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Common Ground

14 Mar

There are a lot of different kinds of people in the world. Many different belief systems, thousands of distinct traditions and rules, and countless variations of expression. We’re all unique and show our uniqueness in limitless ways. Despite our differences, we all share common wants and needs such as the need for care and love, physical safety, and a desire for connection to those around us. We may struggle trying to understand someone who is different than we are and have trouble relating to their views and behaviors, but no matter how many ways we differ we all have some things we share. As human beings inhabiting the same planet at the same time, there will be things we can relate to no matter how different we are. It requires respect for each other to look beyond our differences and find basic understanding. We may not agree on politics or religion, or what needs to happen or where we need to go, but we can agree to respect one another and honor our personal choices. We’re all important and each of us contributes to the world we live in. Nobody doesn’t count. We are capable of understanding things that are different than we are and we can learn from those differences to embellish and enhance our experiences going forward.

Conflict is sometimes the result of differing opinions. When we feel strongly about something it can be hard to understand and accept another point of view. We may not comprehend the opposing opinion but each is valuable even when they are far from what we believe. We can respectfully honor different ideas and see new perspectives by opening our minds to unique possibilities. Differences open our imagination and may help us understand life more effectively. We are capable of learning and understanding many things. We are all important and valuable and each of us enriches life in our own specific and unique way.

There isn’t only one way to do or see anything. There isn’t only one answer to any problem or situation. Variation and diversity are a part of natural life. Look at the trees on the earth. There are an estimated 100,000 varieties of trees in the world and each is unique and perfect for where it is and what it does. Although each is different they are all trees. We all have something exclusive to offer that no one else can give but no matter how different we are there will always be something we share. There is common ground we can relate to that will help us honor our differences. We are all valuable and worthwhile. We all have something to say and each opinion matters.

Today if you’ve been holding tightly to one point of view, allow others to share their perspectives with you. We all share common ground. Find it and embrace differences as you learn from those around you. The world is filled with diversity and every expression brings something unique. Everyone is important and you will grow as you understand many viewpoints and ideas. You are capable of greatness. Embracing differences and finding common ground will help you achieve it

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Shooting the Moon

9 Feb

We all have goals we want to achieve and in our zeal to accomplish them we might make plans that very aggressive and challenging. We may decide we’ll make great changes overnight in order to achieve something quickly that often takes time. It’s good to have lofty goals and creating a plan that’s workable will help us find success more easily than one that’s extreme. For instance, if we seek personal wealth we may decide we’re going to work hard and in a year double our salary. If we want to change our fitness level, we may plan to go to the gym for two hours every single day. Or if we want to improve our diets we may swear off all sweets – forever. While these plans are certainly impressive we may not be able to adhere to them simply because of the intense changes needed to make them work. Finding the right method of accomplishing our goals is the first step. We can shoot for the moon and hope we make it, or we can determine what we can reasonably do each day to move us closer and make a plan we can more easily adapt to. Change never happens overnight. The important thing is to arrive at the destination, not how fast we get there.

Every small step forward we keep is a victory. We don’t have to change 100% right away and each step forward takes us closer to the goal. Even small advances are victories and if we are consistent will bring us success. If we only advanced a quarter of a percent each day we tried, and then only tried half the time, in a year we will have advanced almost half way to the goal. Small steps move us forward and each time we step forward our confidence will rise. Aiming too high too quickly often ends in failure. If we push too hard it may be difficult to accomplish the task. Understanding change and not speed is the goal will help us be more successful.

There may be times we feel we should have come further than we have in the time we’ve been pressing forward. We may feel we should have been able to get more done, or become more masterful at something. When we’re starting a new goal, or beginning a new behavior it’s impossible to know all the changes we’ll have to make to incorporate it successfully into our lives. We can imagine some of the work we’ll have to do but until we’re actually in the process of making the change we can’t see everything. While we’re striving to achieve, we can keep our eyes focused on making small adjustments that will move us forward. We can determine to continue despite any setbacks and if we don’t stop we will reach the goal. Life is long enough for us to accomplish anything. Step by step, making small successful moves will get us to every goal we desire. We have everything we need to succeed and there isn’t anything too difficult for us to achieve.

Today if you feel frustrated that you haven’t yet reached your goal, look back and see how far you’ve come already. Every step you take gets you closer to where you want to be. Continue forward. You know where you want to go and you have everything you need to get there. Move the dial a little closer today and tomorrow do the same. You’ll reach the goal and find success.

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The Same

6 Jan

When we go through bad experiences that make a big impression on us and impact us deeply, we may get stuck. Moments that are intensely painful may alter the way we see things going forward. If we’ve faced a very hard trial, or one that has hurt us severely, we may struggle with self-confidence. Life is full of experiences and some of them can be very difficult. But our experiences are only passages and we can navigate through them, learn from them and then let them go. If we hold onto the past, we may find we are unable to live fully in the moment where we are. If we focus on something that is behind us and relive it again and again in our minds, all our days going forward will look the same and we may miss the full experience life has to offer us. Each day is filled with possibilities and if we are in the moment, living now, we may fully embrace them and enhance our lives. We must let go of the past if we want our present and our futures to be filled with promise. What’s behind us will never return. There is nothing we can do to change it. We can let it go, and move forward with confidence.

The human mind is complex and capable of managing many things at once. We can adjust and adapt to virtually anything that comes to us and we can figure out any problems we may face. But if we are constantly pre-occupied with something that has already happened and can never be changed, we may go around and around thinking about it and reliving it. There is no way to re-write history. There is no way to alter what has already occurred and the best we can do is learn all we can from the experience and then let it go. It’s not easy to overcome a serious setback or let go of an extreme disappointment. But rehashing it over and over again, revisiting it endlessly to see if we can uncover some hidden meaning or try to figure out why it happened, will never help us going forward. Our lives are precious and each day is a gift. We can learn from the past but if we want to be truly happy we must embrace the future.

Time marches on. We can think about things that are behind us and learn from them and our memories allow us to do that. But memories are only snapshots of what no longer exists. We deserve every blessing and every happiness. Bad things happen to us all. When they are in the past, we can learn from them and then we can let them go. We have so much promise for the days ahead and our happiness depends on our ability to embrace it. We can be happy and we can have joy no matter what has happened before. This life is a wonderful gift. We can embrace each day as it comes and find joy going forward.

Today if you’ve been obsessing over something that has passed and are struggling to let it go, remember today is your most precious gift. There is nothing that can change what is behind you. You can let go of yesterday and embrace today. Look forward. You have so much to offer and there is great happiness ahead. Reach for it and let it come.

 

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Magnets

21 Dec

There may be times in our lives when something we absolutely did not want to happen becomes a reality. If we fought hard to prevent it and worked with all we had to turn things another way and still it happened, it’s a stunning defeat. We may be in disbelief and feel lost and disconnected, and not sure what to do next or how to move forward. Now what? How can we possibly figure out how to navigate something we can’t even believe has occurred? Life is unpredictable and even if we do everything we can to make something happen, sometimes we will fail. The certainty of defeat is bitter but we decide our path forward. We can hold a grudge and refuse to comply with the changes that have come or refuse to accept the new reality. But there are better responses when things go wrong and we can find them and use them to confidently direct us forward.

Who we are is more important that what happens to us. We can’t control others or their decisions and sometimes the tide will turn against us. When it does we can fight, and scream and kick against it dreaming that if we make enough noise or push hard enough it will go away. We could demean those on the other side and ridicule them because of their choices, or sequester ourselves and hide out until things change. But none of those options will allow us to move forward and be our very best. Fighting against what has already been decided is a waste of energy and time, and holds us in place. What has happened is done and we must find a way forward. We have great value and our opinions matter, and although our path has been modified, with grace and patience we may influence the way ahead.

Magnets are interesting things. They pull on every metal that comes near them and draw it close without any trouble at all. They don’t push and they don’t force but with gentle, consistent, and unending pull they attract it to them. Metal cannot hold itself back from a magnet. The force is subtle and quiet, but unwavering and unyielding. When we want things to go our way and the road has taken a turn away from us we can turn it back. Like magnets, we can be quiet, gentle and consistent in our message. It’s impossible to resist someone who is kind and friendly, even when their message is different from ours. We’re all attracted to people who are loving and patient, and we will listen to them. There is an old saying, “You can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar,” and it’s true. Nobody wants to spend time listening to a sore loser rant and rave about their point of view. If we continually put forth our message with patience and moderation, we will attract others to our side. And then we can win.

Today if you’re stunned and angry because something went against you, remember who you are and the value of your message. Be kind and patient and others will be drawn to you. You have everything you need to succeed. Share yourself with love and consideration and others will join you going forward.

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What Is

22 Nov

Sometimes we want things in our lives to be different than they are. Maybe we aren’t happy in a relationship, maybe we don’t like our jobs, maybe we wish we looked differently, or want a change that has eluded us. There are times when the life we’re living may not be who we really are or where we really want to be. We may wish things were different, we may dream about the situation changing and we may hope our lives will shift to something closer to what we want. We can work toward changing anything we want and modify our lives in ways that make us happier. But until we make the changes needed, we are where we are. Learning to live with what is real right now can help us understand and plan for changes to get us where we want to be. Sometimes when we’re unhappy we may look the other way and pretend things are different than they are. We may ignore the situation and just keep plowing through a life that doesn’t fulfill us. But ignoring a situation never changes it and we deserve to be happy. We can find true happiness by facing our lives as they are, seeing what is right now, and then making a plan to correct our course to get the lives we really want.

Some people have trouble living in the present. They constantly talk about the past and live through their memories or dream about a future that is different than what they’re living. Memories are great and we learn a lot from the lessons of the past but that is behind us and cannot be re-lived. It’s over and although we may revisit it, if we let it control our present it may paralyze us and keep us from moving forward. Dreaming of our future may help us formulate plans to make it a reality but we must do more than dream. Continually thinking about how things could be takes us away from what they are. What is now is what we’re living. If we want to change, we can but simply dreaming about it will do nothing but freeze us in place. If we can openly see and accept where we are we can then decide where we want to go and begin moving forward.

It can be hard to accept difficult changes that come to us. If someone we love leaves us or betrays us, if we get hurt and can no longer use our body the way we have before, or some other severe challenge enters our lives we may find it hard to move forward. We may wish we could go back in time and change things. It may be hard to cope with our new reality and live with our lives as they are. But whether we cope with them and accept them or live in denial, what is real is what we’re living. When we see things as they truly are, we can begin to move forward. Accepting truth opens the doors to understanding and understanding helps us find ways forward to happiness. We can be happy no matter what life gives us. We know what we want and with determination can find our way to any destination we desire.

Today if you’ve been looking the other way and refusing to face a situation in your life that is uncomfortable, remember you deserve to be completely happy. There isn’t anything too difficult or complex for you to face. See everything as it is and make a plan to move forward. You have so much light to offer. Let it shine on you today.

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