Archive | February, 2016

Low Tide

23 Feb

There are a lot of distractions in life. We are busy and there is a lot going on all the time. When we’re rushing around and have much to accomplish sometimes our focus can get away from us as we hurry to the next item on the list. If we aren’t living where we are, and in our heads have already moved on to the next stop, we can’t see what’s in front of us. When that happens, we may do something we don’t mean to because we aren’t paying attention to where we are. Maybe we drive through a red light, or forget the one important appointment we didn’t want to miss, or in our rush neglect someone we meant to pick up. We may even get so caught up we completely lose track of where we’re going. It’s like docking a boat on the shore and rushing to explore forgetting the time only to come back and find the tide has gone out and our boat is sitting on sand. What do we do now? Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. We can try to fix them and if our boat is sitting in the sand we can figure out how to get it back into the water. It might not be easy, and it’ll probably take more time than we planned but it can be done. However it’s a lot easier to plan ahead and carefully pay attention than it is to clean things up after they’ve gone wrong.

Life would be so much easier if all we had to do was get from point A to point B, and there was a perfectly straight, paved road to take us there. But we don’t live in dreamland, we live in the real world where there are phones ringing, people pressing for our time, too many things to do, and traffic. Because there are so many things going on if we want to keep our boats in the water, we have to pay attention. We can get anywhere we need to be and do anything we need to do. But we may not succeed if we’re thinking about the next thing on the list instead of what we need to do now. Learning to live in the moment is imperative to success. Perhaps you’ve known someone who talks about what they’re going to do after this happens or that happens, and are always living in the future. We do the same thing when we’re thinking about what’s coming next instead of what we’re doing now. It’s an easy habit to fall into when we’ve got a lot to do. But we can discipline ourselves enough to keep our minds in the present situation. And if we do we’ll accomplish our tasks more effectively and efficiently because they will be our focus.

Some people are lucky enough to have a staff. Maybe they have a personal assistant to take care of all the annoying time consuming errands that must be accomplished, or they have a driver who can get them where they need to be while they relax and enjoy the ride. But most of us don’t have those extravagances and it’s up to us to do everything on our own. We can do anything that is required if we plan carefully and pay attention. If we make a plan when we’re busy and then carefully work it, we’ll be more successful than if we just let things roll forward one after the other. We need to be in the moment and keep our eyes open. And if we master those skills we’ll find that not only do we get everything done and keep our boats floating happily in the surf, but we’ll be happier and less stressed as the day goes by.

Today if you have a lot to do and you feel overwhelmed and distracted, stop and take a moment to plan your way forward. Take each task as it comes and focus on completing it. Then move on to the next. Before you know it you’ll have completed a successful day and be happy with your accomplishments. You are capable of so much. You can do anything and you can do it well. Plan ahead, keep your eyes focused, and you’ll succeed.

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I Think I Can

22 Feb

In all our lives, there are times when we want to try something new, stretch, and reach for a goal that is beyond where we are. We think about it, we wonder about it, and sometimes it haunts us when we want to do it but haven’t started because we aren’t sure we can. If we want it badly enough, at some point we will have to stop ignoring it and start going for it. It might be a professional goal, or an educational goal, or a physical goal, or it might just be a change we want to make in our lives that will take effort. Whatever it is, before we start going forward and doing what is needed to achieve it, we must believe we can do it. It’s easy to talk ourselves out of trying something new. There are countless reasons not to attempt it. It might be hard. We may have to change our schedules. It may be inconvenient. It may take away from our personal time, or it may take a long time to achieve.  There are a thousand reasons that may come forward to discourage us from trying. But if we want to do anything, no matter what it is, we only need one reason to do it – because we want to.  And all we have to do to start is believe that we can.

We can do anything we want to do, but if we share our dreams or goals with others, we may not get positive support for our decision to try. Our friends and family love us and sometimes they think they know what’s best for us. They don’t mean to quash our dreams when we share them, but they may feel they are protecting us because we might fail. And they are right. We might fail. And if we don’t try failure is a certainty. But we won’t know what we can do unless we try. If we try and fail, we will have learned a lot as we’ve moved forward, and we can use that information to try again. If we believe we can succeed, and try our best, there is a high probability that we’ll conquer the challenge and gain the prize. It may not be easy but we are capable of taking on difficult tasks. It might take a lot of time, but the time will go by even if we aren’t striving for what we want. It might mean we have to change our personal schedules but we can handle that. We can manage anything we need to change to accommodate this challenge. We can go forward with confidence and we can succeed.

Our lives are ours to live any way we choose. We can take the easy road and keep things the same and predictable. There is nothing wrong with that if we don’t want to learn anything new and don’t want to grow. But learning is a gift we give to ourselves. It embellishes who we are, and deepens our understanding of life. Personal growth allows us to understand ourselves and those around us more completely. And that understanding goes a long way in helping us navigate the challenges that come to us. If we want to be the very best we can and get everything out of our experience here on earth we have to be willing to push ourselves. We have to believe we can do anything. If we do, we’ll enlarge our capacity for understanding, and stretch our wings to encompass anything we set out to do. They say faith precedes the miracle. We don’t get faith after we’ve succeeded. We must have faith first. We really can do anything we want to do. Anything is possible. We just have to believe.

Today if you’ve been thinking about trying something new and you really want to achieve it, you can. Start moving forward today. The first step is all you need to take. The next will follow and if you have sufficient faith, you will succeed. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Take the first step today. Let your confidence lead you all the way to the finish line.

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Legacy

20 Feb

When we read about the legacies people leave behind when they pass away, they generally refer to monetary situations. Maybe they donated a large sum of money to a special charity, or left valuable property to family members. But a personal legacy is more than that. It doesn’t always involve things of monetary value. Our behavior can become our legacy. What we do while we’re alive, who we help, how we serve, and how we interact with others is the real legacy we leave behind. Money gets spent, property gets sold and after time people forget about it. But if we’ve touched other lives in positive ways, and made a personal impact it isn’t easily forgotten. When we think back over our lives we remember the times when we needed help and someone was there for us. We recall specific moments when we felt lost and someone reached out a hand to us. Those are the memories that never seem to fade. They are etched in our minds forever because we felt loved and cared for. If we live our lives in ways that extend love to others, we will change the world for good because we were here. It will never be forgotten, and although time will continue to move forward after we’re gone, the rippling effect of kindness will carry on forever.

It seems as time has passed we’ve become more callous, more selfish, and less sensitive to the needs of those around us. Our lives are more complicated now than ever before. People are busy and focused on their personal lives and sometimes don’t even look up when they pass us on the street. Smiling and saying hello has become a rare experience instead of the norm. We seem to always be rushing off to the next thing, and in a hurry to leave where we are. But when things go wrong and everything stops we see those around us, and notice what’s happening, and if we need help and someone is there for us we feel intense gratitude. Those moments are a reminder of who we are and how much we need each other. Even when we’re busy we can still take a moment to offer a smile, say hello, and lend a helping hand. It’s amazing how even small gestures of kindness can change a situation. If we keep our eyes open we will find countless ways to do small acts of kindness every day. And although they may seem small to us, they be an enormous help to those receiving them.

Life is complicated. We experience a lot of things as we go through the course of one day. We make dozens of decisions and often accomplish much. If we want to make a positive impact and leave a mark of kindness and support, we have to look up and outside ourselves. It’s so easy to be only focused on our own lives. We have a lot to take care of and responsibilities to attend to. But as we go along we are passing others who have just as much to manage. If we try we can be a blessing to them. We can help lift a grocery sack, open a door, pick up something that’s dropped, or take a moment to listen. It doesn’t take much time and if we tried every day to be just a little more helpful, kind, and supportive to others, over the course of our lives we would change the world. When we help someone it makes them feel cared for and they may then care for someone else. Like the never ending ripples in a pond, the kindness will expand. That’s a legacy to be proud of. We don’t need money, and we don’t need expensive possessions. We just need to be kind. It’s the very best thing we can do.

Today if you’ve been focused on all you have to do and haven’t noticed those around you, stop for a moment and look around. See if there is some way you can extend a small kindness. If you do that every day you will feel the glory that comes from goodness and you’ll leave a legacy behind that will never end. You have so much to give. You can change the world.

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Mother May I

19 Feb

When we were children as a way of protecting us from doing things beyond our ability to manage or that may hurt us, we were taught to ask for permission. Whenever we wanted to do something away from home, or anything different than the norm we were expected to ask first.  If we rebelled against that requirement and did something without asking, and it was something that should have been discussed prior, there were often unpleasant consequences to face afterward. And so we learned to ask or at least to make sure it was okay before proceeding. As we got older our lives became more independent and eventually we began to make decisions on our own. Permission is an agreement from someone in authority over us that we may do something we want to do. As adults, outside of work, or social situations where others may be impacted, we don’t need anyone’s permission to make our personal decisions. We are capable of choosing on our own.  The days of “Mother may I,” have passed.

Despite the fact that we are perfectly capable of managing our lives, we can get into situations with others where we feel we need to get their agreement in our personal decisions. Perhaps it’s a close friend who has a strong personality and wants to guide us. Perhaps the old patterns with our parents still linger. Perhaps it’s a relationship we value greatly and the other person wants control over or input into our decisions. There are lots of reasons we can feel we need to get permission or approval before going forward. But our lives belong to us and only us. We can make any personal decisions we want to and we don’t need anyone’s approval. We don’t have to tell anyone before we make a decision, even if it’s one we know others may not like. Our decisions are ours. We can make them on our own, be confident in our ability to choose well, and direct our lives accordingly.

People are complex. We have all kinds of emotions and feelings to contend with on a daily basis. Sometimes we may be fearful of doing something differently than what others may expect. That fear may prevent us from making decisions we really want to make. Or we might be unsure we can make a good decision without getting the approval of others first because we’ve always done that in the past. But we know how to make good decisions. We know how to weigh all the options and choose what’s best for us. Nobody really knows what’s best for us better than we do, not even those who love us. We are the only ones who know everything that’s going on inside and what we truly want. We know who we are and are able to make good, strong choices. If others disagree that will be their burden to carry. It is not our responsibility to ensure everyone is happy with the way we choose to live our lives. If we can remember that and trust in ourselves, we can go forward and make any decision we choose to with confidence. We can do anything. We just have to decide.

Today if you’ve been holding back on a personal decision because you know somebody won’t like it or won’t agree, if it’s important to you, go forward. You know what you need and what you want. There is nothing you can’t do. You are in charge of your life and can make it any way you want it. This is your day. Choose to make it completely yours.

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Photoshop

18 Feb

In today’s technical age there are all kinds of ways to make things seem different than they really are. Pictures can be altered to produce images that aren’t real or make the subject appear to be more perfect. These techniques are used constantly in advertising and the media has made them commonplace. When our lives aren’t going exactly the way we want them to, or we aren’t exactly where we want to be, we may wish we had something like that to make us appear different than we are. We might wish to appear taller, smarter, thinner, more attractive, more confident or a dozen other adjectives. But there is no way to “Photoshop” our lives to make them look the way we’d like them to. We are where we are, and all the pretending in the world won’t change anything. Even if we could use illusion and deception to make things look different, it can’t last forever. Eventually the curtain will fall and we’ll be exposed. But if we don’t like where we are, and if the situation we’re in isn’t working, there are things we can change. If we don’t like what we’re doing, we can stop doing it. We can make any decision we want to and adjust our lives. We probably can’t make ourselves taller but we can change a lot. We can do more than just look different on the outside. We can truly change any way we like.

It takes time to figure out what we want and where we want to go. While we’re finding our way, we may try on different things to see if we like them. Sometimes they’ll feel natural and fit where we’re headed, and other times they’ll fall away. But as we’re striving to find what we want, our lives are going by and we are expressing ourselves as we are. Sometimes those expressions aren’t exactly what we’d like. Maybe our temper needs to be tamed, or our language needs improvement, or we want to alter our appearance to better suit the desired destination. It takes time to change but we will accomplish it step by step. In the interim, we may feel unsettled and struggle to find what works best. However, even if we’re in transition we can be confident. If where we are isn’t exactly where we want to be we can continue going forward until we get there. Continuing to move forward is the key, and the confidence that comes from doing that will help us. We are fine as we are now even if it’s not where we want to be. We can manage today as it is, and each day we move forward will take us a little closer to our goal.

Sometimes the idea of changing can seem daunting and if we choose to, we may instead live our lives dishonestly. We may pretend to be someone we aren’t, say we believe things we don’t, and go along with others even when we don’t agree. But if we choose that option we can’t share our genuine unique influence. We all have special gifts to offer that nobody else can give. If we keep those gifts to ourselves and instead pretend to be something else, the world will miss the blessings we have to offer. We have the distinct privilege of making a difference because of who we are. We don’t have to use illusion and we don’t need “Photoshop” to help us. Who we really are can shine through and be a positive influence on the world. If we want to change, we can. Whatever we want to achieve, we can achieve. Wherever we want to go, we can get there. But until we do, we can genuinely be ourselves along the journey. Our contribution is valuable no matter where we are in our lives. We have a lot to offer, and the world wants to hear it.

Today if you’ve been pretending to be something you aren’t, or if you’ve been trying to look different than you really are, let it go. You have so much to give and we all need your special influence. You are great just being you. If you want to change, you can. Until then, be the best you can be exactly as you are now.

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