Archive | June, 2016

Cherry Picking

10 Jun

A big cherry tree covered with fat, red, glossy cherries is a lovely sight to behold. When it’s time to pick them, the tree may be heavy laden and its branches sagging under the weight of the delectable fruit. As we pick them, we might marvel at the natural beauty of each cherry and like a treasure hunt we look for the very best fruit to pick. When we look at all the talents and gifts we possess it’s like the cherry tree burgeoning with fruit. Each gift we possess is a beautiful piece that will bring pleasure and gratitude when we share it. We all have a lot to offer and the variety of our gifts is endless. But if we hold them close, never letting them shine, they may wither and die. Giving of ourselves to those around us, sharing our talents with them and offering our time to serve and help makes the most of our fruit and allows us to grow. The more we give, the more we get in return. Our lives are blessed and bountiful when we are open and share the gifts we have with those around us.

This life brings countless opportunities to learn and grow. We can shut ourselves off and live small, enclosed lives that keep us isolated and apart. We can live our lives alone and make all our decisions based solely on our personal wants and needs. If we do we may find contentment in control over our experiences but we will be restricted from those around us and their influence. Everyone has something of value to share and we learn from every person we allow into our lives. If we keep ourselves separate and alone, we cannot benefit from the growth available to us by sharing our lives with others. And if we don’t share our gifts the world cannot be embellished by our presence. Our gifts are unique to us and we are the only ones who can offer them. If we refuse, the light they could bring will never be seen.

Sharing our gifts with others takes confidence. We must believe they are worthwhile and have value. Everyone has something wonderful and unique that nobody else possesses. We can allow others to see our special gifts and be magnified by them. We have our own perspective and an exclusive viewpoint that nobody else possesses. If we offer that and expose the world to our personal characteristics, we add new flavor and dimension to those around us. The world will be greater and more beautiful than if we keep it to ourselves. Just like those beautiful cherries on the tree, we can offer something wonderful and unique that will bring pleasure and joy to those around us.

Today if you’ve been holding back your unique thoughts and perspectives, let them shine through and share them with others. You have so much to offer. Don’t just be a tree in a forest of other trees. Be a cherry tree filled with bright red fruit ready to give. We all want to know you. Tell us who you are and show us your personal gifts. We will all benefit when you do.

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Detours

8 Jun

When we have goals we want to achieve and we’re focusing on them we may make a lot of progress going forward.  Everything may move along as planned but then something happens that stops us.  Maybe it’s an unexpected change in plans or a decision we make that takes us off the road for a time.  For instance, if we’re trying to lose weight and we’re doing well and happy with our progress we may have a setback if someone bakes us a delicious chocolate cake.  If we love chocolate cake we may decide we’ll have only one small piece but it was so good we have another, and then another.  Or if we’re trying to manage our time more effectively and are having success with getting things done as planned but then there’s a movie marathon we don’t want to miss.  It completely ruins our schedule as we spend hours and hours enjoying all the films.  These are just detours and taking a detour off the road we’ve chosen doesn’t mean we’ve forsaken the journey.  It’s just a momentary pause.  We can choose anything we want any time we want and sometimes our choices take us from our long range goals.  There is nothing wrong with stepping off the path we’ve set, and if we want to find success we can step back on it again.

We can set our standards so rigidly that if we waiver from the course we’ve designed we may feel defeated and convinced we can’t succeed.  Of course that isn’t true.  We can do anything we want to do.  There is plenty of time to redirect our course and get back on the road we most want to travel.  Stepping off and taking a detour doesn’t end the journey.  The road is still there waiting for us to return.  If we really want to accomplish the task, and if we really want the change in our lives we can find our way back to it and begin again.  There is no hard line in the sand.  We can step off the path and step right back onto it again when we’re ready.

We face detours regularly in our lives.  Things come up that distract us, people and events capture our attention, and life happens.  It’s impossible to set a course and stay on it perfectly every moment of every day.  We can decide on our goals and make a plan and if things happen that confound it we can work around them.  There are few straight lines in life.  Most of the time we get from point to point by going a little here and a little there.  It doesn’t matter how we get there and unless there is some time constraint it doesn’t matter how long it takes.  The important thing is to decide what we want, and then move toward it.  There will be detours from time to time and we can manage them as they come.  We can take as long as we need to return to where we were and start again.  The journey can continue any time we’re ready.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish.  We can be confident that no matter what comes we will manage it.  We are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to.

Today if you’ve been derailed from a plan you’ve set for yourself you can get back on course again.  Decide how you want to go forward and start again.  You’ve come so far already.  Nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.  You have everything you need to succeed.  Step back on the path and start again.

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Too Much

7 Jun

There are times in everyone’s life when we want something new. Maybe we want to learn a new skill, get more education, move up in our careers, or try something completely different. When we’re thinking about a change and all that it will entail to make it happen we can sometimes think we can’t do it. Or we might think we aren’t worthy of the growth, or we may even think we don’t deserve it. There is a lot to experience in this life but we can only have the experiences we’re willing to try. If we don’t believe we can do something, odds are we won’t do it. If we don’t think we can manage the challenge, we may not even try. But we can do anything we want to do. There isn’t anything out of reach if we want it badly enough. And we all deserve everything we want in our lives. We don’t have to be perfect, we don’t have to get approval, and we don’t have to wait. We can have anything we want as soon as we’re ready to do what it takes to get it. There is nothing that is too much for us. We can climb mountains, learn to fly, get an advanced degree, open a new business, or just take one day a week off. It’s all up to us. We don’t need the support of everyone around us. All we need to do is decide. And then go for it.

Some people like routines and keeping things the same. There is security in knowing what to expect each day, and that security is important to some. But the problem with keeping everything the same is that nothing changes. And when nothing changes we can’t grow. If we want a life that’s fulfilling and challenging, we have to be willing to try new things. Getting out of our comfort zones isn’t always easy. They’re called comfort zones because we’re comfortable in them. If we step away from them and do something new it may open up a whole new arena in our lives. We can’t know what’s outside if we stay indoors all the time. There are limitless experiences waiting for us but we have to be willing to let them in.

We may not always get support from those around us when we decide to change our lives. They may say we’re too young or too old, it’s too hard, they don’t want us to change because they like things the way they are, or a thousand others reasons. If they try to keep us the same it just means they don’t want to change. They may certainly keep their lives any way they want them and that has no bearing on our decisions. Everyone can choose the type of life they want. If we want to, we can embrace all our dreams and forge ahead to make them come true. We are the only ones who can make our dreams a reality. There are no fairy godmothers coming to grant our wishes and there is no magic spell that will make them come true. We can do it ourselves. There is no dream that’s too big, no change that’s too much, and no future we can’t create. We have everything we need to have the kind of life we want.

Today if you’ve been dreaming of a life different than the one you’ve been living, change your course. Set out on a path that will make your dreams come true. You can do anything. There is nothing strong enough to keep you from moving forward. You deserve everything you want and you can get it. Open all the doors and push through. The destination is waiting for you.

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The Ladder

6 Jun

Ambition is putting a ladder against the sky.  American Proverb
 
When we want something we don’t have or want to achieve something higher than where we are we have ambition.  We believe we can do what is needed to succeed and set our sights on the goal.  Ambition is greater than hope because we put effort into gaining the achievement.  Having ambition is like climbing a ladder.  When we need to reach something higher than where we are we can use a ladder.  We lean it against something sturdy and safely climb higher to reach the goal.  Ambition is like setting a ladder against the sky.  The sky has no end and there is no limit to what we can achieve.  Having ambition allows us to dream of something more, something higher or greater.  It enables us to stretch further and see how far we can go.  We can try to reach anything we want.  We can push ourselves to become more, and when we do we learn more about who we are and discover what we’re capable of.  We can do anything.  We can set the ladder against the sky and scale it as high as we like.

Anything worth having is worth working for.  Nothing of value comes to us without effort.  If we stand still and coast through our lives, we will never achieve our full potential.  We are capable of doing more than we believe we can but we won’t find our real limits unless we push forward.  If we want to we can simply coast through our lives.  Coasting is effortless movement.  It might take us in the direction we want to go but it’s susceptible to the winds of change and the decisions of others.  If we do nothing to direct our course and simply allow life to carry us, we will go places but they may not be the places we want to be.  And because there is no effort we won’t become stronger.  When we have no rudder we can’t steer our ship or choose a destination.  If we allow ourselves to simply be driven by all the forces around us, we have no idea where we’ll end up.

Our lives belong to us.  They are ours and ours alone.  It doesn’t matter what other people think we should be doing.  What matters is what we choose to do.  Choosing to do nothing is a choice we can make if we want to.  But we only get one shot at this life and wasting even one day is a loss we can never recover.  We know what we want our lives to be like.  We know what we want.  We have the power to aim high and achieve anything we like.  We can direct our course to the destinations we choose and we can turn our ship at any time.  If we anchor our progression with effort and planning we can succeed.  There isn’t anything we can’t do.  Every dream can become a reality if we do what it takes to achieve it.

Today if there is something you want to gain, someplace you want to go, or something you want to achieve, set your sights on the goal and begin moving toward it.  You have all the ambition and drive you need to make it yours.  Start moving toward the destination and soon you’ll see it just ahead.  There isn’t anything you can’t do.  Set your ladder and start climbing.

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The Delete Key

3 Jun

In this day of computers, anything we write or create may be erased with the push of a button.  It’s very convenient if we change our plans or make a mistake.  All we have to do is press the delete key and all evidence of the activity disappears.  It’s like magic. Sometimes we might wish we had a delete key for our lives.  Maybe we do something we regret, or say something we didn’t mean, or get involved in a situation that brings us sorrow.  It would be great when those things happen if we could just delete the experience and move on.  It would be such a blessing to be able to remove all reminders of the event and completely erase it from our lives.  Sadly that is never an option.  In this life, once a card is played it’s there forever.  Our actions, good or bad, become part of our irrevocable history.  We all make mistakes.  They can’t be avoided and they teach us the lessons we need to learn to be happy and successful.  But it doesn’t feel good when we’re in the midst of them and have to push through whatever complications they bring us.  Although we may wish for the delete key in our lives, if we can remember that each experience teaches us something of value we can move forward with confidence despite what has happened in the past.

As we go through our lives we enjoy happy experiences and hope they’ll stay with us.  We endure the hard ones as well, and pray they’ll end quickly.  But we learn the most from the hard times as they mold us and teach us about who we are and what we want.  Often as we look back at the things we’ve been through we see the times that were the hardest taught us the most valuable lessons.  It’s hard to be grateful for difficulty and nobody prays for trouble in their lives.  But the trouble is what teaches us.  We learn good things from the easy times and enjoy them when we have them.  The hard times aren’t usually enjoyable and even if we wish we could magically make them disappear, give us endurance and help us find pleasure and joy even when things are going wrong.  Those gifts brings a richness to our lives that easy living could never give us.  Everyone wants to live a strong, rich life and struggling helps us achieve that.

We all have some regrets.  Perhaps we have deep regrets for decisions we’ve made, but we all have the opportunity to learn from those experiences so we don’t have to repeat them.  The sorrow of heartbreak helps us appreciate those who love us.  The remorse for dishonesty reminds us how important it is to be true.  The sting of betrayal teaches us how to be loyal.  Every problem brings a blessing.  If we can remember what we’re learning when we’re struggling we won’t yearn for the delete key.  We can embrace whatever comes to us – good or bad – learn from it and go forward with more understanding and greater confidence.  People often use the phrase, “It’s all good,” when describing an experience.  In our lives that’s true – it’s all good in one way or another.

Today if you wish you could go back and erase something, and remove it as though it never happened, stop and look at how much you learned from the experience.  You have come so far and each day takes you closer to where you want to be.  Embrace everything you’re going through.  You’re becoming the person you most want to be with each step you take.  And that person is the perfect reflection of you.

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