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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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One More Step

20 Mar

When we’ve been struggling with something for a while or trying to accomplish a big task we may face many complications and detours along the way.  It takes energy to keep pushing through and thinking of new ways to go forward and after a time we may believe the goal is too high or too difficult to achieve.  When the road to a destination we’re seeking has been long and there have been many problems to overcome along the way, we may begin to re-think our objective and perhaps consider letting it go.  But often when we get to that point we are also close to the goal we’re seeking.  If we stop and rest for a moment, we may find the strength we need to take one more step forward.  That step, that last push, is often what gets us to the goal we’ve been trying to reach.  We always have reserves we can pull from when we get tired and there is always enough for one more step forward.  We can pull from within and reach the destination we’ve worked hard for.  There is enough power inside to take us all the way to the end of any road.  We can reach deep for our strength when we need it and grab onto it to carry us through.  Some roads are long and hard, and if we’re tired of the challenge we may find ourselves wondering if we can succeed.  Taking one more step forward is all we need to focus on.  Just one step more, and then if we still aren’t there we’ll have what we need to take another.  Every road has an end and no matter how long we’ve been traveling we will reach the destination.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish no matter how hard it may be.  We have enough determination and stamina to endure whatever is needed to win.

There is no way to know when we begin how any journey will go.  Even if we plan well, and try to foresee all the complications that may come, there will be things we don’t expect.  If we need everything to go as planned in order to succeed we may not prevail.  But we can be flexible and willing to bend when the road changes course or something is in our way.  We can figure out any problem that comes and find a way around it.  No plan ever goes exactly as we hope it will.  There will always be something that surprises us that may take us off course for a while.  We can be ready for those complications when they arise and be prepared to change our plans when needed.

Sometimes our journeys take longer than we expect or take us somewhere we don’t anticipate.  It really doesn’t matter how long it takes us to succeed when we reach the goal we’re seeking.  We can adjust our plans to accommodate any delays and reroute our way forward to circumvent any detour in the way.  There isn’t a goal before us we can’t reach and with careful consideration we can navigate any complication and find success.  We are strong and smart, and there really isn’t anything too difficult for us to figure out.  We can take another step forward and keep going until we reach success.

Today if you’ve been working on something for a long time and it seems you’ll never get there, take another step forward.  You are closer than you think and everything you’ve done so far has brought you near success.  You will reach the destination.  You are right at the doors.  Take another step.  The prize is just ahead and you will reach it.

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Hard Times

15 Mar

“It’s supposed to be hard! If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great!”  Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own

We all want our lives to be easy and uncomplicated but hard times come to us all and when they do we may find ourselves in very difficult and complex situations.  If we want to move through them and put them behind us we must face them head on, deal with the circumstances before us, and do what it needed to find a resolution.  Only then can we step forward and leave the problem in the past.  If the issue we’re facing is far reaching and very difficult we may feel overwhelmed at the enormity of the problem.  We can handle anything that comes to us and we can solve any problem.  The harder the challenge is, the more we’ll learn.  As we flex our power and test our abilities we will become stronger and the strength we gain will make us great.  The old saying of “no pain no gain” is true when it comes to the trials of life.  We have everything we need to face any challenge before us.  And as we overcome each issue we gain tools and positive attributes to carry forward.  Every experience teaches us something of value.  Remembering all the good we’re gaining as we struggle will give us added confidence and courage.  There isn’t anything we can’t do.  We are stronger and more capable than we realize and we can face hard times and walk right through them.

Nobody is born perfectly brave and wise.  We must gain courage and wisdom as we live our lives.  Every decision we make brings us information and teaches us something new.  Every challenge we overcome gives us additional power and courage to go forward.  If everything came easily we would never have the opportunity to grow.  We cannot be successful adults if we have only the courage and strength of a child.  It’s important to grow and learn into adulthood and trouble is the best teacher.  Hard times mold us and give us experience that help us become successful and ultimately bring happiness.

Some people keep themselves apart from others and new experiences in an effort to shield themselves from problems.  We can try to keep a low profile and that may prevent some conflict from coming our way but problems will happen simply because we are here.  Instead of trying to hide from them it’s far wiser to face them and learn all we can from solving them.  The wisdom of age comes from the experiences of living a full life – trouble and all.  We have all the courage we need to face anything that comes to us and we’ll gain the strength we need going forward as we learn to solve hard times and difficult problems.  We are smart enough and wise enough to face anything and do it well.

Today if you’re facing a difficult issue and you aren’t sure you will manage, trust in your strength and ability.  There isn’t anything you can’t do and nothing you can’t face.  You are more capable then you know and you will prevail.  Be courageous.  You will win.

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Spin Spin

13 Mar

When our car gets stuck in the mud and the wheels have sunk deep into the mire it can be hard to get it out again.  No matter how many times we gun the engine and try to gain traction we may go nowhere.  The car does its part by engaging the engine and turning the wheels but without anything to grab onto the energy is wasted.  The only way out is to provide traction for the wheels so the spinning can stop and movement forward can begin.  Our lives can be like that sometimes.  We may want to go somewhere but can’t seem to move ahead.  We may get stuck, spinning our wheels in the same place without anything to propel us forward.  Often when that happens we aren’t generally just standing still.  We may be expending a lot of energy and working very hard but what we’re doing isn’t working.  If we don’t change our methods we may end up exhausted, frustrated and confused about what’s wrong.  We can adopt any plan we choose and see how it goes.  But it’s important to pay attention and if we aren’t moving forward we can modify our plans to find success.  Working harder doesn’t always fix the problem.  If we’re in the mud, spinning our wheels faster won’t do anything to push us ahead.  If what we’re doing isn’t working we can modify our way forward and find success.  We have everything we need to accomplish anything we choose.  We can turn when the road stops and find another way forward and we can be successful.

Some people think there is only way to do things.  They may have defined rules about what they should and should not do and what is appropriate for them.  But there is no one right way to do anything.  If we want to do something that requires us to reach beyond what we know or what is comfortable we can stretch and learn new patterns.  We are smart enough and brave enough to step onto unknown territory in order to get to a goal we want to achieve.  There are always many ways to find success no matter what we’re seeking.  Being open to new ideas will help us find what we’re looking for and take us to the destination we desire.

It may be uncomfortable to change our personal patterns and reach beyond the familiar.  Even if we know we’re stuck we may find it difficult to consider new ideas we haven’t tried.  Keeping an open mind and focusing on the big picture instead of the minor changes we need to make will help us adjust our plans and push us forward to where we want to go.  We all get stuck in the mud sometimes.  We can find the traction we need to move forward if we evaluate the situation objectively and openly.  There isn’t anything we can’t do and nothing we can’t overcome.  We can make all our dreams come true and there is nothing powerful enough to stop us.

Today if you feel like you’re spinning your wheels and going nowhere, stop and look at the situation openly.  See what you can change and modify your plans.  There is no situation too complex for you to figure out.  You can go anywhere and do anything you choose.  Do what is needed to move forward.  Success is there for you and you’ll reach it.

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When it Hurts

14 Feb

We make millions of decisions as we go through our lives. Some of them are easy and we process them quickly and move on. We want to make good choices and choose the best possible options available so we can be happy with the results that follow. That’s sometimes quick and easy but there are other times when our decisions are more difficult. It’s hard to make the best decision when that choice will take away something we want or move us in a direction we don’t want to go. We may be in a situation where the best path forward in the long run hurts us right now. The best things in our lives are worth working for and sometimes in order to get to a goal we must endure uncomfortable situations along the way. It takes courage to choose well and even more courage when those choices hurt. Sometimes in order to accomplish our dreams we must sacrifice something along the way. We can weigh out each choice, see the road ahead and choose the best option going forward. If it’s a hard decision and creates discomfort we can walk through it, learn all we can and use that knowledge to navigate the way ahead. We know what we want most and we can do what it takes to get it.

Life isn’t always a bed of roses. Sometimes it may seem that everything works against us and no matter what we do we can’t make any headway. In those complicated times when things get difficult and we’re inundated with issues and problems, we may consider giving up on the goal altogether. It’s hard to keep trying when everywhere we turn there’s another wall in our way. But nothing is impossible and if we’re facing obstacles it only means we need to find another road forward. There are countless ways to any goal we set. If one road doesn’t get us there, we can choose another. If that one ends in a detour we can turn again. We can modify our course as many times as it takes to get to the destination and as long as we don’t quit, we don’t fail.

There is no way to know all the complications we may face when we begin a journey. We can make excellent plans for how we’ll proceed, do all the research we can to make sure our plans will work, and still things may go wrong. If we really want to reach the goal we can prepare for any eventuality no matter how complex, and determine that we will persevere and continue forward. If we are determined we will more effectively navigate any disappointments or problems we encounter and even if we must back up for a time, will be able to continue moving ahead. There really isn’t anything we can’t do if we are determined. We can keep stepping forward in the face of trouble and if we refuse to quit we will win. Temporary setbacks are only opportunities to re-focus. We can do anything. There isn’t anything we can’t face and overcome.

Today if you must make a decision to move forward that is uncomfortable and difficult, keep your eyes on the goal ahead. There is nothing too complex for you to overcome and you will find the answers you need. Success is there waiting for you. Choose well and you will reach it.

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