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Setbacks

16 May

It would be great if everything we chose went well and the desired outcomes always came to us. But life is filled with unknowns and surprises. Others may make unexpected decisions that impact us or there may be unseen forces affecting our plans and suddenly the road ahead is blocked and we have to turn around. Setbacks come and when they do we have to start again and find another way. We aren’t defined by them and we don’t need to be stopped by them. They don’t prevent us from accomplishing our end goal but they may prevent us from continuing forward on the road we’re on. We only fail if we stop moving forward and we never need to stop if we want to achieve the goal. If we suffer a setback, we can start again. If we have another one, we can start again once more. Some goals take time and we may need to work around several obstacles to get there but we can take our time and continually readjust until we find the way. There is rarely a straight line to success. Often, we move forward by turning left here, right there, backing up a bit and starting again. We know what we want to do and we have all the wisdom and patience we need to accomplish anything we choose. If we get stalled, we can start again and succeed. There is nothing too complex or difficult for us to achieve.

When salmon are spawning, they must swim upriver against the flow of water. It’s hard work, there are other fish in the way and if the river is powerful it takes enormous strength to swim against it. But the goal is life and the motivation is powerful enough to push them forward despite how difficult it becomes. We aren’t salmon but there may be times when what we want to do goes against the easy flow forward. We may have to press against the tide and we may suffer setbacks. If we quit the first time things go wrong we have no hope of success. We can keep our eyes focused on the goal and when things get in the way we can find a way around them and keep moving forward.

If others don’t agree with the road we’ve chosen they may try to convince us to revise our plans. They may believe they know what we need better than we do and pressure us to give up the journey. Nobody will ever know us better than we know ourselves. We know what we want to accomplish and we know what we need. Even if everything stands in front of us our motivation is sufficient to take us through. Our lives are ours to define and we deserve every success. If we are focused and determined, setbacks will not stop us, opinions will not deter us and we will win.

Today if you’re moving toward a dream you want to accomplish and there is something in your way, step around it and re-chart the way forward. You can go anywhere you want to go and do anything you want to do. There is no setback strong enough to stop you. Keep your eyes on the goal and take another step. Success is right there for you. One more step and you’ll reach it.

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Bump Bump

12 May

When we’re trying to accomplish something important or get to a goal there are sometimes bumps along the way.  Even if we plan effectively and try to prepare for possible eventualities, there may be surprises that stop our progress.  When we first start out and come upon a snag we may navigate around it and keep going with confidence.  However, if we’ve been working to move forward for a while and we keep running into problems again and again, we may begin to feel the goal is unattainable.  One bump is easily overcome but if the road is continually difficult and there are a lot of things in our way we may start to re-think our ability to succeed.  Every road has construction from time to time and there will always be things we don’t expect and can’t control.  If we are determined we will more easily be able to get through but each compromise and each problem takes a toll.  As time passes if we don’t see any progress we may begin to feel defeated and think about giving up.  We can always change our course if the original plan isn’t workable and we can choose to let go of any goal we set.  But if we really want to achieve the things we desire, stopping and quitting will never get us there.  Instead we might stop and revise our plan forward, or we may set the goal aside and try again later.  Sometimes success is all about timing.  We don’t always know our timing isn’t right when we begin and we get more information as we move forward.  There is no need to rush to accomplish our goals.  We can let them go for a time and when things change and we’re in a different place we can try again.

We learn a lot as we go through difficult times.  As we overcome problems and complications we gain skills that help us going forward.  We learn more about our situation and what is needed to continue on.  We can’t read the future and as things develop we can be flexible and use the information we’ve gained to navigate the way ahead.  If we take complications as opportunities to see our situation more clearly instead of the end of the road we will get through them more easily.  No road is without problems and there will be bumps and potholes along the way.  We can learn from each setback and decide how to effectively continue on.

If we must set a goal aside we may feel disappointment or even a sense of failure.  Change doesn’t mean we stop but that we need to redirect how we will go forward.  We can accomplish anything we desire but we may need to modify how and when we get to the destination.  We are flexible enough to do what is needed to succeed.  If we must wait, we can wait.  Everything changes every day and soon our situation will be right to begin again.  Success will come to us if we are willing to be flexible and determined enough to continue forward.

Today if you’ve been working hard to accomplish something and there have been continual problems and complications along the way, step back and decide how you want to go forward.  If the timing isn’t right, set the goal aside until things change.  You can do anything and you are wise enough to find the way through.

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Blame Game

4 May

Sometimes things go wrong and our plans don’t work out. Perhaps we were in the wrong place, it was the wrong time, we worked with the wrong people, or dozens of other reasons. When we’ve worked hard to achieve something and everything falls apart we may look for someone or something to blame. There are times when the decisions of others stop our plans, and other times when circumstances prevent us from moving forward. We can certainly place the blame anywhere we like when we’re facing disappointment, but placing blame doesn’t help us move forward. If we’re angry, concentrating on what we believe is at fault may stop our progress. In the end, no matter who or what we blame, we are where we are and it really doesn’t matter what went wrong. We can voice our opinions about how things should have happened and express our frustration over decisions that have been made, but none of that will change our situation. We will still be exactly where we are. If we want to move forward and achieve the goal we can try again. Taking time to review where things fell apart may help us find a better road ahead that allows us to reach the destination. Every experience – both good and bad – teaches us something. If we learn all we can from the things we’ve done already we have a better chance of finding the right way through next time. There is no goal too daunting for us to achieve. We can let go of disappointment, start again, turn in a different direction, and move forward.

Life is full of challenges and opportunities. We can go anywhere we want to go but if success on our journey depends on the decisions of others we may have to re-route our course from time to time. Everyone has their opinions and ideas about the way things should be. If we’re swimming upstream and pushing against the norm we will likely face barriers. That doesn’t mean we have to turn around and follow everyone else but we may have to modify our course to accommodate the situation. We can be flexible and turn when needed to navigate our way to the destination we desire.

There may be times when someone purposely prevents us from moving forward. Perhaps they don’t agree with our plans, don’t understand what we’re doing, or simply want us to stay where we are. If they block our path and there is no way around them now, we may set our goal aside for a time and begin again when our circumstances change. There is often no set timetable for success. Although we may be impatient, if the goal is not possible now, we can wait and try again later. Things will change and our opportunity to move forward will come. When it does, we can be ready and begin again.

Today if something has prevented you from reaching a goal, don’t waste time blaming the situation or those around you. Look at everything objectively and decide how you want to proceed. You can accomplish any goal you desire. If you must wait, prepare and be ready for when the right time arrives. Success is there for you. You can plan effectively, and you will win. There isn’t anything you can’t do.

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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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Hesitation

14 Apr

We have a lot of decisions to make as we live our lives.  Every day we must make choices about what we’re doing and where we’re going.  Some of them are inconsequential and once we’ve made them we move on.  But others may be difficult to discern and we may struggle trying to figure out the best way forward.  If the question is difficult or requires us to change something in our lives we may get stuck, unable to move as we try to figure out how we want to handle it.  There are few decisions that must be made immediately and have life or death consequences.  Generally we’ll have some time to look at the situation but if we don’t want to make the decision or are concerned about where it will take us we may hesitate.  Taking time to think is always important in making good choices, but hesitation can freeze us in place.  Going backward is never an option and if we can’t make needed decisions we won’t move forward.  We can take time to think but eventually if we want to move ahead we will have to choose.  We are certainly smart enough and capable of choosing well but if we aren’t sure about what we’re doing we may pause for a time.  A pause may be helpful but it is never a full stop.  We can evaluate what’s before us and decide.  Nothing is permanent in life and if the choice we make doesn’t work out, we may choose again.  There are always many options for our decisions and if we carefully and courageously evaluate them we will make the best choice possible.

Life is fluid and every day brings change.  What looks solid and sure one day may seem different going forward.  We can’t read the future and there is never any way to know everything about every situation.  When we make decisions we can only work with what’s available to us.  If we don’t get all the information our choice will be affected.  If our decisions falter because things are different than they seemed or something changes we can find another way forward.  There are few things that can’t be fixed or re-directed and we can be confident in revising our way if needed.

Fear can be a paralyzing factor if we must make a choice we are unsure of.  If the results of our decision are far reaching or will affect others we may hesitate.  Even if the situation is extreme and we can’t know all the parameters, we can still choose wisely.  We have all the tools we need to look at the situation clearly and objectively and decide on the best way forward.  We can be confident in our ability to choose wisely and move forward with the assurance that we have done our best.  If modifications need to be made later, we can make them.

Today if you’re facing a decision and you are hesitating because you aren’t sure, look at all the options available to you.  Evaluate your way forward and make the best choice you can.  If things change you can navigate a new path and find your way.  You have all the wisdom and insight you need to choose well.  Trust yourself and step forward.

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