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Looking Down

9 Mar

There are all kinds of people in the world with all kinds of cultures and ideas. We’re all different and our choices are unique to each of us. Because of our differences, there is sometimes conflict and we might think the world would be better if we were all the same. Well, it might be easier if everyone was on the same page all the time, but there would be no way to grow, and boredom would be constant. It would be like going to Disneyland and all the rides are exactly the same. It’s easy to spend time with others who share our values and opinions, but there will always be someone in our circle we disagree with. If the differences are hard for us to understand, we may think they’re odd and beneath what we’re doing. We can look down on anyone we like, but being different does not mean being less. Chocolate ice cream is very different from vanilla, but they are both delicious. The world is a big, busy place and there is no way to completely insulate ourselves from others who are different that we are. Nobody will ever be exactly like us and there is nothing to be gained by judging those with other expressions. They aren’t dumb or stupid – they are just different than we’re accustomed to. Instead of judging what we may not understand, it’s better to accept others for who they are. We don’t have to adopt their point of view, we don’t have to follow their lead, and we don’t have to change our lives to fit anyone else’s narrative. The old saying, “Live and let live,” is the best approach. We are intelligent and highly capable of managing any situation that comes. Life is full of variety, and we can be welcoming even when we don’t agree, and find enrichment in contrasting viewpoints. 

Some people are very confident and sure of themselves. They may believe they have all the right answers and anyone who disagrees just doesn’t understand the issue. If we don’t follow their line of thinking, they may criticize and ridicule us in an effort to get us to follow along. It can be difficult to deal with them, and hard to be patient if we must. No matter what anyone else is doing, we always have the power to choose our own way. Nobody is in control of our lives but us. There are many roads to every destination. We can go left when they go right, and still find our way to the goal.

Family pressures and cultural influences may be strong. When we’re young it’s easy to go along with whatever our parents are doing and what’s happening around us. But as we mature, we develop our own ideas about what we want to do and how things should go. Our ideas are important and our choices are ours to make. Just because something has been done one way for a long time doesn’t mean we have to continue on the same road. We know who we are and what we want, and with courage and determination, can live our lives exactly the way we desire.

Today if you’re dealing with someone very different from you, whose ideas and choices are foreign, remember we’re all unique. You can choose any road you want to travel. You know where you want to go and already have everything you need to reach any destination you desire. Decide how you want to proceed and begin your journey. Nothing can keep you from success.  The whole world is there for you.

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One Thing More

15 Dec

Everyday we get the chance to do something good. There is an endless need for good in the world and each day the chance to offer a little more arises. We all have our routines, and things we need to get done. We have our list of errands, and chores, and work, and family and all the rest. As we move along we can keep out heads down only focused on the next item on the list, or we can look up and see what’s going on around us. In the parking lot at the store, someone may be struggling to load bags into the trunk of their car. Of course, we can just walk by and mind our own business, but if we stop and lend a hand, everything will change. We will feel the satisfaction of having helped someone else, and we may lift the other person’s spirits in ways we will never know. There are billions of people in the world, but it’s easy to feel alone when we’re trying to do everything by ourselves. Extending our vision just a little, and choosing to do one thing more than we must, our spirits will be lightened, and we will be uplifted. When we extend ourselves, our self esteem will rise knowing we are being the best we can be. We have the power to change the world, if we only look up and reach out. There is greatness inside us all. By sharing it with those around us, we will bring great light and joy. We are all gifts to the world. By showing how much we care, we enrich not only ourselves, but everyone around us.

It’s easy to get caught up in other people’s ideas and feelings. If someone is intense and angry and brings us into their turmoil, we may also begin to feel intense and angry, even though the issue isn’t ours to deal with. Instead of absorbing the stress around us, we can look at all the blessings we already have, and hold onto our own peace and happiness. There will always be trouble, there will always be pain, but there will always be good as well. By choosing to focus on what works, and seeing the good around us, our lives will be embellished and we will experience real joy.

Some people just love to complain. This is not working, that sucks, I hate him/her, this situation is awful, etc. etc. We do not live in nirvana and the world is a complex place where a lot can go wrong. Nobody gets a clear, paved road to all the goals they desire. Problems will arise, people will annoy, and crap will happen, but that doesn’t mean we have to embrace it and make it our focus. Every problem has a solution, and by focusing on moving forward and solving issues as they arise, and not only seeing the barriers but the answers as well, we will find greater peace and happiness.

Today if you’ve been focusing on what’s going wrong and what’s not working, step back and see the big picture. You are amazing and capable, and have so much to offer. Extend yourself a little more, reach a little further, and you will find great success. Your life has incredible value and you bring so much light to us all. Remember you are precious and a blessing to the world. Be confident, be happy and nothing will keep you from your dreams.

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Sorry, Not Sorry

24 Oct

Nobody is perfect and although we may try hard to do everything right, and always say the right things, at some point we’re going to falter. We interact with lots of other people and they all have their own ideas about how things should go and what we should say. If we do something without thinking, or if we’re mad and do something on purpose that causes pain or distress for someone else, we may, or may not, feel bad about it. A lot depends on the situation and our relationship with the other party. If they are someone who is very difficult and we struggle to get along with them, and we say something that offends them, we frankly may not care. They can deal with it.  After all, we have to deal with them all the time. Other times we might do something offensive simply because we don’t have all the facts, or our information is inaccurate. When the mis-step is pointed out to us, we may apologize and correct our course moving forward. Life is full of all kinds of differences and interpretations, and it’s impossible to get them all right every time. Every situation is different and we can look at everything objectively and then decide our next step. Most of us want to get along with others, and try not to put obstacles in the road ahead by hurting those around us and making enemies. If we cause a problem we can always do what is needed to fix it. We are intelligent and wise, and there isn’t anything too difficult for us to understand. By choosing wisely and making the best decisions moving forward, we can be sure we’ll reach success.

Not everyone is nice and easy to get along with. Some people are rude, impolite or even mean. They have their own reasons for how they act and we need not spend any time trying to figure that out.  However, if we have to interact with them, we will need to find a way to do it without causing too much distress. We don’t have to succumb to anyone else’s demands if they are not in authority over us. We can listen to them, respond politely, and then make the best choice moving forward. 

Families and relationships are complex. If we’re in a situation with someone we love where they are constantly criticizing and berating us, or telling us what to do, we may feel oppressed and overrun. We’re all entitled to our own opinions but we don’t have any control over anyone else. Everyone gets to make their own choices. Our lives are our responsibility and we always have the power to step away from any situation that isn’t working. We can define how much contact allows us to stay connected without letting others control us. We know who we are and what we want, and with focus and determination, nothing can keep us from success.

Today if you’ve offended someone, look at the situation carefully and completely, and determine the best step forward. Be polite and gracious, even if you disagree, and continue moving toward your goals. You are highly capable and intelligent, and will always find your way. Be confident and wise. Every single blessing is waiting for you. Step forward and claim them.

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Going Under

17 Aug

Our lives are a reflection of the decisions we make. If we are paying attention, and purposely moving toward the goals we most desire, we will accomplish them and find great satisfaction. If we’re just going through the motions and following someone else, the odds of being happy are diminished. We are in control of every decision we make and can decide what we’ll do and where we’ll go. However, if we lack confidence or are unsure that we can find our own way, we may attach ourselves to someone else and instead of choosing our own path, simply mimic what they are doing. If they turn right, so will we.  If they stop and choose something else, we’ll be right behind them. That may work out if the person we’re following is choosing wisely and is noble and honest. If they are not, and we don’t take the time to think before we act, we may find ourselves in difficult and complicated situations we never wanted. If we don’t know how to swim and try to save a drowning man, we may go under with them simply because we don’t have the skills to keep us both afloat. The same is true if we attach ourselves to someone who is unscrupulous and makes bad decisions. We will never be able to stay above the fray if we blindly follow where they lead. It’s fine to have a role model or mentor and they may bring great benefit to our lives, but in the end, every decision we make is our responsibility. There is no escaping the results of our choices. If we lack information, we can get it. If we need more skills to figure out the way ahead, we can gain them. Every success is possible but it’s up to us to make them ours. Nothing is out of reach and we have all the wisdom and courage we need to do whatever we desire.

We may face a time when someone more powerful than we are asks us to forsake a relationship because it’s inconvenient for them or they want all our attention. If the relationship we’re asked to give up is not important to us or pulls us from the roads we want to travel, we may walk away. Our lives are ours to design and we can do anything we like, but nobody knows what will happen next, and the connections we sacrifice today may become crucial in the future. Instead of severing ties, we can modify our lives to preserve the relationships we’ve built and still move forward toward the goal.

Some people need a lot of support and struggle to find their way forward. They may lean on us for constant help and rely on us to save them when things go wrong. Constantly bailing someone else out will never move us forward. We can be helpful and kind, but we don’t have to do everything we’re asked to do. We can give advice and then let others discover their own answers. We know what we want and with clarity and focus, we can find the road ahead and reach every destination.

Today if you’ve been following someone else and are not headed in the direction you want to travel, stop and think about what you want the most. You already possess everything you need to go anywhere and do anything. You are intelligent and highly capable and nobody knows you better than you know yourself. Decide what you want and then take the first step forward. Every dream is possible and nothing can keep you from success. Trust yourself, and you will win.

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You Take It

25 Mar

We share the world with billions of other people, and although we won’t meet even a tiny fraction of them, there are often people around us much of the time. They pass us on the street, work for us and with us, we have friends, family members, acquaintances and others. Unless we live alone and stay inside, we’re likely going to run into someone. Everyone has their ideas about life and what they will do. Nobody gets a free pass, and we’re all going to face trouble and challenges at some point. Some people are very confident and rarely get flustered even when things are going wrong, but others may struggle and find it hard to manage even the smallest problems. If we are close to them and they rely on us, and they are easily overwhelmed, they may try to push their problems off on us. They might simply hand them over, and say “Here, you take care of it,” and walk away. If they are in a position of authority over us, we may have no choice but to do as they ask. But if we’re on a level field, we never have to take on what isn’t ours. They may try to hand whatever they don’t want off onto us, but we never have to accept it. We all have enough personal crap to manage, and complicating our own lives by trying to manage someone else’s will never lead us to success. We can listen when others complain, and offer any advice that might help, and then leave them to it. If they don’t take care of business, it’ll be their mess to clean up. Our lives are important and we deserve complete happiness. By taking care of ourselves, and doing what is needed to reach our own personal goals, we will find great satisfaction and peace. Life is what we make it and by being wise and clear about what is ours and what we will do, we will reach every destination and find great success.

It’s good to be helpful and offer assistance when we can. We can give guidance and help others when needed. It’s noble to sacrifice ourselves for those around us, but it isn’t selfish to be sure we take care of our personal needs first. There is nothing to be gained if we give up all our time to someone else and neglect our own journeys. Our lives are our responsibility and we can be wise and do what we can without breaking the bank. We can find the right balance between giving and taking, and reach every goal.

Nobody wants to suffer or go through hard times. When we’re facing a very difficult situation and we don’t know what to do, we don’t have to surrender and try to hide. Even the most complex problems have solutions, and there isn’t anything we can’t figure out. By taking our time and looking at every possible option, we will find the answers we need. We are stronger and more capable than we think we are, and nothing can hold us down when we want to move. By trusting ourselves and taking things one step at a time, we can overcome anything and win.

Today be confident and trust yourself. Remember what is yours, and let others manage their own. Be kind and caring, and move forward with confidence and clarity. You are amazing and capable, and there isn’t anything you can’t do. Trust yourself and step forward with confidence. Every single goal is possible and nothing can hold you in place. There is great success just ahead and you will reach it.

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