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Outside the Lines

15 Jul

When we’re children we’re told all sorts of things about how we should act, and what we should do. “Take turns, no cutting in line, play fair, and color in the lines,” among others. It is polite to take turns, and we shouldn’t cut in line, and it’s nice when everyone plays fair, but that doesn’t always happen. However, do we really have to color in the lines? Do we really have to keep the colors where the picture tells us to, or can we color outside the lines and make our own pictures? Some of us are more comfortable with the lines there to define where we are, but some of us prefer to ignore them, and make an abstract. Inside or outside the lines, wherever we choose to color, our creativity can blossom, and we can fully express who we are.

There are all kinds of rules, and laws in the world. We mostly try to obey them because they bring order, and order is something most of us like. But when it comes to expressing ourselves, we need to be free of restriction. We should be able to show as much of who and what we are as we like. Our personalities, our gifts, our talents, and our offerings are unique to each of us. We need to feel free to express them completely. How we do that is up to us.

Some people are natural at coloring outside the lines. They dress in styles unique to them, they play interesting and different music, they wear their hair in unconventional styles, and every day, and in every way, do exactly what feels right to them. Others prefer a more conservative approach. They like to dress to fit the norm, they are comfortable in predictable patterns, and they like traditional activities, and things. They prefer the picture with the colors in the lines. Neither expression is wrong. We just need to decide which we prefer.

Whether we color in or outside the lines, the important thing is that we color in some way. We can use broad strokes and be bold, or we can define each detail as we go. Either way, we need to express who we are genuinely. It’s important that we give the world the exceptional gifts we have to offer, our way. We’re the only ones who can bestow our specific talents, and the world is blessed because we share them. Everyone around us is embellished when we share who we are with them. They say variety is the spice of life. When it comes to us as people, nothing could be more true. We’re all different. We’re all supposed to be different. Whether we are in the lines or outside of them, we are blessing the world because we’re here.

Today be who you are in everything you do. Let go of restriction in expressing yourself. Be free to be your true self. Be confident, and let your uniqueness shine. You don’t have to fit a mold or an idea to be worthwhile. You are perfect just as you are. Today, share your best, unique self to those around you. Just be you. That’s the very best person you can be.

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Being Worthy

13 Jul

Trust is one of the most important facets of any relationship. When we have the trust of those who care about us, they know they can count on us, and we’ll be there for them. If we honor that trust, and follow through for them, our relationships will be fulfilling, and gratifying. If we break our word, fail to follow through, and leave them hanging, the relationship will suffer, and possibly fail.

Maybe you know someone who is very nice. They’re kind to animals, polite to strangers, pleasant, and generally fun to be with. People like them, and spend time with them socially. But despite their positive attributes, they can’t keep their word. They break it over, and over again. They say they’ll do things to help out, say they’ll be there, but when the time comes for them to follow through, they drop the ball. They do this routinely, and continually. People who know them have learned they aren’t trustworthy. Everyone agrees they are nice, but they can’t be trusted. They just won’t be there. They won’t follow through with their commitments.

It takes time to build trust in relationships, and it takes just a moment to ruin it. Once we’ve lost the trust of others, it’s hard to get it back. If we’ve let them down, and break the trust they had in us, it can take a long time for them to believe in us again. Even if we’re trying to change, and have successfully followed through a few times, it will take a while to restore the trust because we’ve broken it in the past. It’s important to value the trust we have from those who care about us. It’s priceless when we have it, and heartbreaking when we lose it. It’s a fragile thing, and one small bad decision can damage it. Repeated bad decisions can destroy it, sometimes forever.

Today if you’ve lost the trust of a friend because of something you’ve done, you may be able to restore it if you really want to. Talk to them, apologize for the offense, and determine that from here forward you will be worthy of their trust. Then do everything you can to be there when you say you will, and do what you said you would do. Over time you may be able to rebuild their trust again. We need to be able to trust others, and we want them to trust us. Be worthy of that trust. It’s precious. Value it, care for it, and be careful with it. The relationships you build are worth the effort. Be worthy of them today.

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Potential Greatness

12 Jul

Everyone is different. We all have our share of problems, talents, gifts, and drawbacks. Nobody gets all the good stuff or all the bad stuff. Everyone has a combination of things that make them feel confident, and things that try their patience. And every day we all have the potential for greatness. Not greatness in the worldly sense, like becoming President or world leaders, but greatness in the human sense. We can be great assets to those around us, great examples for good, and great inspirations to everyone we come in contact with. The potential is there, but potential does not guarantee we’ll gain those qualities. Potential is unrealized expectation. We have the ability to become great but we have to realize it, and we have to express it.

It’s easy to skate through life. We can do just enough to get by, we can be just nice enough to get what we want, and we can share just enough of ourselves that we are accepted. It takes effort to do more. We are all certainly capable of more, but that requires time, and it requires attention. Instead of choosing to do just enough to get by, if we want to be great, we need to choose to do the best we can all the time. Instead of being just nice enough to get what we want, we must choose to extend ourselves for others, and help whenever help is needed. And instead of sharing just enough to be accepted, we have to be fully engaged, fully participating, and actively involved.

Mediocrity is easy. We don’t have to do much, or give much. It’s easy to blend in. But it’s not as rewarding or fulfilling as pushing ourselves to be the best we can be. When we push for greatness we learn to feel things more deeply, and we become a higher version of ourselves. We can always be more than we are. We can be more sensitive, more understanding, more compassionate, and more human. If everyone tried to be the best they could be, the world would become a far different place. There would be more love and less conflict, more sharing and less greed, more caring and less indifference. It would be a better place, and we can do our part to make that happen.

Today as you go about your life, as you take care of your details, as you interact with others, remember you have the potential for greatness within you. It’s already there waiting to be expressed. Today do something more to extend that to those around you. Use your potential to the fullest. You have the power to change the world. Today think about how you could change it for good.

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Because I Can

10 Jul

We can do anything we want to in this life. We can make good decisions, and bad decisions. We can be wise, and we can be foolish. There is no limit to what we can do if we want to. Perhaps when someone has done something you didn’t understand you’ve asked them why, and their answer was, “Because I can.” Well, we ‘can’ do anything. But the big question really isn’t can we do it, but should we do it. Just because we can do something isn’t always enough reason to justify actually doing it.

Mistakes in judgment are part of the human experience. We all make them. Unfortunately we don’t have a personal manual to read every day to alert us when our judgment isn’t quite on target. We make decisions where we are, and we learn as we go. Even when we try to be wise, we may falter. But we will falter more often if we go plowing through things not thinking at all. If we just follow our noses around, and make decisions because we can, we may find ourselves in situations that aren’t exactly where we want to be.

Having the ability to do something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best choice for us. For instance, a Maserati is a very nice car, and we may find a dealer who will gladly sell us one even if we can’t afford it. We could buy it, and be the envy of our friends. But if we do, we may not have money for our essentials as we struggle to pay it off. But we could do it. However, if we can’t afford it, the purchase will likely bring us hardship. There are countless examples of things we could do just because we can. But that doesn’t guarantee the choice will bring us what we want.

It’s best to remember that even though we can do whatever we want, we need to take some time to evaluate the choices we are considering. There are two sides to every coin. It’s wise to look at them both before choosing the side we want. We need to ensure that our decisions are not just what we could do, but also what we should do so we can be successful going forward, and don’t create unnecessary stress.

Today before you jump on a decision just because you can, take a moment to reflect on whether or not it’s a move you should make going forward. You can do anything you want, but it’s wise to make sure your choices bring you happiness, and not hardship. Think about your decisions. Look at both sides of the coin, and then choose. You’ll be wiser if you do, and happier with the results. And happiness is the best thing you can give yourself today.

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Pointing North

7 Jul

Have you ever been lost? Have you ever taken a wrong turn, and found yourself somewhere you didn’t recognize? Have you ever walked a little too far, and missed the path you meant to take? We all get lost sometimes. It can be unsettling, and confusing. Getting lost is part of life. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned, and sometimes, in the twists and turns that happen, we lose our way. And before we know it, we’re far, far away from where we intended to go. We’re at a destination that seems foreign. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s not the end of the road.

There are a lot of influences on us every day. People who want us to do things a certain way, or be a certain way. Sometimes because of the situation we do as we’re asked, and if we do that enough we can forget where we’re going. We can forget who we really are. It’s possible to wake up one day, and realize that the life we’re living is nothing like the life we really want. It’s nowhere near where we really want to be. We took a turn, which lead to another turn, and another, and where we’ve ended up is not at all where we thought we were going.

If we determine that we are not on the right road, the only way to get to where we want to go is to stop, and reset our course. There is inside us inspiration, like a compass, that always points to the person we really are. It’s always there to guide us, but we have to listen. If all we can hear are the directions of those around us saying, “Go here,” or “Go there,” we won’t recognize our own compass telling us which way is right for us. But it’s always there to remind us. When we are ready to get to who we really are, and where we really want to be, we need to listen to it. We can always alter our course. We can always retrace our steps. Nothing is permanent, and everything can be changed. Change isn’t always easy, but if the change brings us back to the road we want to be on, it will be rewarding, and worth whatever it takes.

Today, if you’re feeling like you’re not where you really want to be, if your life isn’t on the road that will take you there, you can change your course, and begin again. You can choose a new direction. You deserve the life you want the most. You deserve every happiness. You can do this your way, and you can succeed. Today, hear your personal inspiration. Listen to your compass. If you’ve been lost, it will guide you back. You know the way back, you’ve just forgotten for a while. Today, listen and remember. And then, take the first step to getting there.

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