Archive | Challenge RSS feed for this section

Shields Up

7 Feb

When we’re trying hard to accomplish a difficult task and face complications, we can press forward with determination and courage. If the odds are against us and we have little support from those around us, continuing the struggle alone may make the trial harder. But if we really believe in what we’re trying to accomplish and are unrelenting in our pursuit, we can continue on no matter what challenges we must face. A shield is anything that protects us. There are physical shields we can use to be safe but we also have personal shields inside us that give us courage and help us move forward confidently. They include our determination, our stamina, our unwavering dedication and our willingness to try. We can hold our invisible shields in front of us and press forward when we’re facing difficult challenges. They are endless and strong, and with their constant availability we can accomplish almost anything. But we must be diligent to keep our shields up against the barriers in our way. If we let them fall and lose our confidence the chances of success will diminish. We have everything we need to find success and we can navigate anything before us and manage it well. We can use our shields to help us along and be confident we can succeed.

There is nothing we can’t try and if we are determined to win it will always be too early to quit. We can stay the course and continue for as long as we choose. If we get stuck, we can stop for a time, regroup and rethink our plans forward and then begin again. Some things take a long time to accomplish but if we’re dedicated to making them happen we can keep moving forward. If we quit, we are destined to fail. There is no way to win if we stop trying. If the challenge becomes too great, we can pause for now and wait until things change. Success if often about timing. What we want to do may not be possible right now but life is always changing and our circumstances change as well. What didn’t work before may work later. Setting a goal aside doesn’t mean we’ve forsaken it. We can take a break and let things roll forward without us and then return to our objective later.

Our regrets often reflect what we didn’t try. Our willingness to try for all our dreams is what brings us happiness. Some things won’t work no matter what we do, and some things will come easily. There is no way to know what we can accomplish until we put ourselves out there and give it our best. We can often do far more than we think we can. We have unlimited personal resources. We have the confidence we need, our shields to help us go forward, and our desires to lead the way. There really isn’t anything we can’t do. The world is there for those who take it. We can make our dreams come true, accomplish the seemingly impossible and find great success. It’s all there for us.

Today if you’ve been pushing hard to make something happen and you feel overwhelmed by the struggle, keep your shields up. Take another step forward. You have all the wisdom and strength you need to win. You are invincible. There isn’t anything you can’t do. Keep moving forward. Success is just ahead.

Tags: , ,

Surprise!

1 Feb

We have a lot of different relationships throughout time. Sometimes they are long term and we spend years sharing our lives with someone else. If things go well, we may have a lifetime of mutual experiences and many memories. However, sometimes our relationships end. The reasons are many and if the reason is very painful or we’ve been hurt badly, leaving the partnership may cause us serious discomfort. As time goes by we will heal from the disappointment of the loss, the sting of betrayal, or the sadness of grief. At some point, we may unexpectedly run into the person we’ve lost. Maybe we see them in passing or they show up where we are. If we’re still healing from the break it may take our breath away. The surprise of seeing someone who has hurt us deeply when we’re trying hard to heal may stop us in our tracks. Our feelings from the original event may come rushing back and we may believe we haven’t moved forward at all. Unexpected surprises with bad memories may shake us but we can regain our footing. Nothing changes just because we see someone again. We are still on our way forward and in control of our lives. If we’re not ready to engage them and aren’t compelled to, we may simply walk away. If we must speak to them we can be polite and keep our exchange brief. We can do what feels right and remain in control. We know what we want and where we’re headed. There is no surprise sufficient enough to stop our progress forward.

When we have a seriously bad memory from which we are trying to recover and it involves someone else, we may wish we could move to another planet to ensure we would never see them again. Unfortunately, that isn’t possible and even if we move there is no guarantee they won’t show up at some point. Life has a way of circling around and the odds of running into someone from our pasts isn’t always as remote as we may wish. Instead of hoping we’ll never see them again, it’s better to simply plan for what we’ll do when and if that happens. We can prepare ourselves for that possibility so if it does occur we’ll be better able to manage it. Preparing for it will help us navigate it more effectively if it happens.

Our lives are ours to direct and design. There will always be bumps along the road and unexpected events that sometimes stop our progress for a time. It really doesn’t matter what complications arise. We have everything we need to manage any obstacle and find our way around it. There is nothing strong enough to stop our progress forward. We are strong and capable, and we know what we want and where we want to go. We can continue forward and achieve greatness, and there is nothing sufficiently strong enough to keep us in place. We are in control and we will find success.

Today if you’ve been surprised by a blast from the past that has upended your progress forward, take a moment to regroup and see the situation clearly. You are strong and capable and no matter what you face today you will be successful. Look forward. The road is there for you. You have everything you need to continue on and win.

Tags: , ,

Try After Try

26 Jan

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison

When we’re trying to find our way through something complicated, sometimes the first road we choose doesn’t take us to resolution. If the situation is very complex and there are others involved, we may try several options before we find our way through. Day after day if what we thought would take us to the answer doesn’t work, we must try again. Try after try can wear on our patience when nothing changes and we may begin to believe we are stuck forever someplace we don’t want to be. It’s like having our tires stuck in the mud, spinning and spinning trying to break free but going nowhere. Our patience may be tested, our reasoning may be challenged and we may become exhausted trying to find our way. If we’ve tried and tried and haven’t found success, sometimes we may need to step back for a moment to regain our perspective. Being in the middle of a problem may influence our vision and make it hard to see all the options available. Stepping back from the issue, clearing our minds and looking at it objectively may open new ideas and help us see a way forward we hadn’t considered. Problems come and go and we can find our way through anything. Stopping and stepping away from the fray for a moment may open doors we didn’t see before and help us solve whatever has held us captive.

Feeling overwhelmed won’t help us find answers. If we believe the problem is too big to solve and doubt we will ever find answers we may get stuck. If we don’t think we can solve the issue, or lack the confidence to continue when things go wrong, we will fail. We can give up at any time and refuse to continue but if we do, we will never find success. The willingness to try one more time, no matter how many times we’ve tried before, will open the way forward. Although it may take time, there are no answers too difficult for us to find. We can solve any problem if we keep trying until we find our way. There is nothing too difficult or too complex for us to figure out. We have what we need to succeed as long as we keep trying.

There may be others around us who may encourage us to give up. They may tell us it’s too hard or it’s not worth the trouble. We may certainly take their advice and quit but if we do we guarantee the goal we are seeking will not be met. If we decide we no longer want to proceed, we may stop. But if what we’ve been trying to accomplish is important to us and we really want to achieve it, we may continue forward. Success is always possible and we can have it. We can try one more time, and we will find our way.

Today if you’ve tried and tried to make something work and you’re still struggling, decide if the goal is still important to you. If it is, step back to see things objectively, and then try again. You are worth every success you are seeking. Try one more time. The doors will open and you will find your way.

Tags: , ,

Plan B

24 Jan

As we’re working out problems and getting things done, sometimes the first scenario we devise doesn’t work. Even when we’re absolutely sure there is no way it can fail, sometimes things don’t go the way we hope they will. If it’s something we prepared for and are confident our plan forward is the only way to get to the goal, it may be hard to regroup and come up with something else. When we’re confident and sure and still nothing works, it may be hard to figure out what to do next. Of course, there is never only one solution to any problem or one answer to any question. There is always another option possible and if we consider everything openly, those options will become apparent. If plan A didn’t work, we can come up with plan B. And if that doesn’t work, we can come up with something else. We are capable of imagining many scenarios and creating different processes to move forward. It may take time and it may not be easy, but if we are determined we will find the right answers. We have a lot of resources available to us all the time. There are others around us who may help, there are countless ways to research any situation, and we can start anew when we’re ready. If we don’t accomplish our goal the first time, we can try again. We can try as many times as it takes and if we keep trying we will find success.

When we’re excited about something new and eager to get started, we may plunge in head first ready to take on the challenge and conquer it. Motivation is a great tool that pushes us forward but plunging in head first may take our eyes off our direction forward. If we want to get things done quickly and only focus on speed, we may miss an important turn and run into a blockade. If we get caught up in our enthusiasm, we may neglect to do what is needed to prevent unnecessary complications. Speed may be important in some arenas but all the speed in the world won’t help us if we’re on the wrong road. Taming our enthusiasm enough to allow us to navigate efficiently will get us to the goal quickly and effectively. We don’t have to jump in head first to show our commitment. We can swim steadily and strongly forward with our eyes on the goal and arrive at our destination.

There may be times when others in our lives create detours for us along the way. Perhaps they don’t like our plans and do things that create complications, or they don’t think we’re going the right way and stand in front of us to block our path. We don’t need the agreement of others to accomplish our personal goals. If there are barriers in our way, we can navigate around them. If there are detours, we can reroute our way forward. We can accomplish any goal we desire even if it means we must change our course to get there. We are intelligent and flexible enough to find our way through anything. If we keep our sights set on the way forward we will be successful.

Today if the road you’ve been on has ended in a detour, re-chart your course. You know where you want to go and you have everything you need to get there. Keep moving ahead. The goal is attainable and you will reach it. Be confident. You have everything you need to succeed.

Tags: , ,

Disappointment and Perseverance

2 Jan

“I long so much to make beautiful things. But beautiful things require effort—and disappointment and perseverance.” Vincent van Gogh

We have a lot of challenges in our lives and many things we want to accomplish. We can strive for any goal we want to attain but often the road to success isn’t smooth. There may be points where we stumble or get lost, there may be obstacles in our path, and it can be disappointing when we feel like we’re working hard but not getting any closer. Sometimes it may seem that no matter how much we plan or how carefully we proceed we run into something that blocks our way forward. As time passes we may get frustrated feeling we should have conquered the challenge by now and yet we are still trying. It takes continual effort to reach any destination and if we want to succeed we must persevere when things go wrong. We have to figure out the problems that block our path, and find a way to navigate around the obstacles in our way. We may get tired and even think of letting go of the goal but if we want to achieve anything we must be willing to do what it takes to get there. Everything we desire requires effort and often things don’t go as easily as we hope they will. But there isn’t anything we can’t overcome and we are capable of finding success. There may be disappointment but we can manage that and persevere through it to the other side. We can decide to continue forward even when the road gets rough.

We are complex and capable of accomplishing many difficult things in our lives if we determine to stay the course until we complete the journey. If we are overcome with disappointment, we may feel overwhelmed and unsure we can go on. At times like those, we may set the goal aside for a while and return to it later when our lives are in a different place. There isn’t any goal we can’t achieve but sometimes timing is everything. If something isn’t working now, we can proceed with other things for a while and try again later. As our lives change and our situations adjust we may be in a better position to begin again.

When we’ve been working toward a goal for a long time and are struggling, we may believe we will never win. We may think it’s just not in the cards for us and let it go. We can always re-direct our course but instead of giving up sometimes all we need to do is change direction. We may only need to adjust our path a little to find success. Life is rarely an “all or nothing” situation. Generally, there are lots of variations and if what we’ve been doing isn’t working, we can modify and change our focus a little to find success. There really isn’t anything we can’t do.

Today if you’ve been working hard toward a goal you want to achieve and still haven’t moved forward, step back and rethink the situation. Think about how you might adjust your path forward to find success. You will reach your goal and find your way. You have everything you need to be successful and there is no disappointment you can’t overcome.

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →