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The Delete Key

3 Jun

In this day of computers, anything we write or create may be erased with the push of a button.  It’s very convenient if we change our plans or make a mistake.  All we have to do is press the delete key and all evidence of the activity disappears.  It’s like magic. Sometimes we might wish we had a delete key for our lives.  Maybe we do something we regret, or say something we didn’t mean, or get involved in a situation that brings us sorrow.  It would be great when those things happen if we could just delete the experience and move on.  It would be such a blessing to be able to remove all reminders of the event and completely erase it from our lives.  Sadly that is never an option.  In this life, once a card is played it’s there forever.  Our actions, good or bad, become part of our irrevocable history.  We all make mistakes.  They can’t be avoided and they teach us the lessons we need to learn to be happy and successful.  But it doesn’t feel good when we’re in the midst of them and have to push through whatever complications they bring us.  Although we may wish for the delete key in our lives, if we can remember that each experience teaches us something of value we can move forward with confidence despite what has happened in the past.

As we go through our lives we enjoy happy experiences and hope they’ll stay with us.  We endure the hard ones as well, and pray they’ll end quickly.  But we learn the most from the hard times as they mold us and teach us about who we are and what we want.  Often as we look back at the things we’ve been through we see the times that were the hardest taught us the most valuable lessons.  It’s hard to be grateful for difficulty and nobody prays for trouble in their lives.  But the trouble is what teaches us.  We learn good things from the easy times and enjoy them when we have them.  The hard times aren’t usually enjoyable and even if we wish we could magically make them disappear, give us endurance and help us find pleasure and joy even when things are going wrong.  Those gifts brings a richness to our lives that easy living could never give us.  Everyone wants to live a strong, rich life and struggling helps us achieve that.

We all have some regrets.  Perhaps we have deep regrets for decisions we’ve made, but we all have the opportunity to learn from those experiences so we don’t have to repeat them.  The sorrow of heartbreak helps us appreciate those who love us.  The remorse for dishonesty reminds us how important it is to be true.  The sting of betrayal teaches us how to be loyal.  Every problem brings a blessing.  If we can remember what we’re learning when we’re struggling we won’t yearn for the delete key.  We can embrace whatever comes to us – good or bad – learn from it and go forward with more understanding and greater confidence.  People often use the phrase, “It’s all good,” when describing an experience.  In our lives that’s true – it’s all good in one way or another.

Today if you wish you could go back and erase something, and remove it as though it never happened, stop and look at how much you learned from the experience.  You have come so far and each day takes you closer to where you want to be.  Embrace everything you’re going through.  You’re becoming the person you most want to be with each step you take.  And that person is the perfect reflection of you.

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Burnout

25 May

When we’re committed to a task or something we want to accomplish, we give all we can to the project.  We find time for it and make it a priority.  It becomes important to us and we’re determined to succeed.  But our lives are complex and we always have more than one thing going on.  We can make something a priority but to assume we will give it our complete focus 24 hours a day is unrealistic.  If we attempt to give the goal more energy than is workable we may burnout before we finish.  There are many facets of our lives in play all the time.  Nothing can take 100% of our attention 100% of the time.  It’s just not possible.  To expect that from ourselves or others is not reasonable.  Being committed is important when we want to accomplish something but being realistic in our expectations is important as well.

Burnout is a real possibility when we’re working hard on something.  We can narrow our focus so tightly we forget to do other things that are important.  We may skip meals to save time, forget appointments we need to attend, neglect sleep, and lose track of hours as we push through.  There is nothing wrong with being committed to a project or idea and making it a priority, but determining what is reasonable as we work through it will help us get to the goal more efficiently.  The human mind is a wonderful thing and we are capable of doing almost anything we set our minds to.  However, we must see the entire picture if we want to succeed.  Pushing ourselves beyond our limits generally will not help us achieve the goal faster.  Recognizing what is possible and doing what we can to achieve it is the best we can do.  It’s impossible to give more than we have and we must define where our boundaries lie before we begin.

The expectations of others can bring pressure to perform beyond what is reasonable.  Some will ask for more than is possible perhaps thinking that setting a lofty goal will push us to greater achievement.  When that happens, we may be encouraged to meet timelines that are impossible, or complete tasks that are beyond what can be done.  We may try our best to comply but if the expectation truly can’t be met nothing we do will make it happen.  It can be overwhelming as we try to meet impossible goals.  Despite the demands of others it’s important to understand what is realistic.  If we do our best and the goal is not achieved, we can be confident knowing we did everything possible.  We only fail if we don’t try and we succeed if we do our best, even if the objective isn’t realized.  There is a saying, “Anything is possible,” but that isn’t always true.  Recognizing what is real, what the limitations are, and what is truly possible makes us successful.  And when we do our best we succeed no matter the outcome.

Today if you’ve been trying to do too much and are starting to feel the burn, step back and look at the entire picture.  Determine what can be done and do your best to achieve it.  You can push your limits and still set your goals realistically.  You are capable of accomplishing great things.  Make a workable plan, implement it, and you’ll find success.

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Making it Better

23 May

Everywhere we go and with everything we do, we leave an impression that we were there.  People remember us and the things we do, we impact our surroundings in different ways, and there is no way to prevent leaving evidence of our presence behind.  We change our environment every time we are part of it.  Sometimes the marks we leave are clearly evident and sometimes they are small but they will always be there.  We have a choice therefore, to either leave behind something negative or something positive.  If we don’t care or don’t pay attention as we go through our lives, our impact may not always be the positive influence we may want it to be.  But if we tune in and remember that everything we do changes something, we can leave each situation a little better.  Even if all we do is have a positive attitude as we attend to our responsibilities we may lift those around us.  There is no way to be invisible and no matter what we do, it will make some kind of difference.  Making that difference better helps everyone around us and makes our days a little easier.

Everybody has a bad day from time to time.  Maybe we don’t feel well, or we have pressures on us that are complicating our lives, or the weather is making our day difficult, or a thousand other things.  If we let our discomfort define how we act it can make things worse.  If we’re grumpy and pass that on to others, our interactions with them may be more difficult.  If we don’t feel well and ignore those who come into our circle, we may make a negative impact on them.  Things go wrong and we all have times when we don’t feel happy or at our best.  But we don’t have to share our bad fortune with those around us.  If we need time alone to get through our situation, we should take it.  If we need rest we should make sure we get it.  And if we must interact when we aren’t at our best, we can remember the issue is ours and doesn’t need to become everyone else’s.

We can’t control what comes to us but we can control our response to it.  If something uncomfortable is going on we can display that discomfort to everyone around us, or we can choose to be positive despite it.  That doesn’t mean being dishonest with our feelings or pretending things are great when they aren’t.  It just means managing our response in ways that don’t accentuate the negative situation we’re dealing with and remembering that no matter what we’re facing we’ll get through it.  Even if what we’re going through feels like the end of the world, in time we’ll move on to something better.  If we focus on the big picture and trust ourselves we will face our challenges more confidently and positively.  If we choose to be an example of grace, patience, endurance, and peace even when we’re working out a problem, our influence on those around us will be positive and uplifting.  Everything we do will make a difference.  We can make that difference a benefit and be a blessing.

Today if you’re feeling down or angry or upset or frustrated or whatever, and not at your best, remember you can manage anything that comes to you.  You have a lot of influence over those around you.  You’re going to touch a lot of people every day.  Let that touch be kind, loving, and patient.  Your consideration will return to you over and over and everyone, including you, will be happier because of it.

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Mount Everest

19 May

When someone decides they want to climb Mount Everest, it takes a long time to prepare. They must have a lot of experience climbing other peaks before they attempt such an arduous journey, and they must be in top physical condition. Before they go they have to be sure they can manage the physical requirements that will be placed on them by enduring other similar experiences. The climb to the top will be long and difficult and the weather is always unpredictable. Additionally, they will need to interact with others in a way that will ensure their safety and support. It’s a big challenge and a serious decision. Going unprepared or unwilling to do what is needed could mean extreme danger or even the loss of life. Climbers sometimes prepare for years for this challenge, and even then sometimes don’t succeed on getting to the summit. It pushes them to their limit but the only way to know if they can do it is to try. And so they climb.

We may never choose to climb Mount Everest or any other mountain. But we will face extreme challenges in our lives that will push us to our limits and make us question our abilities. They may be physical challenges but often are other types of situations. We will all face big decisions, major disappointments, and changes in our lives that may make us question our ability to overcome or at times, even survive. Things don’t always go the way we want them to or even the way we think they will. And when there’s an unexpected ringer, something that rocks us to our core, something so disappointing or unexpectedly difficult we may, at first, believe we won’t find our way through. But no problem is so devastating that we can’t manage it. There is no change so pervasive that we can’t navigate it. If we trust ourselves, and lean on our proven capabilities, we will find our way.

There is really no way to prepare for the unexpected. We can try to live our lives to help us become strong, independent people capable of doing many things. And we will be tested time and again with problems and challenges, some big and some small. Every time we sort through an issue and find an answer, every time we push through a problem and get to the resolution, our skills for managing the unexpected are refined. Each day brings something new and as we face each situation, good or bad, we learn. It’s like preparing to climb a mountain. We carry a lot of weight that makes us strong, we make decisions that teach us how to proceed, and we keep moving forward and improve our endurance. This life is a journey. Every turn will bring something new. We have everything we need to face whatever comes and we can reach the summit every time.

Today if you’re facing a big challenge and it feels like you’re climbing Mount Everest, and if you’re struggling to keep going, dig deep. You have resources you’ve refined over time inside you ready to come forward to help you find your way. No matter how far the summit is, you will get there. You already have everything you need. There isn’t anything too big for you to handle. Keep pushing forward and the answers will come.

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No Return

17 May

Sometimes things happen to us that are unfixable. Sometimes relationships end suddenly, sometimes we face a detour so extreme our lives are altered going forward, and sometimes everything we thought was real goes up in smoke. Some problems may alter our destination forever and break our momentum for a time. We can’t prevent all the bad things that may happen to us but we can get through whatever comes. But getting through a difficult development and trying to fix what’s been broken are two different things. There will be times in everyone’s life when something changes everything and there is no going back. We can never return to where we were. It can be hard to navigate times like those, and we have to take it step by step. Accepting what we thought we had or what we hoped we’d find will never come is very difficult. However, no matter how hard the situation is we can face it. No matter how complicated it becomes we can manage it. And no matter how devastated we feel, we will move through it. There isn’t anything strong enough to stop us forever. We may get stalled for a time but we will find our way again and figure out how to go forward.

Some people love surprises. The unexpected is delightful to them and they love the thrill of not knowing. For others, surprises are unpleasant and they prefer to know what’s happening and where they’re headed at all times. No matter what we like, unexpected bad news is never welcome. We all try our best to plan for happiness and peace as we move along, and when those plans work for us we feel content and settled. Things move along as we want them to and nobody is rocking the boat. But when the water gets high and suddenly the boat is leaking, it can fill quickly and leave us panicked trying to figure out what to do. There is no guarantee in anyone’s life that things will go well. We can plan, we can try, and we can do everything in our power to ensure a safe journey. When unexpected complications come we must find a way through them if we want to succeed.

When things go wrong and everything changes we can feel overwhelmed and lost, especially if the problem is serious and threatening. We can lose our footing and feel like we’re going under. We may need time to find our way again, and we may need to change things in our lives in order to move forward. There is nothing wrong with modifying our plans but that can be painful and the pain can paralyze us. If we remember this is just a passage and not a destination, we will find more confidence to move forward. Nothing is permanent in our lives. Everything changes and no matter what problems we’re facing, no matter how invasive and frightening they are, they will not last forever. We will move through them and they will pass. We have all the courage we need to face anything and all the inspiration we need to find our way. We can keep moving forward even if our destination has changed. We can slog through the deep mud and find our way back to solid ground.

Today if you’re facing a serious setback or a complication that has changed where you’re headed, have faith. You will find your way. The road is still there beneath your feet. You can keep walking forward. Turn a little and adjust your course. You have everything you need to conquer whatever you’re facing. There is nothing too big for you to handle. Keep moving forward. The answers are there and you’ll find them.

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