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On the Way

30 Aug

When we’re trying to be the very best we can be and do things well it can be hard to accept when things don’t work out. When we’re trying hard to excel it’s disappointing when we miss the mark we’re aiming for. It would be great if everything came to us easily and every project was successful but that’s not real life. We all have shortcomings and weaknesses. Nobody is perfect and even if we really want to achieve sometimes we will come up short. It’s hard to accept that we can’t do everything the first time we try especially if what we’re trying to do is important to us. But there are endless versions in life and if one plan doesn’t work, we can try another. We’re constantly changing and moving toward somewhere else or on the way to a new place. If one road doesn’t take us to our destination, we can try another. We don’t have to give up. Nothing can keep us from where we want to go but we may have to try a few different paths to find success.

The old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” is helpful. We understand sometimes we have to try a few different ideas before we find the one that works. But if we’ve been trying for a while and still haven’t succeeded we may begin to feel defeated. It’s hard to keep going when the road never seems to end. But if the goal is something we really want to achieve, there is nothing that can keep us from it. We may have to try several different ideas, and it may take us longer than we had planned but it’s still there waiting for us. If we adjust a little and try a different method, we will eventually find success. Anything worth gaining is worth our time. We can take whatever time we need to get there and we can succeed.

This life is constantly in “hurry up” mode. It seems no matter what we’re doing someone expects us to get it done quicker but if we only focus on how long it takes to accomplish a task we may miss all the things we’re learning on the way. We can try to get things done quickly and often we will, but if we focus on getting them done well instead of the time it takes we will be happier with the results in the end. If we rush we may miss subtle clues that can bring us greater success. Doing our best requires our attention. Trying to hurry may get us to the end faster but it probably won’t improve the result. Whatever we’re doing is worth doing well. We can do our best at every step and when we get to the goal we’ll be happy and satisfied with our accomplishment.

Today if you’ve been trying to accomplish something and haven’t succeeded, it is still there for you. Adjust your path and try another road. You don’t have to hurry and the goal is within reach. There is nothing that will stop you from getting there. You have everything you need to succeed. Try again. You’re already on the way and success is just around the corner.

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Unsung

19 Aug

As we go through our days we have limitless choices to make.  Every day brings a new challenge or question to answer.  If we want to be our best we try to make each decision well.  We try to keep our feet on the road we want to travel and get closer to the person we want to become.  Sometimes people notice our good works but often they just get lost in the shuffle of everyday living.  If we make a good decision that requires us to sacrifice something we may feel others should acknowledge it.  Perhaps we feel we should receive some kind of praise because we chose well.  But we don’t make good choices for the acclaim they bring.  We make them because they are the best decisions we can make going forward.  We will find great satisfaction by choosing well and oftentimes prevent complications and problems doing so.  We don’t need the praise or adoration of others because we were wise.  Being wise will bring us enough reward.  We will be content in our lives by choosing the best roads possible and feel good knowing we are doing our best.  Although the praise of others feels good it is not required or needed.

Some decisions we face may have attractive options that won’t take us where we want to go.  It can be hard to turn away from a quick fix or a poor choice that will bring us benefits we desire.  But temporary solutions generally bring only momentary happiness and often result in endless complications.  If we’re tired or frustrated and want to move forward quickly we may opt for them, but in the end may find the harder more effective decision was wiser.  We don’t need immediate gratification to find happiness.  We can carefully plan for all possible outcomes and choose the very best option even if it takes more time and is more difficult.  We are what we do.  If we want to be the very best we can be we must make the very best choices.

Some people need a lot of attention.  They want praise every time they do something right, and recognition when they accomplish a difficult task.  Oftentimes that need for attention comes from a lack of confidence.  We can be confident by choosing well.  The need for approval and acknowledgement may influence us into making decisions that aren’t the best choice going forward.  If what we’re seeking isn’t long term success but immediate praise, we may choose options that are quick and flashy but have no lasting success.  We don’t need the agreement of others to choose well.  We can make the best choices even if we stand alone.  We are smart enough, capable enough and wise enough to find the best answers and we are strong enough to choose them.  There isn’t anything we can’t understand and master if we want to badly enough.  We don’t need adoration to choose well.  We can make the best choices and succeed because it’s what we want most to do.

Today if you’re facing a decision choose the path that takes you closer to the person you want to be.  There is greatness in you.  Show the world who you really are by choosing well.  You have so much to offer and we all need your influence.  Choose wisely and success will follow.

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Dealing

9 Aug

There are times in everyone’s life when things go wrong. There will be situations we can’t prevent and events we don’t want to endure. We have little control over what comes to us and no control over the decisions of others. Sometimes things will not be where we want them and there will be nothing we can do to change them. When that happens we have to cope with where we are and what’s going on. We have to deal with the situation as it is. It’s not easy to navigate times like these and we may feel frustrated, angry or sad. But if we really can’t change things we must accept them and walk through them as they are. Disappointments come and when they do we can keep moving forward. We are successful when we cope with difficult times and patiently work through them until they change. We can learn all we can as we go, and effectively navigate our course to the other side.

Learning to deal with disappointment and sorrow takes time. If we are stunned by something that’s happened unexpectedly we may lose our way for a moment. We may need some time to catch our breath and process what’s happened. If our foundation has been rocked, it may be hard to find our footing at first. But no matter what happens if we take our time to think about the situation and look at it objectively we will find our way through it and back to solid ground. We can deal and cope until things change.

Sometimes we think we could never go through certain experiences in life. We don’t feel we could survive extreme disappointments or sorrow, and can’t even think about them. But life continues on and even when we think we can’t go another minute, we do. Even when we think we’ve been overcome, we thrive. We wake up another day and find our way. We are resilient and steady in our ability to cope. If the wind is knocked out of us, we can catch our breath. If we are pushed down, we can get back up. If we are stunned, we can refocus. We can bounce back from anything that shakes us, and we can endure far more than we believe. There is no sorrow or disappointment strong enough or invasive enough to destroy us. We are capable of handling anything that comes and overcome it. We can take whatever time we need to find our way. No matter what happens, we will survive. And we will take the lessons learned and the strength we gained forward with us.

Today if you’re dealing with a difficult situation you cannot change, and you feel angry or upset, keep walking forward. You can handle anything that comes to you. You are strong and resilient and perfectly capable of managing this. You are getting braver and learning more each moment. Keep your eyes on the future. This will pass. Happiness is just around the corner.

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Failing With Glory

3 Aug

Sometimes our plans don’t work out and what we want to do fails.  Even if we do everything right and follow through effectively, there will be times when things go wrong and we don’t succeed.  There are thousands of reasons why it happens.  Maybe the influence of others involved stopped our progress.  Maybe the timing was wrong.  Maybe the idea was great but not a good fit.  We might see clearly at the end why things didn’t work out or we might never understand how we failed.  Failure is something we all experience from time to time.  We never plan on it and hope we don’t face it but we probably won’t succeed every time we try something.  Even if our plans fail, there is glory in doing our best.  If we did all we could, even if we fail we are magnified.  We can fail with glory if we were honorable and diligent in the struggle.  Failure doesn’t mean we can’t succeed, but an indication we need to change direction.  Despite the disappointment, we can learn from the experience, feel good about what we did accomplish, and move forward confidently.

Sometimes after we’ve failed at something we may see the new road we’re on is better than if we had succeeded.  We can’t see the future and when we’re striving to accomplish something we really don’t know exactly how it will look in the end.  We try to plan and prepare but there will always be unexpected developments and things we can’t see.  If we fail and it turns out the failure created a better situation than we would have had otherwise we feel happy.  It’s nice when things work out despite our plans falling through.  But we can feel happy even if the road we end up on isn’t better.  The glory is in the doing.  If we’ve done our best, we’ve learned new things and are wiser for the experience.  The end result isn’t where we grow.  Growth comes as we work toward the goal.  Not reaching it is disappointing but we can still be happy with what we learn and accomplish on the way.

They say, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  There is no limit to the number of times we can try to accomplish something.  We can get more information or find another way to get to the goal and try again.  If that doesn’t work we can try another way.  We can pursue anything for as long as we like and we may find success or we may be continually daunted.  If we try several times and can’t reach a goal we may set it aside and work on other things.  Sometimes timing is an issue and we need to wait for our lives or the situation to change before we can find success.  And there may be times when success isn’t possible and we have to change our plans.  We can let it go and move forward in another direction.  We can fail with glory, be happy with what we accomplished, and move forward.

Today if you’re facing failure for something you’ve worked hard on be happy with what you’ve done.  You’ve learned a lot and although the goal was not achieved, you know more now than you did before.  Go forward with confidence.  You will accomplish many great things.  Be brave.  Success will come again.

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Climbing

26 Jul

Every experience we have in our lives teaches us something. Every time we try to reach a new destination or goal we stretch in new ways and learn new things. When we have our eyes focused on where we want to be and are striving for it, sometimes all we can think about is how great it will be when we get there. It’s nice to reach the summit and we feel great when we succeed, but the goal itself isn’t what teaches us. All the work and all the benefit come from the climb to get there. As we take each step up a little further, and push ourselves to continue despite hardship and struggle, we become stronger and wiser. The rocks in our way, the detours that confound us and the missed turns that make us go back and start again are the blessings in the journey. We sometimes forget that and think the blessing lies in reaching the goal. It’s great when we succeed but once we’ve arrived at the destination, the growth we gained to reach it is what makes us who we are. The determination it takes on the road that gets us there is what defines and shapes us. If we can remember that when the road is long or difficult it will help us hold onto our confidence as we push forward.

If we want to be limber and flexible, we stretch our muscles. We pull on them in different ways to enable them to become nimbler and loose. As we do, we develop the ability to reach further and bend deeper. When we feel stiff or sore, stretching helps us loosen up and relax. Just like our muscles, when we stretch what we can do and where we want to go, we are able to reach further and attain more. We learn with every step forward as we loosen up and find our way. If we stay in the same place and don’t try anything new, our lives may become stagnate and stiff. Sameness may be comfortable in its predictability but it can’t teach us anything new. We can reach for something different and try for another challenge. When we stretch our abilities we’ll become more flexible as we learn new patterns and experience new roads. This life is filled with opportunity. If we keep moving forward and learn as much as possible our lives will be rich and filled with growth. We can become anything we set our minds on and we can do anything we want to do.

Sometimes when we reach for new things we encounter difficulty and confusion as we try to find our way. If something stops us, we can back up and try another route. If we are challenged, we can learn to solve new problems and find the way forward. There are few things we can’t accomplish if we want to. If we stop at the first roadblock and decide it’s not worth the trouble, we can return to things as they were and stay the same. We can have mediocre lives if we want them. They are easy to achieve and take little effort. But if we really want true happiness and success, we can try harder and push further to reach it. We are capable of doing anything. There isn’t anything too hard for us. We can fill our lives with incredible experiences and new horizons, and be fulfilled and happy.

Today if you’re thinking about trying something new but aren’t sure, you can do it. You can reach any goal you set your mind to. Climb a little further. And then do it again. You have everything you need to do anything you want. There is nothing you can’t achieve.

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