Archive | January, 2017

Listening and Hearing

31 Jan

In our personal conversations, sometimes what we’re listening to isn’t the full meaning of what is being said. We can listen and listen and still miss the message. There are a lot of distractions, sometimes our personal opinions color what we’re hearing and sometimes we only hear part of the information being communicated. There is a big difference between listening to someone and really hearing what they are saying. Although we may hear the words it may take a while to fully understand what they mean. People are complex and if the message is difficult or painful they may color it with words that muddle the situation. If we want to understand anything and make good decisions, we need all the information. If the message is confusing we can take it apart, ponder it, and get to the truth. Even in complicated situations if we are careful we can hear what’s really being said and then take the time we need to understand the full message. Knowing the complete truth of any situation helps us navigate it more successfully. We can be clear on the message by not only listening but really taking the time to hear it.

Some people talk in circles. They struggle to speak clearly and may go around and around an issue. Perhaps they have an unclear understanding of the message or are intimidated by it and afraid of speaking too plainly. When we encounter these situations, we may get lost as they go here and there, speaking around the information they are trying to relay. We may ask for details but often we must rely on our ability to discern the true message and extrapolate the real meaning behind the conversation. No matter how confusing the story may seem at first, if we take time to think about what’s being said we can find the answers. Once we decide we know what the real message is we may ask for clarification and verify our conclusions.

There may be times when someone speaks to us in ways that are confusing because they are trying to accomplish something and don’t want others to know. Maybe they feel they need to share part of the story but don’t want to give all the details. If they have an agenda that is dishonest or in some way will impact us negatively their words may be convoluted and confounding. If they will not clarify the message we need to find the answers on our own. We don’t have to blindly follow something we are unsure of and we can do what is needed to fully understand any situation before proceeding. We can listen and then discern truth to fully hear what is being said. We are capable of understanding many things and if we are careful we can move forward confident we know the full story.

Today if you’re confused by something that is being said and are struggling to understand, take the time to really hear the message. You are an excellent listener. You will find the truth and the way forward with confidence. There isn’t anything you can’t comprehend. Be confident and be wise. The answers are there for you and you will find them.

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Try After Try

26 Jan

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison

When we’re trying to find our way through something complicated, sometimes the first road we choose doesn’t take us to resolution. If the situation is very complex and there are others involved, we may try several options before we find our way through. Day after day if what we thought would take us to the answer doesn’t work, we must try again. Try after try can wear on our patience when nothing changes and we may begin to believe we are stuck forever someplace we don’t want to be. It’s like having our tires stuck in the mud, spinning and spinning trying to break free but going nowhere. Our patience may be tested, our reasoning may be challenged and we may become exhausted trying to find our way. If we’ve tried and tried and haven’t found success, sometimes we may need to step back for a moment to regain our perspective. Being in the middle of a problem may influence our vision and make it hard to see all the options available. Stepping back from the issue, clearing our minds and looking at it objectively may open new ideas and help us see a way forward we hadn’t considered. Problems come and go and we can find our way through anything. Stopping and stepping away from the fray for a moment may open doors we didn’t see before and help us solve whatever has held us captive.

Feeling overwhelmed won’t help us find answers. If we believe the problem is too big to solve and doubt we will ever find answers we may get stuck. If we don’t think we can solve the issue, or lack the confidence to continue when things go wrong, we will fail. We can give up at any time and refuse to continue but if we do, we will never find success. The willingness to try one more time, no matter how many times we’ve tried before, will open the way forward. Although it may take time, there are no answers too difficult for us to find. We can solve any problem if we keep trying until we find our way. There is nothing too difficult or too complex for us to figure out. We have what we need to succeed as long as we keep trying.

There may be others around us who may encourage us to give up. They may tell us it’s too hard or it’s not worth the trouble. We may certainly take their advice and quit but if we do we guarantee the goal we are seeking will not be met. If we decide we no longer want to proceed, we may stop. But if what we’ve been trying to accomplish is important to us and we really want to achieve it, we may continue forward. Success is always possible and we can have it. We can try one more time, and we will find our way.

Today if you’ve tried and tried to make something work and you’re still struggling, decide if the goal is still important to you. If it is, step back to see things objectively, and then try again. You are worth every success you are seeking. Try one more time. The doors will open and you will find your way.

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Wide Water

25 Jan

Our lives are filled with all kinds of trials and challenges.  We face them as they come and get through them the best we can.  Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed at what lies before us and unsure we can get through it.  It’s like standing on the shore of a very wide river and looking at the other side.  If it’s very far away and the water is deep we may be uncertain that we can cross over and hesitant to begin.  We don’t know how long it will take or what will happen once we step into the water.  If the wind is blowing or it begins to rain, we may become more apprehensive and worried.  The hardest challenges we face may be very difficult to comprehend at first.  We may be stunned trying to figure out what to do or feel lost at the enormity of what we must overcome.  But no matter how complex the issue, no matter how deep the water or how far it is to the other side, we can succeed by taking one step at a time.  We can build a boat to navigate the water by using all the skills and abilities we already possess, and move forward little by little.  The water may be wide but that only means it may take us a little longer to reach the other side.  We have all the wisdom and endurance we need to traverse any river we face.  We can be confident of success even if the winds are blowing and the rain begins to pour.

Our minds are like libraries that hold onto everything we see, or hear, or learn. All our experiences are stored for future reference.  When we come upon something difficult or challenging we can access everything we’ve learned so far and bring it forward to help.  Sometimes an experience we thought inconsequential holds the keys we need to unlock our way ahead.  We can take some time to pull from the skills we’ve already gained to help us when we’re facing a new complex issue.  By using what we’ve got and being open to what we can learn as we go we will find the way to unlock any complication and clear the way ahead.  We have a lot to draw from already and as we navigate our new situation we’ll gain more tools to carry with us.

When we’re facing a huge hurdle or a situation that is more intense than we’re comfortable with, we can take it apart piece by piece and proceed.  Every complex issue has many parts and if we look at each individually we will find the answers we need.  A jigsaw puzzle has many pieces and when we dump it out of the box it’s hard to fathom how they’ll all fit together.  But we can start with the straight edges and put them together, find pieces that are the same color and begin to connect them, and piece by piece we’ll make the picture and solve the puzzle.  We can do the same thing with complicated issues we’re facing.  Piece by piece and step by step we’ll find our way through and before long we’ll be on the other side.  The water may be wide but we can find our way over and we have everything we need to get there.

Today if you’re on the edge of a big issue that is overwhelming and difficult, take it one piece at a time.  Give yourself time to think and pull from everything you’ve learned already.  You are wise and intelligent.  There isn’t anything you can’t manage.  Move forward.  Success is there for you.

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Plan B

24 Jan

As we’re working out problems and getting things done, sometimes the first scenario we devise doesn’t work. Even when we’re absolutely sure there is no way it can fail, sometimes things don’t go the way we hope they will. If it’s something we prepared for and are confident our plan forward is the only way to get to the goal, it may be hard to regroup and come up with something else. When we’re confident and sure and still nothing works, it may be hard to figure out what to do next. Of course, there is never only one solution to any problem or one answer to any question. There is always another option possible and if we consider everything openly, those options will become apparent. If plan A didn’t work, we can come up with plan B. And if that doesn’t work, we can come up with something else. We are capable of imagining many scenarios and creating different processes to move forward. It may take time and it may not be easy, but if we are determined we will find the right answers. We have a lot of resources available to us all the time. There are others around us who may help, there are countless ways to research any situation, and we can start anew when we’re ready. If we don’t accomplish our goal the first time, we can try again. We can try as many times as it takes and if we keep trying we will find success.

When we’re excited about something new and eager to get started, we may plunge in head first ready to take on the challenge and conquer it. Motivation is a great tool that pushes us forward but plunging in head first may take our eyes off our direction forward. If we want to get things done quickly and only focus on speed, we may miss an important turn and run into a blockade. If we get caught up in our enthusiasm, we may neglect to do what is needed to prevent unnecessary complications. Speed may be important in some arenas but all the speed in the world won’t help us if we’re on the wrong road. Taming our enthusiasm enough to allow us to navigate efficiently will get us to the goal quickly and effectively. We don’t have to jump in head first to show our commitment. We can swim steadily and strongly forward with our eyes on the goal and arrive at our destination.

There may be times when others in our lives create detours for us along the way. Perhaps they don’t like our plans and do things that create complications, or they don’t think we’re going the right way and stand in front of us to block our path. We don’t need the agreement of others to accomplish our personal goals. If there are barriers in our way, we can navigate around them. If there are detours, we can reroute our way forward. We can accomplish any goal we desire even if it means we must change our course to get there. We are intelligent and flexible enough to find our way through anything. If we keep our sights set on the way forward we will be successful.

Today if the road you’ve been on has ended in a detour, re-chart your course. You know where you want to go and you have everything you need to get there. Keep moving ahead. The goal is attainable and you will reach it. Be confident. You have everything you need to succeed.

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Cut and Paste

20 Jan

Life brings us all kinds of experiences.  Whether they are good or bad depends on what’s happening and where we are.  We learn something new with everything we experience and decide as we move forward what we’ll take with us.  We don’t have to carry everything along as we go and can cut the things we don’t want.  If we experience something that won’t benefit us we can simply leave it behind.  However, if we learn something that helps us get to our goals we can hold onto it and incorporate it going forward. The trick is to accurately discern between the two.  Sometimes there may be things we’ll want to forget, especially if there are moments we don’t feel we did our best, but there will be other things we learned that strengthen us and give us additional courage.  We can hold onto new behaviors that help us or make us more confident.  As each challenge comes and goes, if we’re careful and pay attention, we will find things to take with us that enrich us and deepen our understanding.  Life is a great educator.  There really isn’t anything we’ll go through that won’t teach us something and no matter how much we’ve learned, there will always be more waiting for us.  Learning to cut and paste the things we experience will help us get the most out of each lesson and move us forward more effectively.  We are capable of changing and learning many things and as we travel through our journey can find our way to where we most want to be.

Some experiences stick to us because of their intensity or difficulty.  If the experience was very painful, even after it changes we may have trouble letting go and moving on. If the process created a permanent change in our lives or our relationships have been affected, we may grieve for what has been lost and it may be difficult to find our footing again.  If we’ve been hurt deeply we may need time to heal.  Even very good changes that are intense may take time to adjust to but we have everything we need to manage our lives well and no matter what happens we’ll find our way.

Life changes constantly and no matter how we may want things to stay the same, everything will eventually change.  If we are attached to keeping our lives in stasis, if we are intimidated by the process of change or are afraid of what the changes will bring, we may struggle to let go.  But we can cut what is no longer useful.  We can leave the baggage behind that we don’t need to carry.  We can let go of anything that is holding us back.  There is a long road ahead filled with promise and expectation and we can walk forward unencumbered by pain from the past.

Today if you’ve experienced something that has changed you in some way and you feel different than before, move forward with confidence.  You can let go of the things you no longer need, hold onto to what is helpful, and find success.  You’ve learned so much already and you know where you want to go.  You are courageous and wise enough to create a brilliant future filled with happiness.

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