Archive | March, 2016

Learning to Bend

31 Mar

There are few times when things go exactly like we think they will. Our plans often have many modifications and sometimes we reach an ending that doesn’t look anything like we thought it would at the beginning. There are a lot of variables in life and we can’t control anything but our own choices. Other people may get involved, the situation may change, the weather may even come into play, and a thousand other possibilities. If we decide things have to go exactly as planned and they don’t, we may find ourselves in a very uncomfortable place. It’s great to make decisions but it’s important to remember complications may arise that color how things actually happen. We have to learn to bend from time to time. Sometimes it’s easy to turn one way or another, and other times it can be very difficult. But if we don’t bend our plans may fail altogether. It may be disappointing to have to change plans especially if they are very important to us. But it’s better to have some flexibility instead of breaking apart at the seams because we couldn’t stretch. Learning to bend takes practice but we can manage it. We can adjust and accommodate whatever is needed to find success.

Control is an illusion we sometimes believe in. We might think if we plan well or spend more money nothing will go wrong. But there is no way to predict the future and we can’t control anything but ourselves. There are often unforeseen developments and complications we couldn’t predict. Sometimes things go perfectly but often there is some sort of glitch. No matter what comes, no matter how complicated things get, if we are patient and look at the situation objectively we can find a way through. Sometimes complications bring us unexpected surprises that work even better than the original plan. If we’re flexible and able to adjust, we can take full advantage of those benefits when they surface.

Disappointment is natural when we have to make unwanted changes but disappointment is just a sign that we’re in transition. We are moving from one point to another. It doesn’t have to be negative. If we are able to lessen our grip on our first ideas we can more effectively embrace the next. Moving from one decision to another often brings challenges but it can also bring insight. Sometimes stepping away from our first position helps us see other options more clearly. If we can be flexible, if we can embrace change when needed, and if we can bend into the wind, we can find success. We can be open to new ideas and explore new paths.

Today if your plans aren’t working out like you hoped, there is another way. Your options are endless. Look around. See the whole picture and let new ideas find you. You can accommodate any change needed and you will succeed. Bend a little and stretch to find the answers. They are there waiting for you.

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Dirt Roads

30 Mar

When we travel through rural areas we sometimes need to take dirt roads to get to our destination. Because they are rough and unpaved, they may have potholes, brambles, rocks and other things we have to navigate around. Just being dirt they are subject to damage from wind, rain, or snow, and can become quite pitted and difficult to traverse. After driving on them for a while it’s always nice to get back to pavement and smooth roads again. Pavement isn’t something we generally focus on or give much thought to. We drive around on it, and take it for granted. But pavement is a great blessing. It helps us get to our destinations quickly and safely, and the ride is more enjoyable than it would be without it. When we’re navigating difficult situations in our personal lives and the road is bumpy and hard to get over, we can do things to make it smoother and easier to travel. We do that by seeing things clearly and preparing ourselves for what comes next. We can’t do anything about what has passed, and we’re already in the moment, but we can think about the next best step and prepare ourselves for it. If we take the time to analyze the situation, and make a plan for our next move, it’s like laying down pavement for the road forward. Thinking ahead and preparing our way makes the journey less stressful and helps us move along more quickly.

Nobody can read the future but we can decide where we want our path to go. If we’re in a situation that is difficult and there are others involved it’s important to understand the issues clearly so we know how to move forward. We can listen when they express their ideas, and take time to comprehend their concerns. Then we can look at everything objectively and determine what to do next. Taking the time to look and listen and really see the whole issue will open our eyes to all the possibilities before us. When we see the entire picture we can often see what we need to do to move forward. Once we determine what our next step should be we can put things in motion to make it happen. Success doesn’t usually just happen to us. We need to plan for it. And we can do that by preparing the way forward.

We can pave the road for our personal dreams and aspirations as well. If we want to learn something but haven’t found time to get to it, we can make it a part of our daily schedule and commit to making it a priority. If we want to change something about ourselves but haven’t taken the first step, we can get a coach or involve a trusted friend as a support to help us focus. If we want to do something new and don’t have the skills to make it happen, we can find a teacher who will show us how. There isn’t anything we can’t do. But we must decide what we want, and where we want to go. And then we can start laying down the foundation that will help us get there. Step by step, mile by mile, will take us closer. Every destination is possible. Nothing is out of reach.

Today if you’re navigating a difficult situation take some time to look and listen. See everything as it is and then decide the best way forward. If there is a destination you’ve been wanting to reach but haven’t yet started the journey, plot a course and begin. Pave the way by planning and preparing. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You have everything you need. The road is there waiting for you.

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Wishes and Dreams

29 Mar

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”  Antoine de Saint Exupery

We all have ideas about things we want in our lives.  We think about them, hope for them, and dream about them.  We can fill our lives up thinking about the things we want to happen and what we want to do.  Maybe we want a better job or a nicer car, or want to spend more time doing something or seeing someone, or want to learn something we’ve been pondering.  Thinking is fine, but thinking about them only takes us through the idea of what they would be like.  It doesn’t make anything happen.  We can set all the goals we want, and have all the dreams we desire, but if we don’t make a plan to accomplish them, nothing will change.  The very first step in any change is to plan for it.  Our lives are busy and the days fly by.  We can talk about what we’re going to do, what we’re going to accomplish or what we’re going to get, until the end of time.  But if we do nothing, they will never become reality.

We know when we want something in our lives.  We feel it, we yearn for it, and at times can think of nothing more.  The desire is there but making goals a reality in our lives takes more than desire – it takes action.  Sometimes we don’t move forward because we are afraid we won’t succeed.   Sometimes reaching for the goal means we have to do something intimidating.  Any time we reach for something new we’re going to be in unfamiliar territory.  That’s what change is all about.  If we want something different we have to be willing to step where we’ve never been before.  There will be uncertainty because we don’t know the terrain, and we haven’t walked the path in the past.  But we are certainly brave enough to process differences and find our way.  There is no path so difficult or complicated we can’t figure it out.

Making a plan is imperative to making a change.  When there is no plan there is no direction, and things stay ambiguous and undefined.  But if we decide we’re ready to go forward, make a plan, and then set a date to begin, we will find success.  Just letting things happen will only allow us to experience what comes to us without any thought.  If we want to do anything, we need direction and focus.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish but we need to plan to succeed to make it happen.  We can leave our lives up to chance and maybe the things we want will come to us – maybe they won’t.  But if we really want them, we can take the chance out of the equation, and by planning make them real.  We deserve the lives we want most.  And if we direct our lives where we want them to go, we can have everything we’re seeking.

Today if you’ve been waiting for your dreams to come true, start making a plan to make them a reality.  There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish.  Think about what you really want and then decide how to get it.  Everything is waiting for you.  You can reach any goal you set your mind to.  Start today, and soon all your dreams will come true.

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Report Card

28 Mar

No matter where we live or who we are, there may be others around us who have ideas about how we should be living our lives. Maybe they think we should work in certain fields, or marry, or stay single, or live with the family, or a million other variations. There can be great pressure to conform if we are surrounded by others who have done things a certain way for a long time. Our lives belong to us, and we get to choose what we do. But the judgment of others may come into play. If we want to please those we love and they have strong ideas about our lives, we may go along.  And we can go along any time we choose to. But if we aren’t living genuinely and expressing who we are, we won’t find true happiness and satisfaction. The report card others have for us may be important to them, but it doesn’t mean it has to be important to us. We can set our own standards and make our own choices. It may not be easy to break a trend, but we are wise enough to know what we really want, and brave enough to get it. The only report card we need to be concerned with is the one we set for ourselves. It doesn’t matter if everyone around us wants to do things a certain way. If it doesn’t fit who we are, we may choose another road.

Some people don’t like it when others are different. They feel more comfortable when everybody looks the same, and does the same things. It may feel more secure knowing what each day will bring and how things are likely to go. In situations like that, if we try to do something different we may be judged or criticized in an effort to bring us in line with everyone else. It’s not comfortable to be judged by others, and if it’s strong enough we may try to conform. But conforming to get along will only work for a short time. Who we are will eventually need to come out or we’ll never be happy. We can do things our way, and express our differences in an appropriate manner that is respectful. We don’t have to conform. We can choose to be who we really are and if judgments come, we can navigate them.

There is no one right way to live a life. There is no perfect model, and there are countless ways to live well. There are some who believe their model is the only one that works or counts, but that’s never true. Every life that is lived genuinely and honestly is lived well. We can live in the country or the city, in a house or an apartment, with others or alone.  As long as it’s the life we choose, it’s right for us. And when we live the life that’s right for us we will find true happiness. This life is a gift. Every single day is precious and we deserve to be happy. If others want to grade us and judge us, and aren’t in agreement with our choices – it will be their burden to carry. We can be fine just being ourselves. We can set our own standards, and live according to our own dictates. We were created to be exactly who we are. When we embrace that, we will find true happiness.

Today if you feel like you’ve been trying to fit a mold that isn’t you, remember who you are is perfect. You are exactly the person you need to be. Show us your genuine and honest self. You have so much to offer. Share it with the world and we’ll love you just as you are.

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Today

26 Mar

Every day we live we have the chance to do anything we want to do. Every day brings with it the promise of happiness. Even if today doesn’t not turn out to be the best day of our lives, it is the only day we have. Yesterday is gone and will never return, and tomorrow is out of our control. All we have is today. We can decide how we’ll live it, what we’ll do, where we’ll go, and what we’ll learn. If we make the most of it, today may bring untold blessings and countless benefits. If we squander it just going through the motions it will pass, and nothing will be gained. We cannot stop the march of time. We can’t make it last longer or slow down. We can only navigate it as it comes and do our best to make the most of it. It’s easy to close our eyes and drift through the hours, mindless of what we’re doing and oblivious of what’s available. But our chance to live right now is fleeting, and the hours will be wasted if we don’t pay attention and live wide awake.

Today is a good day to start. If we’ve been thinking about something we want to do, somewhere we want to go, or someone we want to see, today is the perfect day to begin. We can take the first step on a new journey, or begin the plans we’ve been making and putting off. Sometimes just taking the first step is the hardest but once we’ve set our foot in the direction we want to go we can be off and running. Every dream is a possibility. Every goal is achievable, and today is a good time to start making them happen. We can set time aside and really begin to move in the direction we want to go. We can reorganize our priorities to make sure we continue moving forward, and we can succeed. If we aren’t quite ready, today is the day to start making a plan. Unrealized goals often bring with them frustration and unhappiness. If we are consciously working toward where we want to be and actively pursuing what we want to gain, we will find contentment even before we reach the goal. When we’re on the road moving forward we will gain the confidence we need to succeed.

If we’ve been grieving or hurting from something in the past, today is a good day to start letting go. No matter how many tears we’ve cried, no matter how many sleepless nights we’ve endured – it’s enough. Maybe we can’t let go of all the hurt but today we could look up and let happiness creep in just a little. Pain sometimes has its own timetable and we can’t rush it, but we can give ourselves a breather. We can take a day off from the worry and sorrow. It will still be there tomorrow if we return to it. But if we’ve had enough, we can choose today to let it go and move forward. Happiness is a gift we give to ourselves. Nobody else can give it to us. We have to decide to take it and make it a reality in our lives. This life flies by in an instant. We can choose to be happy and make the most of each day, and today is the perfect day to start.

Today – if you’ve been wanting to do something and haven’t begun, start. If you’ve been suffering and are ready to move forward, let it go. You are worth more than you know. The world is blessed because you are here, and your presence brings light to us all. Choose today to move forward and be happy. You deserve every happiness. You can have it. Today is the perfect day to get it.

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