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The Choice is Yours

24 Oct

We all have the ability to make whatever decisions we choose.  We can direct our lives and decide which roads we want to take.  But sometimes those close to us or those with authority over us have different ideas about what we should do.  They may voice their opinions and hope we’ll change our minds, and if we don’t may bring pressure to bear until we give in.  We may ultimately choose a path we don’t want because it’s important to someone we care about, or we are forced because of circumstance, or we are tired of the disagreement and just want to move forward even if it’s in a direction we haven’t chosen.  We may give up trying to explain our point of view and simply take the path we’re pressured to take.  Sometimes those choices will work out and sometimes we’ll end up somewhere we don’t want to be and will have to backtrack and find our way again.  We all have personal inspiration about our lives and we know what’s best for us.  Even if everyone else thinks we should go one way, we can still choose the path we determine we need to take.  It isn’t comfortable to be in conflict with those around us but if we are steadfast and respectful of our differences we may proceed with confidence and in time the conflict will resolve.

When we follow along with decisions we haven’t chosen and things go well we may feel great relief and learn new things that help us going forward.  There are limitless paths we can travel and if we end up on foreign territory we may feel unsettled and unsure.  But each step we take moves us forward and if we are headed to the goal we’re seeking, even if it’s in a different direction than we would have chosen, we will find success.  We never know what we don’t know and sometimes those around us have more information and can see more clearly going forward.  If we are following along we will find new experiences as we go and once the goal is reached our understanding of the situation will be enriched.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter which way we travel as long as we reach the right destination.

However, sometimes after agreeing to take a path we didn’t choose things go wrong.  There may be difficult complications we may have avoided or roadblocks that require us to start again and again.  It’s easy at times like that to imagine our choice would have been better but the fact is, we are living our choice.  If we decide to go along with someone else’s ideas instead of our own, we choose to take what comes.  We have all the power we need to direct our lives and we own every decision we make.  If we go along with others and things go badly we own the road just as much as those who pressured us into taking it.  We can be honest about our part in the decision no matter what happens.  If things go wrong we can work to find the right direction and correct our course.

Today if you’re being pressured to go one way and you want to go another you may make the decision that is best for you.  You may choose your own path or go along with something else.  But remember the decision is yours.  Use your best judgment and choose the path that’s best for you.  You have everything you need to find success.

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Blockade

13 Oct

We all have ideas about how we want our lives to go and what we want to do. When there is something that entices us, something we want, or a destination we’ve decided on, we may be captivated by our plans to achieve it. It’s great when we’re able to succeed and gain the prize but sometimes no matter what we do we can’t get there. Sometimes the door is shut – and locked – and nothing we do will open it. There is a blockade in our path. Perhaps others are involved and blocking our way, or maybe the goal we’re seeking isn’t available to us, or it’s a desired relationship with someone else who isn’t interested in us. Whatever the reason, it’s hard to face a stop sign when we want to proceed. But if there truly is no way to get to the goal we will eventually have to accept the situation as it is. We may try to go around whatever is in our way, or try to negotiate to get in, or a dozen other tactics to try to move forward, but if the answer is truly no we will have to let it go. It’s very difficult to turn away from something we want badly. It can be hard to change and move in another direction but sometimes that’s where we are.

Facing a great disappointment takes time to process. At first we may think it’s a temporary setback and we’ll eventually get to the prize. We may convince ourselves the timing just isn’t right but feel that will change. There is nothing wrong with having a positive attitude but if the goal we’re seeking is truly out of reach it’s better to face the situation and move forward in another direction. There is little to be gained by living in a dream state. Reality is what will bring us truth and truth is what brings happiness. If we need time to grieve over the disappointment, we can take it. If we need a change of scenery, we can get it. And if we need to re-evaluate our plans going forward, we can do that. Serious disappointments aren’t easy to accept and they take time to get through. But we are capable of managing anything we have to face and if we give ourselves the time we need we can move on.

When things go wrong and we’re struggling to find our way we may feel like failures. We may overreact to the disappointment and make it personal. We may believe the lie that we always fail, that nothing we do every goes right, or that nobody will ever love us. Sometimes we will make mistakes and sometimes we will fail. And sometimes even if we haven’t done anything wrong things won’t go our way. It’s important to remember we have many excellent qualities and are capable of doing many things well. We do some things very well. Even if our plans fail, we aren’t failures. Things just didn’t go our way this time. Next time everything will be different. We can be confident in our abilities, and remember we are intelligent and lovable just as we are. Plans may fail but we don’t have to. We can learn and grow and go forward with courage to face the next challenge. There is a lot of success coming our way. We can focus on that and move forward with confidence.

Today if you’re facing a terrible disappointment and feel shaken and unsure, remember all the times you’ve succeeded in the past. There is greatness in you and many more successes ahead. Look forward and be strong. Be confident. You have so much going for you. The future is bright and it’s waiting for you.

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The Water is Wide

26 Sep

There are times in our lives when we simply cannot get to our goals alone. Although we accomplish much, there will be moments when the water is too wide to cross by ourselves and we need the help of others to get across. If we are very independent, it may be hard to accept assistance. If we are shy, we may be afraid to ask. If we are arrogant, we may try to do it ourselves even when we know it’s impossible. Getting help when we need it is beneficial. It’s wise to understand our limitations and asking for help doesn’t mean we’re weak or incapable. Nobody can do everything. When we need others to get across and ask for help it shows we are strong enough to accept the situation and work around it. If we want to do it alone we may feel disappointed that we need support and it might be hard to admit we can’t get there on our own. But the goal we’re seeking is the focus. If we can’t get to it alone, working with others will often help us achieve it. We are capable of understanding the big picture and finding a way to succeed even if we can’t do it by ourselves.

Personal success is defined in many ways. Some people prefer to accomplish many things alone and like to fly solo in their endeavors. If they hit a snag they can’t navigate by themselves, instead of including others they may change their plans to get around it. They eventually find their way but it may take longer than if they had asked for the assistance of others. We all have different talents and perspectives. If we allow others to share theirs with us, we often find the answers more quickly. We can embrace the experiences of others and invite them into our journey to navigate the path forward more easily. Listening to many other interpretations of the situation may bring us the answers we’re seeking. We can open up and bring others in and get the help we need.

Competition is a normal part of the human experience. Some of us are more competitive than others and if we need to feel like the winner in every endeavor, we may try to get to our goals before anyone else. There is reward in being first but there is much to be learned by collaborating. If we’re in a situation that stops us and are struggling to find our way through, allowing others to collaborate and share in the victory may help us find our way to success more easily. But if our desire to do it alone supersedes our willingness to allow others in, success may elude us. There is much to be gained by allowing others into our journey. We are capable of doing many things well, and often we won’t need assistance. But when we do, the door is always there for us. Opening it and allowing others in will help us get to the goal we’re seeking. And getting to the goal is the primary objective.

Today if you’ve been struggling with something that has you stumped and aren’t sure how to proceed, ask those around you for their advice and counsel. You may be surprised by what you learn and you’ll find your way to the other side. The water may be wide but by working together you will find your way across. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Get the help you need and you’ll succeed every time.

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Too Far

24 Aug

When we’re trying to move forward we sometimes push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. We reach further than we have before in an effort to get ahead and stretch our capabilities. We are often capable of doing more and when we’re striving for success we test our limits to see how far we can go. It’s important to stretch if we want to achieve and we sometimes surprise ourselves at what we can accomplish with determination. But sometimes we push too far and when we do we may be hurt. We may over commit our time and then find we can’t keep our promises, or work too many hours and end up completely exhausted and unable to do anything. We should push to be the best we can but we must be mindful of where the lines are. There are limits to everything and recognizing those limits will help us find success. Learning to work around limitations enables us to achieve results more effectively and easily, and prevents us from going too far and potentially getting hurt.

Our physical limitations change over time. What we used to do easily years ago may be harder to accomplish as time goes by. Even if we are fit and healthy our abilities will change over time. It can be hard to accept the need to modify and sometimes we may ignore the signals and push ourselves beyond our limits. We may think that because we believe we can do it, we can do it. There is nothing wrong with high aspirations, but reasoning must be a part of the picture as well. If we truly cannot accomplish a task without injury, it’s foolish to try. When we go beyond what we can reasonably accomplish, we may get hurt. And getting hurt and having to take time out to heal and correct our course works against our progress. It’s best to understand and accept our real limitations and work around them. We can modify any plan for success and ensure it’s the best plan for us going forward.

We all have personal expressions for what works best for us. There are some situations we do well in and others that are more difficult for us. We can all grow and learn and change but every personality is different. For example, perhaps we work great in groups but working alone is difficult for us. If we accept positions or situations where we’re forced to work alone we won’t find the success that an atmosphere of team work would bring us. We can recognize our personal expressions and build our lives in ways that bring us the most success instead of trying to push ourselves to conform to a model that doesn’t fit. We can set our priorities to maximize what works best for us to reach our highest potential. We are unique and understanding where our personal limits are will give us great confidence and certainty, and bring us success.

Today if you’ve been pushing too hard and are feeling the pain use another strategy. You don’t have to get hurt to be successful. Find the plan that works best for you. You have everything you need to succeed and there isn’t anything you can’t do. What works best for you is the best plan going forward. Choose your unique path and you’ll find great success.

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Ruined

16 Aug

There may come a time in our lives when we realize we’ve made a horrible mistake. We’ve chosen something that took us far away from where we want to be and the decision has impacted us greatly. We may feel devastated, and shocked at what has happened and where we are. And if the disaster is great enough and far reaching enough we may even believe we’ve ruined our lives. We might think it’s over – we’ll never recover from what’s happened and we’ll never be right again. Moments like that come to most of us at some point. We don’t know everything, we aren’t perfect and we will make mistakes. If those mistakes are disastrous and put us in terrible situations we may feel destroyed. Ruined. But no matter what has happened, no matter how far we are from fixing it, or how much we are impacted by the situation, we are never ruined. Being ruined implies utter destruction – complete annihilation. We are never completely destroyed until we die. If we’re still alive we can find our way through anything no matter how bad it seems.

It can be hard to forgive ourselves when we’ve lost our way and done things that bring us hardship and heartache. Looking back on the situation we understand where we went wrong because we can see all the facts. We may feel foolish and frustrated that we made decisions that brought us failure, and think we should have known better or could have predicted the ending more effectively. But we would never have chosen to fail purposely and we can’t know everything at the beginning. Although we can’t change what has happened we can correct our course and move forward from where we are. It can be humiliating and certainly humbling to falter. We learn as we go and the lessons learned when things go wrong can teach us a lot about how to be successful going forward.

The influence of others around us can be great. If we value them or love them we may listen to their advice even when we aren’t sure it’s what’s best for us. If we follow their suggestions and falter we may blame them for our situation. But we are in control of our lives and responsible for everything we do, influence or not. If we follow along and find failure, we are accountable. Others may be responsible for their part in our demise but our decisions belong to us. Saying it’s someone else’s fault prevents us from owning our part and learning from the situation. We can stand firm and accept a bad decision no matter what it brings. And then we can focus forward to correct our course and find success. There isn’t anything we can’t do and nothing we can’t fix. We are strong and capable and we can modify going forward. We have everything we need to be successful and happy. No problem or detour can keep us from success.

Today if you’re in a terrible situation because of decisions you’ve made face the problem openly and honestly. See where you went wrong and correct your course. You are smart and capable of managing anything that comes to you. This is just a detour and you will find your way around it. You have everything you need and you know what to do. Keep your eyes focused ahead. You will find success and happiness. You will prevail.

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