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New Roads

20 Oct

As we go through our lives we attend to many things. We may have a family, a career, a business, and plans for the future, and many of us stay quite busy. Sometimes as we grow and change we find the life we’re living isn’t bringing us the happiness we desire. Maybe our dreams have changed. Maybe our situation has made things different. Maybe we’re bored and want to try something new. We may decide to completely change our direction in order to be happy. We may turn all the way around and go another way on a new road. We can certainly change anything in our lives but turning our course takes determination and resolve. New roads are uncharted territory. We have no idea what lies ahead but there is nothing we can’t face and overcome and if we want a change we can surely have it. We can turn and reroute our lives in a new direction. If we do, those around us may not understand our decision and may try to dissuade us. It’s easier to keep things as they are and many people prefer the status quo. But we don’t need anyone’s permission or approval to make personal decisions in our lives. If we want to go another way, we can.

When we’re young we have all kinds of dreams about how our lives will go. Many of those dreams fade as we grow into adulthood and hear again and again that we should be sensible and think of the future. It’s wise to plan for the future and using common sense is in our best interest. We may follow everyone else’s advice about what we should do and where we should go. But if we want something different and we don’t feel like those plans fit, we can change and go another way. Even if we’ve been on the same road for years, and even if everyone thinks we’re doing great, if we aren’t truly happy we can change. We are in control of our lives and deserve to be happy. Choosing a road that will bring happiness is up to us.

Sometimes the life we want most doesn’t look like the regular plan, or is different than what others think we need. It really doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks our lives should look like. What matters is that we live our lives our own way. We all deserve to be truly happy and we can only achieve that if we are true to ourselves. Our dreams and desires are unique to each of us and we are entitled to them even if they don’t fit the norm. We can take another road at any time. Every moment is precious and we can make the most of them by being true to who we are and what we want. Our lives belong to us and we may design them any way we choose. We can do things our way and we can be happy. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve traveled the road we’re on. If we want to turn and try a new one, we can.

Today if you feel like you’re on the wrong road and want a change you can choose a new direction. You can do anything you want. You have all the wisdom you need to make the best choices going forward. You deserve complete happiness. Find the road that will bring it to you and begin the journey.

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It’s Not My Fault

18 Oct

We have many experiences every single day and sometimes our lives don’t exactly go the way we planned or the way we most want them to. When things go wrong because we run late, we miss an appointment, we overextend ourselves, or we drop the ball on a responsibility, it’s tempting to say “It’s not my fault,” and then blame the circumstance or someone else involved. Sometimes things really are out of our control and we aren’t responsible for the result, but other times, although we may want to blame someone else, the problem lies with us. When we are the reason things go wrong it’s best to accept our part in the problem and then find a way to fix it. There is great blessing in understanding personal responsibility. It’s a gift that enables us to find our way and clarify our path forward more successfully. When we fully acknowledge exactly what we’re doing when we falter we can learn how to be more successful in reaching our goals. Nobody gets everything right every time. We all take left turns from time to time. Understanding when we’ve failed to follow through and learning from the experience helps us become more honest with ourselves and those around us. And that honesty allows us to see where we need to change to find greater success.

It’s easy to point our fingers outward when things go awry. There are countless excuses we may offer and some of them may be valid. But even if our excuse is valid, we are still responsible for the promise we made. If we own our responsibility, and claim obligation over it we will often find a way to complete it as promised. Our ability to follow through on our promises reflects who we truly are. If we take them lightly and offer excuses when we drop the ball, we may lose the trust of those around us. But if we do all we can to honor them, making no excuses for failure, others will know they can depend on us.

Things go wrong sometimes and we can’t predict the future. If we simply cannot fulfill a commitment we’ve made, we can discuss the situation with the others involved and together come up with a plan to work around the problem. We can be pro-active and acknowledge when things aren’t going to work out. If we over commit, we can revise the plan. If our schedule changes and we can’t complete something we’ve promised, we can ask for help. Communicating our concerns will help us resolve any issue that arises and address a situation before we fail. There isn’t anything we can’t handle. We can keep our promises and we can move forward with confidence and clarity and address any problems that come our way.

Today if you realize you aren’t going to be able to keep a commitment you’ve made, address the situation openly and find a workable solution. Revise your plan and do what is needed to work around the problem. You are wise enough to solve any problem that comes your way. Face it head on and continue moving forward with confidence.

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In the Web

17 Oct

Spider webs are interesting.  They can be very intricate and quite large, and the detail of each is amazing and often quite beautiful.  Despite their beauty, spider webs are built as a snare to catch prey.  They are sticky and when the intended creature gets too close they are caught up and entangled, unable to escape.  Each individual strand is very strong and they are efficient traps for insects and other morsels the spider wishes to catch.  Although we don’t spin the same sorts of webs as spiders do, it’s possible to get caught up in a different kind of web.  If we are involved with people who lie, or cheat, or manipulate, or are dishonest they may entangle us in a web of deceit that is strong and may hold us tightly in place.  If we’re closely involved with someone who is dishonest and can’t see the entire picture, we may become ensnared.  It’s good to have close relationships but it’s important to be able to step back from time to time to see the whole story.  Confusion is often an important clue.  If we feel confused about a situation it can be a clue that we need to step back and see the bigger picture.  Deceit can be very painful to face but finding truth is imperative in everything we do.  If we get caught in a web, truth will show us the way out.

Living dishonestly can take many interpretations.  Maybe we don’t tell the entire truth when telling only part of it benefits us.  Maybe we don’t do everything we say we’ll do because it’s difficult and time consuming.  Maybe we pretend to be something we aren’t so we can look different to someone we want to impress.  Whatever means of dishonesty we employ may get us by for a time but eventually the truth will rise and we will be held accountable.  It may seem that sometimes a little dishonesty won’t hurt anything and will make things easier.  Unfortunately, however, once the lie is uncovered our lives will be more complicated and may be more difficult as we try to untangle things.  Like a large, complex web that is sticky and thick, dishonesty will eventually trip us up and we’ll have to tear it down to get back to the truth.

Living an honest and clean life takes effort.  Although we may see the road we should take, choosing it may be difficult and require courage.  We are certainly capable of making good choices and being truthful in all things.  When we are honest the road may be a little harder than if we’d lied, and it may take a little longer than if we’d cheated, but in the end choosing well will bring a victory clear of deception and filled with content.  We can always choose the right and find our way.  We deserve the best life possible.  Choosing to live honestly in all our dealings will bring us happiness.  We can offer our best to the world and make all our dreams come true, honestly and ethically.

Today if you have choices to make and you’re thinking about cutting corners or being dishonest to make them easier, think again.  Choose the best way forward and be honest about everything you do.  Be the very best you can be and make your best decisions today. You have greatness in you and the world needs your example.  Be the light and show us the way.

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Wait For It

14 Oct

There are times in our lives when we have big decisions to make.  When we know we must decide on something very important we may hesitate until we feel comfortable.  Although we are capable of looking at all the options before us and determining exactly where we want to go, sometimes we wait before making the decision to proceed. We can’t tell the future and even if we’re sure we know which way to turn, things could go wrong.  There may be more information available to us if we wait.  We might see things differently later or maybe others will get involved.  There is no way to know exactly where any decision will take us and if we aren’t confident we may be hesitant.  Waiting might help us feel better in the short run, but really all it does is put off the inevitable.  We are going to have to choose.  If we have done everything we can to make the best choice we can go ahead and take the leap.  We are capable of making good decisions and we can be strong and determined when we make them.  What comes will come and whatever happens we will manage it.  If it doesn’t turn out the way we thought it would, we can modify and still go forward.

There is an old saying that “He who hesitates is lost.”  There may be times when we wait to decide something and end up losing an opportunity.  Or other times when we hesitate and the situation changes excluding us from the chance to be involved.  It’s disheartening to discover we missed out on something important because we failed to be involved when the decision was needed.  We all want to get good results from our choices but we won’t get anywhere unless we move forward.  We will never have all the facts or know all the possible outcomes.  We can look at things objectively and carefully, and then weighing everything equally choose the best path forward.  We can be confident that no matter what road we choose we will get to the goal.

Every decision we make carries some risk.  Some people manage risk better than others.  Those who do are more easily able to quickly make decisions based on the options before them.  Others prefer time to think and ponder the possible outcomes before choosing.  Both methods have benefits and drawbacks.  If we’re quick on the draw we may get to the destination quickly but miss a detail that affects the outcome.  If we take too long to think about our choice we may see things more clearly but miss our chance to participate.  We can find a compromise between the two, neither going too fast nor too slow, and come to excellent conclusions.  Big decisions tend to be important in our lives.  We are capable of finding the best answers to them and we are courageous enough to decide the way forward.  We have everything we need to choose well and find success.

Today if you’re facing a big decision and are hesitant to move forward, look at all your options carefully and decide what you want the most.  You know how to choose well and you will make the right decision.  You have everything you need to succeed.  Be brave and choose with confidence.

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Redefining

6 Oct

We all have ideas about what success looks like. For some it’s how much we earn, what we look like, or what goals we accomplish. Everyone has a different idea and how we see our personal success often defines how we see ourselves. If we haven’t reached a level we want to achieve we may be discouraged. If we haven’t moved our careers forward like we thought we would or haven’t gotten the praise we think we deserve we can feel like we’re failing. Although success is a personal description of what we want and where we want to go it is often influenced by the ideas held by others. If those around us see it only one way and we haven’t reached that level, we may be discouraged. If we don’t meet their standards and they are important to us, we may feel like failures. It really doesn’t matter how anyone determines what success is but us. If our idea of success if that we manage to get our tasks done every day and don’t lose our temper and we accomplish that, we are successful. We decide what our personal success looks like and we determine how we’ll achieve it. We can redefine what others call it and make it unique to ourselves.

We all have different experiences in life and as a result have unique perspectives about things. What one sees as moving forward, another may see as taking a step back. If we’re focused on non-profit work our motivation may not be to make more money. On the other hand, if we’re driven to be financially independent our income level will mean a lot. The interpretations of how to live our lives depend on who we are and what we want. Our personal choices determine what’s best for us and our personal ideas of success may be very different from the ideas of those around us. We are entitled to define our lives any way we choose and will find happiness from making our personal dreams come true.

The pressures of the world may make us believe our choices aren’t good enough or valiant enough and any number of other ideas. But that doesn’t matter. We have a gift to offer that nobody else can offer. What we do is up to us and we can define success our own way. Maybe we define it by being very patient, or by serving our community, or by practicing the piano every day, or by helping a student with homework. Or maybe we define it by how much money we make or how many people we help. However, we define it we can achieve it. The world has all kinds of ideas about success but we don’t have to adopt them. We can redefine it specifically for us and find great joy in being exactly who we are and achieving what is most important to us. Our lives belong to us and what we do with them is our choice.

Today if you feel pressure to succeed based on someone else’s idea of what that is you can choose your own path. You know what you want and you know how to get it. Be exactly who you are and define success your way. You are a gift to the world and we’re all blessed because you’re here. Your success is defined by you and you will achieve it.

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