Archive | May, 2016

Unrealized

31 May

We all have a lot of potential in our lives. There are limitless things we can do and learn, and every day we can try something new. But potential is not achievement. What is possible doesn’t mean anything if we do nothing. Life is full of choices and every choice we make takes us somewhere. If we choose to, we can live mediocre lives and follow along without ever trying to be the best we could be. We don’t have to test our limits and see how far we can go. We may have great potential, but potential is unrealized expectation. There is the possibility we could achieve something great, but without action it will sit dormant. Nothing happens unless we do it. We will never go as far as we can, or achieve all that’s possible unless we do what is needed ourselves. Nobody will hand us success. It’s always available to us, but the choice to go get it is ours.

Sometimes it takes time to decide what we want to achieve. We have to figure out what we want most and how we want to live. We may perceive limitations that keep us from trying, or be intimidated by change. But if we want to do something, no matter what it is, we can do it. It takes the decision to succeed, determination to stay the course, and focus to get where we want to go. We’re all capable of doing great things and only we can decide what those things are. We may need some time to determine exactly where we want to go, but we can choose any direction we like, and then chart a course to get there. If we stay true to our desires and focused on our goal, we will succeed and our potential will be realized.

It’s frustrating and unfulfilling to live our lives endlessly hoping for things and doing nothing to achieve them. We can hope we’ll lose weight, hope we’ll make more money, hope we’ll become more educated, hope we’ll get better jobs and all the rest. But hope is only desire and anticipation. It doesn’t help us actually achieve the thing we want. If we really want to move forward to the things we desire, we have to work for them and do what is needed to achieve them. We can realize all our potential. We can make all our dreams reality but we have to do what is needed to get there. Potential is great. It helps us plan for our future and what we want most. But until we start moving forward, potential is only what’s possible. We have everything we need to change potential into achievement. We can do anything we want to do. We can move forward and when we do, all our dreams can come true.

Today if you’ve been hoping for something and you know you are capable of more than you’re doing, start planning to move forward. You have unlimited potential for success. You have everything you need to succeed and you deserve every success. Take the first step toward your goals, and then take another. Keep moving forward and you’ll realize all your greatest potential and make all your dreams come true.

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Tiny Pebbles

28 May

Sometimes when we we’re walking along we may get a small stone in our shoe. We feel it under our foot and it’s aggravating as we walk. While not cripplingly painful, it’s an annoyance that’s uncomfortable. We can stop and remove our shoe and shake it out. After we remove it we can continue on without discomfort. Because the stone is so small if we had to walk with it in our shoe we probably could continue but we would always be aware of its presence. Stopping and removing it is the only way to find relief. Our lives can be like that at times. There may be something bothering us on the periphery that isn’t crippling but is annoying and constant. Perhaps it’s a discussion we need to have with someone else that we’ve put off. Or maybe someone did something that hurt us and we haven’t been able to let it go. There are a million things that could be drifting around in the background that don’t stop us from moving forward, but are bothersome and keep our attention. The only way to remove them is the same as removing the annoying pebble in our shoe. We must stop, address the issue, do what it takes to resolve it, and then move on.

We all have boundaries in our lives and when we clearly define them and understand them we can work around them. But if we let others broach those boundaries in ways that make us uncomfortable and don’t tell them where our lines are, we may be hurt as they stomp all over them. Nobody knows us like we know ourselves. If we don’t communicate what doesn’t work for us, others may make choices that are difficult for us to manage. When that happens if we speak up we have the chance to remove the pebble and move forward. If we are silent, things will remain the same. We are responsible for our own lives. If we don’t like what’s happening, we can speak up.

There may be times when those close to us do things that make us uncomfortable. We can talk to them, explain our discomfort, and ask them to change. But we can only control ourselves and the decisions made by others belong to them. Sometimes even after explaining our feelings people will continue on the same way despite our discomfort. If they are important to us we might just accept that and find a way around the situation because we care about them. Relationships are complicated and sometimes we may choose to go along even when we aren’t happy about the direction. The annoyance will still be there but if we’ve explained our position and asked for what we need, even if things don’t change, we can feel confident that we did all we could. We are responsible for our own happiness and asking for what we want is the best we can do. We won’t always get it but speaking up empowers us to move forward.

Today if you have a situation that’s been bothering you that you haven’t addressed, do what is needed to resolve it. You have all the courage necessary to take care of it. Face whatever is keeping you from being happy and move forward. You deserve to be completely happy. Remove whatever pebble is in your shoe and you’ll find comfort.

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In Control

27 May

Personal independence varies from one individual to another.  Some people are comfortable doing everything on their own and don’t need or want help from anyone else.  Others are more comfortable doing things as a team and depend on any help and assistance they can get.  We all have our own comfort levels and no matter what other people are doing, we define those parameters for ourselves.  We all want to be in control of our lives but what that means differs from person to person.  However, there is a difference between being independent and being selfish.  When we’re selfish we think only of ourselves and our personal needs and wants, disregarding those around us.  Selfishness is rarely a positive trait and often leads to disharmony and conflict.  Where the lines are between being independent and being selfish depends on the influence our decisions have over others.  If we do something that negatively impacts those around us and we have no consideration or concern for them we are being selfish.  We can be independent all we want, but it’s important to remember how our decisions affect others.  If our choices create problems for those around us we may get returns we didn’t count on.

There are a lot of people in all of our lives and our relationships with them have a wide range of expression.  We may be close and share everything with them, or they may be passing acquaintances we rarely see.  Our relationships sometimes define how independent we are in our interactions with them.  If we have a situation where everything we do impacts someone else and our decisions will result in changes not only for us but also for them it’s important to consider the implications before the decisions are made.  Being independent doesn’t give us the right to make decisions that impact others just because we want to do something.

Selfishness is a difficult trait in any relationship.  By its definition it means to think only of oneself and not others.  It’s almost impossible to be selfish and kind at the same time.  Few people want to be around those who make decisions that impact them without caring.  We may get away with it for a while but in the end if we value ourselves over our relationships we may end up alone.  If we think only of our comfort, our choices, our plans, and our way of doing things, it will be impossible to build a healthy connection with anyone else.  Everyone’s views are important and we all have a lot to offer.  If we want to share our world with those around us, we must learn not only to take what we want, but to give something in return.

Today if you’ve made an independent decision that has negatively impacted someone else, revise your plans.  You can do anything you like but if you consider those around you, your life will be happier and things will go more easily.  You are strong and capable.  Everyone has a lot to offer and deserves to be considered.  Be as independent as you like but remember others as you go forward.  When you do you’ll build stronger relationships and connections that will embellish your life.

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Not Possible

26 May

When we want to do something new, especially something that hasn’t been done before, we may hear others tell us it can’t be done. If nobody has yet accomplished what we’ve set our sights on, some may say it isn’t possible. But that isn’t always true. Every day someone does something nobody has ever achieved in the past and although we know that, if we’re trying to do something new, the opinions of those around us may influence us. It would be wonderful if we could get unlimited support for all our ideas, but that doesn’t often happen. There will be some who will agree with our plans and even try to help with them, and others who will tell us we’ll never succeed. Perhaps there is fear for our safety, or fear of the changes the accomplishment could bring. Sometimes people aren’t supportive because they lack the courage to try new things and don’t want others to succeed. But if we want to do something, no matter what that something is, we are certainly capable of doing it. Even if all the winds blow against us, if we are determined to succeed, we can move forward. There really isn’t anything we can’t do if we want to badly enough. It doesn’t matter if it’s never been done before, it doesn’t matter if nobody thinks we can succeed, and it doesn’t matter if we’re the only ones who want to do it. We can do anything we like. We have enough initiative and courage to accomplish anything. All we need is to believe in ourselves.

Sometimes we start something new and unforeseen complications arise that make it hard to move forward. We don’t always know all the details at the beginning and when they appear they can stop us for a time. We may begin to doubt our ability to move forward. We might start to listen when we hear others say it can’t be done, and we might begin to believe it was a bad idea. But we can remember why we wanted to do this, and why it was important to us. If it’s still something we want, we can manage whatever complications arise. It might take longer than we thought it would to get to the goal, and it might be harder than we knew when we started. None of that matters if we really want to succeed. If it takes longer, we can stay on course. If it’s harder, we can get help. There is nothing that can stop us if we want the goal badly enough.

As we push forward, eventually the end will be in sight. Sometimes when we get close to success we feel trepidation. When the goal is near, we may feel unsure we can manage the changes that are coming. After all, we’ve spent all our time pressing forward and really have no idea what things will look like when we get to the end. We may hesitate to take the last few steps. If that happens we can remember why we set the goal to begin with and what we want to gain. We can be confident in our decision to seek it and bravely move forward to success. Change always takes some adjustment, even when the change is positive. We are perfectly capable of managing success and adjusting to whatever changes it brings. We know what we want and we are courageous enough to get it.

Today if there is something you really want to do but others are saying it can’t be done, or that it isn’t possible, trust yourself. You know what you want and you know how to succeed. Set your course and move forward. You are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to. You deserve all the success you are seeking. Keep your eyes focused forward and you’ll get there.

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Burnout

25 May

When we’re committed to a task or something we want to accomplish, we give all we can to the project.  We find time for it and make it a priority.  It becomes important to us and we’re determined to succeed.  But our lives are complex and we always have more than one thing going on.  We can make something a priority but to assume we will give it our complete focus 24 hours a day is unrealistic.  If we attempt to give the goal more energy than is workable we may burnout before we finish.  There are many facets of our lives in play all the time.  Nothing can take 100% of our attention 100% of the time.  It’s just not possible.  To expect that from ourselves or others is not reasonable.  Being committed is important when we want to accomplish something but being realistic in our expectations is important as well.

Burnout is a real possibility when we’re working hard on something.  We can narrow our focus so tightly we forget to do other things that are important.  We may skip meals to save time, forget appointments we need to attend, neglect sleep, and lose track of hours as we push through.  There is nothing wrong with being committed to a project or idea and making it a priority, but determining what is reasonable as we work through it will help us get to the goal more efficiently.  The human mind is a wonderful thing and we are capable of doing almost anything we set our minds to.  However, we must see the entire picture if we want to succeed.  Pushing ourselves beyond our limits generally will not help us achieve the goal faster.  Recognizing what is possible and doing what we can to achieve it is the best we can do.  It’s impossible to give more than we have and we must define where our boundaries lie before we begin.

The expectations of others can bring pressure to perform beyond what is reasonable.  Some will ask for more than is possible perhaps thinking that setting a lofty goal will push us to greater achievement.  When that happens, we may be encouraged to meet timelines that are impossible, or complete tasks that are beyond what can be done.  We may try our best to comply but if the expectation truly can’t be met nothing we do will make it happen.  It can be overwhelming as we try to meet impossible goals.  Despite the demands of others it’s important to understand what is realistic.  If we do our best and the goal is not achieved, we can be confident knowing we did everything possible.  We only fail if we don’t try and we succeed if we do our best, even if the objective isn’t realized.  There is a saying, “Anything is possible,” but that isn’t always true.  Recognizing what is real, what the limitations are, and what is truly possible makes us successful.  And when we do our best we succeed no matter the outcome.

Today if you’ve been trying to do too much and are starting to feel the burn, step back and look at the entire picture.  Determine what can be done and do your best to achieve it.  You can push your limits and still set your goals realistically.  You are capable of accomplishing great things.  Make a workable plan, implement it, and you’ll find success.

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