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Stepping Out

17 Apr

“Too many opportunities out there to spend your life in a box. No matter how nice the box is.”  Dolphin Tale 2

Our lives are ours to design and we may do many things and go anywhere.  There are opportunities for us to try new things and open new doors.  When we feel settled and our lives have routines we may become complacent and neglect to notice what else is available to us.  We can make any decisions we like and if we want a small life we may certainly have one.  We can keep things close, never venture far from what we know and only step on the paths we’ve paved over time.  If we never step out or venture away from what we know we will never learn anything new.  There are countless opportunities for us to enrich our lives, endless roads we could travel and limitless experiences awaiting us.  If we open the door a little wider and take a step out of our comfort zone we will see things we don’t imagine and find wonders in the world and inside ourselves we never dreamed existed.  We are stronger and more capable than we think we are and there really isn’t anything we can’t do.  No matter how comfortable we feel in our lives we can always reach for something more.  Life is all about learning.  Staying locked up in a box – even a very nice box – will keep us from becoming the very best we could be.

Life is full of surprises and even if we try to keep our routines the same and prefer predictability, sometimes things will happen that shake everything up.  Unexpected complications take us someplace new that opens our eyes to fresh possibilities for the road ahead.  We can determine to re-set our lives back exactly the way they were before the tumult began, or we can choose to see things in a new light and try something else.  If we seize every opportunity for growth and step onto new paths we’ll develop more depth of understanding about our lives and the world around us.  We’ll be enriched by the possibilities of change.

If we’ve been doing the same things the same ways for a long time the idea of change may be daunting.  There is comfort in repetition and suddenly stepping off the paved path we’ve been on may be a challenge.  But staying on the same road can only give us the same experiences and the same views.  There are countless new things we could see and do, and stepping out will open our minds and enrich our lives.  We are capable of so much more.  We can stretch and reach for new goals, go to new places and build new dreams.  The world belongs to us.  If we open our arms and stretch there is no end to what we could do.

Today if you’ve been keeping your life the same and staying close to what is comfortable, think about trying something new.  Step out and see what’s possible. You are capable of so much and the world is there for you.  Open the door a little wider and stretch a little farther.  You can go anywhere, do anything, and make all your dreams come true.  There isn’t anything you can’t do and find success.

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Options Options

7 Apr

When we’re facing big decisions there are often options from which to choose.  There is rarely only one way to move forward successfully and we may choose any path we like.  There may be times when the decision we choose will be critical, and other times when it really doesn’t matter which path we choose so long as we get to the destination.  If we struggle with decisions and there are a lot of options it may take us some time to discern what we want to do.  Every decision we make will have a result and we want to ensure the results we get are what we’re seeking.  Even if time is a factor and we feel pressed we can review our options carefully and choose the best plan for our needs.  When we are thoughtful and careful it’s easy to imagine everything will go as planned and often that’s the case.  But sometimes, no matter how much we prepare or how carefully we choose, things will go awry.  Life is unpredictable and nobody can read the future.  If the bottom falls out and we discover we’re somewhere we never wanted to go we can turn our course and choose again.  There will always be choices to make and options available to us.  We have everything we need to make wise decisions and we can face anything that comes.  If complications arise, we will manage them.  If everything goes south, we will look to the north and find our way again.

Decisions come easily for some people. They are able to see things quickly and objectively and simply choose the way forward.  For others, fear of the unknown or risk of making a mistake may cause hesitation.  We can take time if we need to evaluate our choices and determine where they will take us.  We can step back and think about exactly what we’re trying to accomplish and review every possibility.  But we cannot think about the decision indefinitely.  The only way forward is to actually step on the path and move forward.  Indecision will only bring confusion and paralysis.  We can confidently see all our options and make good, wise, strong choices for where we want to go.

If we are heavily influenced by those around us or there are others with strong opinions about what we should do we may feel we must go along even if it’s not what we really want.  If we agree with someone else’s ideas and allow them to choose for us the results of that choice will be our responsibility as well as theirs.  We can’t blame others when we make choices out of pressure or influence.  The choice belongs to us.  If things go wrong, we are responsible.  We can hear other opinions and we can listen to all viewpoints, but in the end the decisions we make belong to us.  We can choose carefully and wisely and when we do we will prevail.

Today if you have a decision you must make and you aren’t sure which way to go, weigh all the options and see all the possibilities.  Listen to those around you and get advice if you need it.  Then make the best decision going forward. You have everything you need to prevail.  You are strong and capable and you will find the best way.

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Filtering Connections

4 Apr

“Well, that face, but with better headlights. You know how hers have kind of dimmed lately? Heidi Klums beams would do. And her teeth. Or, ooh, that Britney Spears girl. She’s got great knockers. But she’s a tad muscular. Uh, actually, you know what? Her ass would do, too, if she had a better grille. Like, uh, Michelle Pfeiffer back when she did “Grease 2”. But she’d have to be a little smilier than Michelle. Kinda like Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, before she got Stamosed. But not as skinny. Someone a little meatier, like Heidi. But without the accent. You know those accents: yah-yah-yah-yah. They really get old fast. You know what I mean. Someone like that.”   Shallow Hal

There are all kinds of people in the world and limitless opportunities for us explore. When we’re open to trying new things, and letting new people into our lives our experiences become broad and far reaching and we learn a lot. Differences are what make us unique and create a depth to our lives that sameness could never offer. If we keep our focus narrow and require that each experience be pre-qualified by a set of parameters we’ve determined, the roads we travel will be narrow and unyielding. Personal restrictions may filter important experiences with others from our lives. Narrowing our scope of opportunity prevents us from having full and rich interactions and our growth forward may be stunted. We may decide what’s comfortable but if we have so many filters that must be met before we can open a door, we may find ourselves locked inside a world that is small and uninspired.

There is nothing wrong with setting high standards for the things we want to do or the people with whom we affiliate. We may decide how we live our lives and who we spend our time with. But differences bring richness and allowing new ideas and situations to come forward helps us understand the world. There are countless interpretations of life and endless ideas and opinions, each offering a new way to see things. If we can reach beyond our pre-determined ideas of what is best and open up to something new our lives will be enriched and our understanding will widen.

We may require countless things to happen before we move forward and each one filters something out we may experience. We can do anything we want to do and being open to new ideas and events will deepen our understanding and enrich our lives. We don’t need pre-requisites and filters for everything. We can let things happen as they will, allow different expressions, and open our eyes to new and diverse ways of seeing things. There is a lot to experience in life. Being receptive to new interpretations gives us the richest and most rewarding return as we navigate forward. There are endless new things to try, people to meet and doors to open. We can be welcoming to new experiences and accepting of differences as we live each day.

Today if you’ve been filtering your experiences with ideas about how things should be, open the playing field a little wider. Welcome new ideas and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn. Your life will become richer and deeper. There are endless new things to see and learn and do. Broaden your vision and see everything available to you. Let the filters go and open all the doors. You’ll have a greater experience as you move forward.

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Look Over Here

29 Mar

Life is full of distractions.  When we’re trying to accomplish something there is rarely a straight line from where we are to where we want to go.  In addition to all the twists and turns we travel there are outside situations that pull our attention away.  We may see something off to the left that looks good, something on the right that’s shiny and attractive or even something behind us that seems to have changed and is drawing us back.  We can lose our focus going forward as we look over here and look over there.  It’s normal for distractions to tempt us and there is always a lot going on outside our personal sphere.  If we aren’t careful we may find ourselves spending a lot of time in the same place as we look at all the many things around us, listen to all the voices speaking, and wait until we’re sure we can move again.  If we want to accomplish anything we have to find a way to be involved in the world around us while still keeping our eyes on the ball.  Moving forward toward our goals is what brings happiness.  As we achieve them we feel more confident and sure of ourselves.  If we tread water in the same place, spinning around and looking at all the activity around us we may get stuck.  It’s wonderful to have a lot of options and we can be involved in many things and still keep moving forward.  We can sharpen our discipline when we need to and achieve every success we desire as we maintain our focus.

There are all kinds of attractive and alluring things around us all the time.  We can enjoy them, participate in all kinds of activities, and play with all kinds of toys.  If we set aside personal time to do all the things we want to do we can still keep focused on where we’re going.  We don’t have to be serious or work to push forward all the time.  We can take a respite from the path and do other things but if we want to achieve the goal we must return to the journey and keep moving forward.

We cannot be in two places at the same time.  When we have things we want to get done and other options present themselves and we want to participate in them we can.  We can make any decisions about our time that we like.  We will always choose what we want to do most.  If we find that we keep choosing activities that take us away from the goal we’ve set it may be time to re-evaluate and decide if the goal is really important to us.  Looking for ways to step away from it is often a clue that we don’t want to move forward on the same path.  We can change direction any time we like and change our focus when needed.  There is no one perfect road to travel.  We can do anything we like and if we want to switch lanes we can.

Today if you find you’re often distracted and haven’t been able to move forward with a goal you’ve set, take some time to consider all your options.  You can change your plans if you like and move in a new direction that is more attractive.  There are many roads open to you and you may go anywhere you like.  Decide what you want and you’ll move forward with confidence.

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Limits

27 Mar

Life is full of opportunities for growth and learning.  We all have limits we are aware of and some we haven’t yet discovered, but no matter where those limits lie we can push them and stretch them further.  A small life takes little effort to achieve.  We can coast and be comfortable and never try anything new.  It might be simpler to live that way but choosing to stay within pre-set limits restricts us from learning and growing in new ways.  We never really know what we can do if we never step beyond where we’ve been.  We are capable of doing anything we want but it may mean pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and pressing further than we’ve tried before.  As we stretch forward we may be uncomfortable because we’re in foreign territory and aren’t sure what will happen.  We have enough courage to try anything we really want to do and enough temerity to face any challenge we must to get to a destination.  There are countless things to do and learn, limitless possibilities for our lives and endless chances to try new things.  We can recognize our limits and push forward right through them to something new.  Our lives can be richer and fuller and we can make all our dreams come true.

There is safety in knowing where we are and what to expect.  We know how things will likely go and we feel ready because we’ve been there before.  It’s good to feel safe and we may appreciate the stability of sameness in our lives.  Sameness creates routine and we may change our routines any time we choose.  They are created by repetition and when we’re ready we can start doing things differently and develop new patterns.  It just takes one step in a new direction to change our trajectory a little to the left or right.  One step may open new doors for us and push us in a new direction that will bring fresh opportunities and people into our lives.

Some people change constantly.  They cannot tolerate sameness and are quickly bored.  They push forward and engage in new activities as a matter of course.  Their lives are broad in scope and wide in interpretation because they have opened many doors and continually allowed new ideas to shape them.  We don’t have to push our limits that far to stretch a little further.  We can be open to new experiences at our own pace and learn new things as we feel comfortable.  We can allow new ideas and new patterns to enrich our experiences and help us stretch and learn.  The world has a lot to offer.  We can grab onto new ideas that teach us new things and allow us to grow.

Today if you’ve been keeping your life close and small, take a look around and see what’s there for you.  Open the door a little wider and step a little further away from what is comfortable.  You’ll be amazed at what you discover and how far you can go.  There isn’t anything you can’t do when you’re ready.  Take the first step today.  The whole world is there waiting for you.  Step out and discover something new.

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