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What We See

13 Jul

“Two men looked out from prison bars. One saw the mud, the other saw stars.” Dale Carnegie

They say perception is reality. We all see things through our own paradigms and they are colored by our perception and how we think. Some people are natural optimists and even in dark times find something that makes them happy. Others see trouble in every aspect of their lives and struggle to feel joy. Two people facing the exact same issue may see it completely differently. We have the power to change our perspective and choose to find joy no matter what we’re facing. There will always be something to be happy about no matter how dire the circumstances. If we determine to find the one good thing while we struggle we will feel calmer and more confident as we go forward. Life is a great blessing. It isn’t always easy, it isn’t always fun and it isn’t always what we want to do. But no matter what it is, we have everything we need to not only survive but thrive as we progress. We can look down and see only mud, or we can turn our eyes upward and see the stars. It’s all there for us. We need only choose how we’ll see it.

We take a lot for granted as we go through our days. We grow accustomed to our comfortable homes, our cars, our clothes, our food, our jobs if we have them, and all the rest. We expect them to be there from day to day and rarely think about losing them. But sometimes life throws a wrench into the works and something fails. We get sick, or our cars die, or our jobs are threatened and suddenly we remember how many blessings we have and how much we want them. It’s easy to become complacent until the bottom falls out and we must face the possibility of losing something we love. We can choose to be thankful for everything we have. When we recognize our personal blessings, and appreciate all the gifts we possess, we’ll find more humility and grace and get closer to the person we most want to be.

Some people are never happy. They may complain because they don’t have a job and then get one and complain because it’s hard to go to work every day. There are lots of reasons why people are unhappy and we can justify every emotion we feel but happiness is a choice we make. It’s something only we can give ourselves. It really doesn’t matter what is going on outside us. If we choose to, we can find happiness in any situation. There will always be something for which to be grateful. If we seek out those precious, sometimes small gifts, our lives will be enhanced and we will feel deeper joy. Life is an incredible gift but how we live it is up to us.

Today if you’ve been feeling bad and find yourself looking down at the mud instead of up at the stars, change your focus. You have so many things to be grateful for. Find joy in the small moments and see every gift you possess. Your life is precious and priceless. Be happy and find joy. It’s right there for you. Reach for it and embrace it.

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Looking Back

7 Jul

“True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”  Ernest Hemingway

Life is a process of continual learning and every new situation brings with it parameters we must figure out and find our way through.  Sometimes we get the answers right the first time, and other times we may take a wrong turn that takes us somewhere we don’t want to go but teaches us something new.  There is no life manual with an answer key to help us through.  We find our way as we go step by step.  Sometimes our choices are complicated and take us through situations we’d rather avoid but each turn, right or wrong, gives us tools to go forward more effectively.  Constant change occurs not only in the world around us but within us and moves us a little further down the road to our destination.  As time passes we may look back at our former selves and the decisions we made.  Because we have additional wisdom and understanding we might wonder what we were thinking when we chose the wrong road.  But we are where we are at every moment.  If we do the best we can with each step, even if we falter, we will find the way ahead.  True nobility comes as we gain the attributes we desire most and continue to move forward.

There are moments in our lives that are nearly perfect.  Things go well and we are happy.  Those moments cannot last forever but while we’re in them we can’t imagine how things could go wrong.  But life is ever changing and nothing stays the same forever.  When our situations change and we face difficulty or challenges that feel beyond what we can manage we may lose our confidence in the future.  Even in our darkest hour when it seems nothing will go right we can have faith that things will change.  We are stronger than we think we are and there really isn’t anything so powerful that it will overcome us.  We can endure difficulty, even disaster, by taking it one step at a time.  Nothing can keep us from prevailing and as we struggle we gain strength and wisdom to take forward on the road ahead.

Looking back we may see decisions we made that cause shame and heartache.  We may struggle to forgive ourselves for choices that brought hardship to us or those around us.  Nothing can change the past and it’s better to see the situation as it is, accept the choice we made, and learn as much as possible from the experience.  Then we can let it go and move forward with renewed confidence carrying with us all the knowledge we’ve gained and increased insight for the road ahead.  Life is complex and nobody is perfect.  We will all falter at some point.  We may forgive ourselves and move forward with renewed confidence learning all we can from the past.

Today if you’re looking back and are disappointed in a decision you’ve made, learn all you can from the experience and let it go.  You are wiser now than you’ve ever been and you can make excellent decisions.  Leave the past behind and look ahead to the destination you seek.  There isn’t anything you can’t do and do well.  You have everything you need to succeed and find joy.

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The Neutral Zone

6 Jul

There will be few times in our lives when we’ll get where we want to go serendipitously or by accident. Generally, if we want something to happen we’ll have to work for it. Pushing forward toward any goal is the best way to ensure we get there but there may be times when we have to wait. There may be others standing in our way we cannot move. There may be situations that take our attention away from the road forward or unforeseen complications that must be resolved before we can proceed. Waiting is like idling in neutral. The engine is still running but until the gears change we can’t proceed. If we must wait a long time we may give up on the goal and decide to take another path. We can always change our direction at any time but if the goal is something we truly want we can be patient and remain in place until things change. We don’t have to give up on any goal we value. It may feel we have no control as we wait but even when standing still we are in command of our lives. Life changes constantly and in time our situation will modify and we’ll be able to proceed forward again. While we wait we can be prepared and ready for that eventuality and spring into action as soon as we are able. The opportunity to move forward will always come again.

Life is all about choices. We can do anything we want and go anywhere we want to go. We don’t need the agreement of others and we may define our lives in our own personal ways. If we lack confidence or are unsure we may stand still and let others decide what we will do. If we don’t control our lives, others will control them for us and the destinations they choose may not be the ones we want. We are the only ones with personal inspiration regarding what is best for us. Even those who know us very well will never know us completely. We have everything we need to go where we really want to go. Shifting out of neutral and determining to define things according to our personal desires will help us achieve the lives we want the most.

The neutral zone is an easy place to live. We don’t have to make decisions, we don’t have think about the future and we don’t have to work hard to continue forward. When a car is in neutral very little fuel is needed to keep it running. It doesn’t take much energy to stand still. When we let life determine our path forward we give up the opportunity to design our lives and achieve what we truly desire. We deserve every happiness. Every dream can come true if we purposely move forward toward it and do what is needed to find success. We can go anywhere and do anything but first we have to gear up and begin.

Today if you’ve been waiting for something to happen to change your life, take control and start to move. Begin the journey you’ve been dreaming about. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You are more powerful than you imagine and you can accomplish anything you desire. Step forward. Your destination is just ahead and nothing will keep you from success.

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Staying True

28 Jun

There are billions of people on earth and every single one of us has opinions and impressions of life and what is right.  There are a lot of differences everywhere and we will hear many viewpoints and objectives as we travel along.  Despite all the differences, we must all define our own personal values and direction.  If we fail to determine what’s best for us and exactly how we want to live we may end up stumbling around for years going here and there with no clear direction in mind.  Like any journey if we take every turn that presents itself we may end up traveling in circles and going nowhere.  Defining what is most important to us is just the first step.  After we decide who we want to be and what we truly believe, if we want to be successful we must stay true to our values and refuse to waver.  There will always be options from which to choose and the temptation to compromise our position will be constant.  We can define what is best for us and what road we are willing to travel and if we hold fast to our personal convictions we will have the lives we want most.  Our lives are ours to design and we may choose any path we desire.  We don’t need others to follow us or give their approval and we may determine what is best for us.  Staying true to who we really are and what we really want will bring us satisfaction and success.  We know ourselves better than anyone else ever could.  We know what we want and what we need to be happy.  Listening to inspiration and following the roads that take us where we want to go will lead us through our lives confidently.  We deserve every happiness.  Defining who we are and what is best for us will bring happiness into our lives.

There are many opinions in the world about what we should do.  Some voices are very loud and commanding, and if we fall under their influence we may begin to believe they know what we need better than we know ourselves.  We may certainly listen to all the advice and direction offered to us and we may take from it what fits into our personal plan.  If others point us in a new direction and it doesn’t fit with where we want to go we may be confident in remaining on the road we choose.  There will always be options available and we may alter our course at any time.  As long as we choose what is best for us we will find the destinations we seek.

When we make decisions and there are a lot of competing opinions around us it may be hard to be confident in choosing well.  If we stay true to our personal values and what we want most to accomplish we will be able to sort through the static and find the direction we need.  As we remember our primary focus the fog will clear and we will be able to see the right road ahead.  We can have the lives we dream of and find complete happiness by being true to who we really are and what we truly want.

Today if you’ve taken a turn because of the influence of others and don’t feel you’re on the right road, stop and re-direct your course.  You know what you want and where you want to go.  See the way ahead clearly and be confident choosing the path that is best for you.  You are wiser than you realize and you will choose well.  Be true to yourself and all your dreams will become reality.

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Down the Road

15 Jun

As we’re making decisions and choosing our way forward we are sometimes influenced by other things going on in our lives. If we’re angry about something we may make a decision that reflects that anger and choose a path that takes us somewhere we really don’t want to go. If we’ve been hurt by a situation and new opportunities remind us of it we may turn away from them fearing we will get the same bad results. We make decisions based on where we are today and although there is sometimes no way to know where they will take us often we can see down the road far enough to where we’ll end up. However, if we’re distracted, angry, or frustrated and feel like it doesn’t matter we may make choices that have more to do with how we’re feeling than where we want to go. Every road has a destination. If we don’t want to go where it leads we must modify our way forward and turn toward what we want most. If we are deeply emotional about a decision we may not see clearly where it will take us. We are capable of making excellent choices and we can go anywhere we want. If we plan ahead before we begin it will be easier to navigate and find our way. There are always many things going on in our lives and around us. We can take the time we need to look ahead and chart a course that will take us where we want to go.

Sometimes we make choices with no regard to where they will take us. If we’re blinded by the moment we may storm ahead on a road that leads to trouble and complication. There may be an emotional connection that has us confused, or an attachment with someone who is lost and taking us along with them. Perhaps we become tangled in a relationship that holds us down and it’s difficult to let go and move forward. If we get lost on our way we can stop and re-direct the path ahead. We have all the wisdom we need to create successful, happy lives and if we trust ourselves we will find the road we’re seeking.

There is great power in our emotional attachments to others. If they direct us one way, we may follow trusting them to know what’s best for us. They may know some things about us but nobody will ever know us as well as we know ourselves. If someone says we need to do something but we aren’t sure, we may step back and look at the situation clearly and objectively. If their choice takes us where we want to go we may agree but if we want something different we may choose our own road. We are in control of our lives and can choose any path we desire. We can make sure the end of the road is the destination we are truly seeking.

Today if you’re headed somewhere you don’t want to go, stop and rethink your way forward. Look ahead and chart your course toward the destination you desire. There is no road too hard to find or too far for you to travel. You have everything you need to do anything you desire. Direct your life forward. Everything you want is waiting for you and you will have it.

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