It’s the same with people. When everyone is just like us, it may be comfortable. But it’s far more exciting to have others in the mix who bring the richness of difference, and the enhancement of diversity.

Today if you have the opportunity to meet and interact with someone who is very different from you, be open and welcoming. They are probably as nervous about the differences as you are. Extend your friendship and get to know them. You will find your life will be richer, and you’ll have a better understanding of the world. Life is all about difference, but we all share the important things. Make friends and learn something new. You’ll be wiser for the experience.

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Deflecting

12 Sep

Things go wrong in our lives and sometimes we get upset. We may be angry about some development or problem that has arisen and struggling to figure it out. When we’re going through the disappointment, and processing the problem, we can get confused when other complications arise. We may be overwhelmed, and frustrated, and feel bad. At that point, if someone comes to us over something small, we might forget our place, lose our temper, and blast them fervently. We displace the anger we’re feeling over the problem we’re facing, and dump it all over an innocent bystander. We’ve all done it and it’s embarrassing, and uncomfortable. We feel bad for making them a target, and need to apologize. It happens when we let our troubles, and not the solutions, become the focus. If all we can see is the problem we may feel there is no hope for success.

Everyone has problems and complications. It’s the nature of life. We go through them on a daily basis. Some are small and need little effort to navigate, and some are all encompassing, and heavy. When we’re going through a difficult time, it’s easy to lose our focus and forget that it’s not the end of the world, nor is it something we can’t face. The road through some issues is long, and arduous, and sometimes we get tired and afraid we may not be able to get through it. But there is nothing we will face that we cannot overcome. It’s often just a question of time and patience. We can’t force the answers to come, but if we try to relax and gain our perspective, we open the door to see them more clearly.

When we’re overwhelmed with an issue, sometimes it’s all we can think about. It consumes us day and night. We can’t sleep, we can’t eat, and we’re stuck. But we can handle it more effectively. We can recognize that the problem probably won’t kill us, although we may think we’re going to die. We can remember all the other times we’ve faced difficulty and managed to get through it. And we can have faith in ourselves. We will find the answer, no matter how obscure, no matter how long it takes, and no matter if it’s complicated. We will solve the problem and be successful. We can take it one step at a time, and minute by minute until we find the answer.

Today if you’re overwhelmed with something difficult, something that is consuming your thoughts, take a moment to breathe. There is nothing you can’t face. You have all the tools you need to solve this, whatever it is. You are strong and capable. You’re intelligent and able to find answers. This is just a moment and it will pass. You will be successful. And on the other side you’ll be wiser, and more confident. You’ve got this, and you will overcome it. Be strong. Keep moving forward. You’ll get there.

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More Than One Way

11 Sep

There are a lot of different ways to look at things.  Some people see a situation one way, others may see it completely differently.  It doesn’t mean either interpretation is wrong, but everything we see and do is colored by our perspectives and our experiences.  When we are looking for solutions to problems there are some who feel there is only one right way to solve it.  It’s hard to convince them there isn’t a paved road to their particular solution, and it can cause some conflict.  But of course, there is rarely only one solution to any problem we face.  More often there are several scenarios that will address the issue and each has its merit.  It’s important to remember that, especially during times when we feel strongly that we have the answer.

No matter where we want to go, there is more than one route and more than one mode of transportation to get us there.  We could drive, we could fly, we could walk or we could ride.  There are main highways, direct routes, back roads, detours, and endless differences in how we get to the destination.  But eventually they will all take us where we want to go.  The scenery may differ, it may take various amounts of time to travel, and our experiences while we’re in transit will be different.  But eventually we will arrive at the destination no matter how we choose to get there, or what route we take.  We understand this when we think about actually going places, but understanding it when we’re solving problems is a little different.

We all feel strongly about certain things.  Some of us take a wide view of things and are laid back with details.  Others of us are precise and prefer things to be planned exactly and predictably.  Neither method is right or wrong.  It’s just a difference in style.  When we have a problem we need to solve and others are involved, if we are strongly convinced that our method is the one true answer, it will be difficult for us to hear other ideas.  But other ideas have value, and there is much to be learned by hearing them, and understanding them.  The best solutions are found when several ideas are considered.  If we focus just on our solution and don’t hear anything else, we miss the opportunity to possibly discover something better.  We all want the best solutions, and hearing other perspectives often leads us to them.

Today if you’re working on a solution to a problem and you are sure you have the best answer, take a minute to explore other possibilities.  Listen to the other ideas presented and be open to seeing how they could work.  Look around and evaluate all the possibilities.  You have great ideas, but so do others.  Be open to them.  You want the very best solution, and that often comes from several sources.  Be creative, and embrace the possibilities.  You might discover that the perfect solution is something different than you first imagined.

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