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Changing the World

20 Jul

Everyone is different and there are endless interpretations to everything we do, see, and experience. We all have our own ideas about how things should be and what is right. If we feel strongly about something and someone disagrees it may be difficult to accept their viewpoint and opinions. In an effort to convert them to our side we may speak loudly and forcefully trying to make them listen. If they don’t follow along and we’re angry, we may belittle them, criticize them, call them names or insinuate they are too stupid to see what to us is the correct point of view. There is nothing noble in demeaning others for any reason and nothing can be gained by diminishing their value. Being disrespectful and rude doesn’t elevate anyone and reduces us. We’re entitled to our own ideas and opinions but it’s inappropriate and destructive to demand that others agree with them. Each of us is unique and our decisions are ours to make. To punish those who disagree with us will never bring us happiness but will only increase suffering and disharmony, and ruin relationships. The only way to effectively influence others is through patience, kindness, inclusion and acceptance. We have the power to change the world but only by setting the example for love and charity will we prevail. Nothing is more powerful than a loving and understanding attitude. When we are accepting and kind people will be drawn to us and we can share our lives with them.

Opinions vary and we can respect the right of everyone to believe what they choose and live their lives according to their own values and desires. It may be hard for us to understand their viewpoint but we don’t have to understand everything to be accepting. We can be respectful and kind and if we disagree we may share our opinions and ideas. We’re all different and when we clash there may be conflict. We have the power to diffuse any tension through kindness and a welcoming attitude. Being patient when there is disagreement and listening openly to every idea will pave the way to friendship and inclusion.

It’s impossible to push people into agreeing with us. Everyone has their own ideas and can live their lives any way they choose. We can express what we believe and exhibit how our beliefs are beneficial. We can lead by example and display goodness and nobility, and with patience and love bring others close. There is greatness in us and by showing it to the world through kindness and charity, especially in conflict, we will prevail.

Today if you’ve been pressuring others to listen to you and trying to get them to accept your viewpoint, remember gentleness and kindness will open the doors. Be patient and loving and accept other opinions. Express your respect and love to those around you and they will draw close to you and feel your influence. Acceptance will give you power and charity will bring you success. You have the power to change the world. Be the best you can be and set the example for good.

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Knowing and Hoping

5 Jan

As we interact with others, either in our personal relationships or in passing, we learn how they respond to different situations and what we can expect from them.  It’s helpful to recognize their patterns and choices and have a clear expectation of their behaviors.  But sometimes we may hope their expected responses will change in ways that are better for them or will fit into our needs more effectively.  They say hope springs eternal, and in some ways it does.  If someone we’re close to often makes bad decisions and those decisions hurt them and those around them, we may hope they will change and our hope may make us believe something that isn’t real.  We must always be willing to face things as they are and understand we can only control our own lives and the decisions we make.  Even if we know what is best, even if we are sure we know the right way forward, if it’s someone else’s decision to make we have no control over the end result.  It takes a lot of energy to try to control situations that belong to someone else and no matter how much we put into our efforts, if the decisions aren’t ours to make, we will not change the outcome.  It’s best to step back, see the facts clearly, hope for the best, and then accept whatever choices are made.  We can control our lives any way we desire while allowing others to do the same and make their own choices despite what we hope for them.  Doing so will give us the freedom to move forward on our own road while still being available when needed.

When we love someone who is doing something destructive, it’s hard to stand by and watch as things go wrong.  We may offer counsel and advice if they are receptive, but then we must step back and let them make the decisions they desire.  It’s very hard to watch those we love suffer, especially if we are sure we know how to fix the situation.  We all learn from the things we experience, and ultimately every lesson must come from within.  We can let go and allow those around us to make their own choices and learn their own lessons, despite what we hope they will choose.

Facts may tell us all about how something works, how it looks, or what we can expect it to do but they can never predict our personal reactions and how they will affect us.  We really don’t know a stove is hot unless we touch it.  Until then it’s undefined information.  The same is true in our lives.  Most of what we do is done through trial and error.  We learn from the things we experience and those we love learn the same way.  It takes some of us more time than others, and we all take different roads on the journey.  We can hope for the best, while understanding and accepting whatever comes.  Life is a great teacher that allows each of us to learn our own way.  We can walk beside those around us, and let them choose their own path forward.

Today if you’re hoping someone you love will make a positive choice, do what you can to set a good example.  Be there to offer help when needed and let them choose for themselves.  Share your life with them while focusing on your own journey forward.  Live your life well and let your success light the way.

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Grounded

9 Jun

We can do a lot of things well and accomplish many goals throughout our lives.  When we have sufficient determination and time we can generally get to most desired destinations.  But sometimes we may try to accomplish something and no matter what we do can’t seem to move forward.  When we struggle and push and still can’t get ahead it’s very frustrating.  Life is complicated and we don’t always know everything when we begin a journey.  If we truly cannot achieve what we’ve set out to do right now it doesn’t mean we have failed.  We can look at the situation objectively, see what the problem is and then revise our plans.  We may need additional information or we may need to wait until we are in a different place in our lives.  Although it’s important to try our best to reach our goals, there is no value in trying over and over again to accomplish something that cannot be accomplished right now.  Recognizing limits is important.  If we simply cannot move forward no matter what we’ve tried the timing may be wrong or we may need to wait until our circumstances have changed.  If the destination is out of reach now we can set it aside and do other things and try again later.  All planes get grounded from time to time.  Once we see what is needed to move forward we may begin again.  We don’t have to stay grounded forever.  We have everything we need to be successful and continue forward.

We only have control over our personal decisions and what we do.  Sometimes when we’re trying to accomplish something and others are involved, their decisions may derail us and push us off track.  If we must have the agreement of others to move forward and that is not forthcoming we may be stopped in our tracks and unable to progress.  If we can’t bring them into agreement we may need to find a way around them to continue forward.  If that isn’t possible it may be necessary to set the goal aside until things change.  Life is fluid and ever changing and in time our circumstances will adjust and we’ll be able to start again.

Unpredictable complications are always a factor.  We can’t know what we don’t know and sometimes there is more to the story than we are aware when we start out.  Others may keep facts from us, things may develop that stop our progress or our lives may change in such a way that we can’t continue forward at this time.  When those things happen we can revise our plans to accommodate whatever has happened and decide how we want to proceed.  We can wait if we need to and do other things until our situation changes.  Life is long and a road that is blocked today may well be clear in the days ahead.  We can prepare for the future and be ready when the time is right to start again.

Today if you’ve been working hard on accomplishing something and no matter what you do can’t move forward, stop and look at the situation openly and completely.  Revise you plans if you need to and if the timing is wrong, set the goal aside and work on other things.  Be patient and continue forward.  Although you may have to wait, eventually everything you desire will come.

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What It Is

3 May

We face countless situations and complications as we go through our lives.  Although we have everything we need to face anything that comes to us, there may be times when what’s happening is so far from what we want we may struggle to accept it.  We can only control how we act and what we do.  Sometimes things happen to us over which we have no authority or power to change.  If they are disagreeable or completely outside of what we want in our lives it may be difficult to accept.  We can fight against the situation and push hard to try and change it but if nothing we do alters our reality eventually we will have to deal with it as it is.  Facing what is real is the only way to live genuinely and find true happiness.  We may be unhappy about something, we may disagree with what’s going on and our frustration may overwhelm us. If we want to understand our lives completely we must look straight at them and see clearly what is real.  We can accept what cannot be changed, even if it’s something we don’t want.  Our power is infinite over our own lives and we can move forward toward any destination we choose.  If something stands in our way we can find another road forward.  No matter what has developed, no matter how much we want things to change, and no matter how hard it is to keep moving, we can accept what is real and find a way forward.

Denial never works for long.  It may distract us for a time and allow us to look away from something unpleasant but it changes nothing.  It holds us in place and the longer we embrace it, the longer we must wait to find our way through.  It’s like treading water in the middle of a turbulent sea.  It will hold us up for now but if we don’t do something to move forward we will continually struggle.  It takes far more energy to deny what is happening in our lives than it does to simply accept things as they are and then plan our way forward.  We have enough wisdom and insight to figure out any problem that comes to us and solve it in ways that benefit us going forward.

Sometimes when things are difficult, instead of looking at the situation openly we may try to dress it up or paint it in ways that make it look different.  No matter what we do to change the way something looks, it will remain.  If you paint a cow pink it’s still a cow.  Instead of putting a pretty picture on a difficult situation we can determine to face it head on, look at all the complications and then find a positive way through.  There isn’t anything too difficult for us to solve and we have all the courage we need to successfully navigate any problem.  We can see things as they are and then proactively decide what we want to do and where we want to go.

Today if you’re in a difficult situation and you don’t want to look at it, open your eyes and see it clearly.  Learn all you can to find your way forward.  Complications will come but you have everything you need to overcome them.  You are courageous and strong.  Be faithful and trust yourself.  You can face anything and you will succeed.

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No Eraser

2 May

“Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.”  John W. Gardner

Everything in our lives is continually changing. The situations we face today will be different than what we’ll face tomorrow. Some days are easy and full of fun, and other days are more complicated and try our patience. We can’t control most of what comes to us, but we always have control over how we react and what we do. We can do anything we like but once we’ve done it, it becomes a permanent part of our lives. There is no way to go backward and change something in our history whether it happened years or moments ago. Everything we do will be there forever. There is no re-do option, there is no way to rewind, and there is no eraser. Knowing that, the best we can do is think about our choices before we make them so we make the best decisions possible. If we react quickly to a situation without thinking we may create more complications and problems. Instead of simply reacting and jumping to an answer we can choose to step back for a moment and find a way forward that will bring true resolution. No matter what we do our choice will stay with us from that point forward. We always have the opportunity to change our direction if we’ve chosen the wrong path and to amend our decisions if we’ve chosen what doesn’t work. What’s done is done and will remain but we can modify our way forward and re-direct our course.

If we’ve made bad decisions in the past and have been continually reminded of them, we may believe we won’t ever be able to move forward. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes those mistakes have far reaching consequences. When that happens, we may struggle trying to untangle what we’ve created and our confidence may suffer. If we’ve made a mess, we can clean it up. If we’ve chosen badly, we can choose another way. Although we can’t change the past, the future is wide open and ready for any decisions we desire. Nothing can stop us from being successful and finding the right road going forward.

Guilt and shame are heavy burdens to carry. They grow heavier if we’ve negatively impacted not only our lives, but the lives of those around us. When we feel bad about choices we’ve made, when we’ve hurt ourselves and those around us, we may believe we will never be able to fix the mess we’ve created. But life is fluid and every day brings the opportunity for change. There isn’t any problem too difficult for us to solve and we can find the right road when we’re ready. Success is always there for us and we can find it.

Today if you’re dealing with complications from a decision you’ve made and aren’t sure how to go forward, take your time and think about what you really want. What’s done is done and if you need to re-route your way forward you can. There are lots of roads available to you. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Decide what you want most and plan your way forward. You have everything you need to be successful.

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