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Big Shoulders

22 Jun

As we go through our lives trouble comes to all of us.  We have the regular aggravations that crop up and there are always some sort of complications as we try to do things.  Sometimes we encounter serious problems that are difficult to navigate and if we have more than one to deal with at once, we can feel beset.  They say that in every life a little rain must fall, but if we’re in a deluge of trouble and struggling to get through, it can be very uncomfortable to navigate.  There is a limitless variety of problems we may encounter.  If we have all the skills we need to solve them we get through them more easily than when we are caught unaware and unprepared.  We can’t read the future and can’t be prepared for everything that comes to us but we can be confident that no matter what it is, no matter how hard it is to overcome, or how complicated it becomes we can find a way through.  Nothing will come to us that we can’t figure out.  It might take some time, and we may feel daunted and confused for a while but we will find our way.  If we are confident and calm there isn’t anything we can’t face.

Sometimes we can sense when problems are going to happen.  Perhaps we notice changes that point to complications coming our way.  Maybe we can try to head them off at the pass and solve the situation before it gets too big.  But sometimes we can’t do anything to stop the issue and have to navigate it when it arrives.  There will almost certainly be other people involved when we face difficult issues and although we may have our ideas about how to go about resolving them, their influence and impact may be significant.  If we can’t agree on how to correct the situation it will take longer to let it go.  But we can be patient and clearly give our opinions and advice.  We may have to compromise our plans but when we find a workable answer everyone can agree on we can move forward.

When we have very difficult personal problems it can be hard to navigate the other arenas of our lives.  If what we’re going through is so painful that we can’t concentrate, finding the solution won’t wait.  Our lives are important and our happiness depends our ability to navigate and resolve whatever is holding us back.  Sometimes we may need to reach out for professional help and we can do that.  Or we might want the advice and counsel of a trusted friend.  We don’t have to face anything alone and if we want help, we can find it.  No matter what comes, there isn’t anything we can’t do and nothing we can’t manage.  We are capable of facing even the most difficult of trials, and our shoulders are big enough to carry them.

Today if you’re going through a difficult situation and feel beset by the problem, remember there isn’t anything you can’t do.  You can get help if you need it.  You will find the answers you’re seeking and you will resolve the issue.  You are stronger than you know.  Be confident.  Be brave.  You will prevail.

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Not There

20 Jun

When we look at our lives and who we are it’s easy to compare ourselves against others and expectations we haven’t yet achieved.  We can believe we’re not smart enough, not rich enough, and not successful enough, not wise enough and a thousand other things.  Maybe our careers haven’t gone quite the way we thought they would or we haven’t moved as far down the road as we hoped.  Perhaps choices we made didn’t turn out exactly the way we planned or maybe we’ve gotten stuck.  If we focus on all the things we haven’t yet done and all the achievements we haven’t yet conquered we may lose sight of everything we’ve already accomplished.  No matter where we are right now we’re further down the road than we were before.  We’ve achieved a lot already and there is no end to the road.  It will always be a journey and we will always be pushing forward through it.  Success with one goal leads to setting the next one.  It’s important to honor what we’ve learned so far and celebrate our lives where we are right now.  Perhaps we aren’t quite there yet, where we want to be, but we’re on our way.
As we continue striving we can cherish the growth we’ve already achieved.

Comparing ourselves to others is a risky game.  There will always be those who have accomplished more than we have, who are more secure, thinner, wealthier, more successful and all the rest.  Their experiences are unique to them and there is no way to compare what we’re living to the choices and opportunities they have.  We have no idea what they’ve been through or how they got to where they are.  We only see what is on the outside and visible, and there is no way to gauge if their situation really is better than ours or not.  It may look better but looks are often deceiving.  It’s fine to admire what someone else has done, and if it’s something we want to do we can hope and work for the same thing.  But comparing ourselves and our achievements against theirs won’t help us get to where we want to be.

While we’re working on a goal and we’re focused on achieving it complications will probably arise and we may be daunted as we try to move forward.  When that happens, we may forget all the wonderful things we’ve already accomplished.  Although it’s good to push ourselves, we can acknowledge that we have done amazing things already.  We are already accomplished in so many ways.  As we push forward we can remember how much we’ve already achieved and how far we’ve already traveled.  We are worth so much just as we are.  We are a gift to the world and those around us.  As we strive to be more, do more, gain more, and find more, we can remember we already are more and find the confidence to continue forward.

Today if you feel you haven’t done enough and see all the things you aren’t that you want to be and haven’t yet achieved, remember all the things you’ve already accomplished.  You have come so far already.  You have so much to offer and your gift to the world is priceless.  Keep pushing forward but don’t forget how wonderful you are today.

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Cherry Picking

10 Jun

A big cherry tree covered with fat, red, glossy cherries is a lovely sight to behold. When it’s time to pick them, the tree may be heavy laden and its branches sagging under the weight of the delectable fruit. As we pick them, we might marvel at the natural beauty of each cherry and like a treasure hunt we look for the very best fruit to pick. When we look at all the talents and gifts we possess it’s like the cherry tree burgeoning with fruit. Each gift we possess is a beautiful piece that will bring pleasure and gratitude when we share it. We all have a lot to offer and the variety of our gifts is endless. But if we hold them close, never letting them shine, they may wither and die. Giving of ourselves to those around us, sharing our talents with them and offering our time to serve and help makes the most of our fruit and allows us to grow. The more we give, the more we get in return. Our lives are blessed and bountiful when we are open and share the gifts we have with those around us.

This life brings countless opportunities to learn and grow. We can shut ourselves off and live small, enclosed lives that keep us isolated and apart. We can live our lives alone and make all our decisions based solely on our personal wants and needs. If we do we may find contentment in control over our experiences but we will be restricted from those around us and their influence. Everyone has something of value to share and we learn from every person we allow into our lives. If we keep ourselves separate and alone, we cannot benefit from the growth available to us by sharing our lives with others. And if we don’t share our gifts the world cannot be embellished by our presence. Our gifts are unique to us and we are the only ones who can offer them. If we refuse, the light they could bring will never be seen.

Sharing our gifts with others takes confidence. We must believe they are worthwhile and have value. Everyone has something wonderful and unique that nobody else possesses. We can allow others to see our special gifts and be magnified by them. We have our own perspective and an exclusive viewpoint that nobody else possesses. If we offer that and expose the world to our personal characteristics, we add new flavor and dimension to those around us. The world will be greater and more beautiful than if we keep it to ourselves. Just like those beautiful cherries on the tree, we can offer something wonderful and unique that will bring pleasure and joy to those around us.

Today if you’ve been holding back your unique thoughts and perspectives, let them shine through and share them with others. You have so much to offer. Don’t just be a tree in a forest of other trees. Be a cherry tree filled with bright red fruit ready to give. We all want to know you. Tell us who you are and show us your personal gifts. We will all benefit when you do.

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Detours

8 Jun

When we have goals we want to achieve and we’re focusing on them we may make a lot of progress going forward.  Everything may move along as planned but then something happens that stops us.  Maybe it’s an unexpected change in plans or a decision we make that takes us off the road for a time.  For instance, if we’re trying to lose weight and we’re doing well and happy with our progress we may have a setback if someone bakes us a delicious chocolate cake.  If we love chocolate cake we may decide we’ll have only one small piece but it was so good we have another, and then another.  Or if we’re trying to manage our time more effectively and are having success with getting things done as planned but then there’s a movie marathon we don’t want to miss.  It completely ruins our schedule as we spend hours and hours enjoying all the films.  These are just detours and taking a detour off the road we’ve chosen doesn’t mean we’ve forsaken the journey.  It’s just a momentary pause.  We can choose anything we want any time we want and sometimes our choices take us from our long range goals.  There is nothing wrong with stepping off the path we’ve set, and if we want to find success we can step back on it again.

We can set our standards so rigidly that if we waiver from the course we’ve designed we may feel defeated and convinced we can’t succeed.  Of course that isn’t true.  We can do anything we want to do.  There is plenty of time to redirect our course and get back on the road we most want to travel.  Stepping off and taking a detour doesn’t end the journey.  The road is still there waiting for us to return.  If we really want to accomplish the task, and if we really want the change in our lives we can find our way back to it and begin again.  There is no hard line in the sand.  We can step off the path and step right back onto it again when we’re ready.

We face detours regularly in our lives.  Things come up that distract us, people and events capture our attention, and life happens.  It’s impossible to set a course and stay on it perfectly every moment of every day.  We can decide on our goals and make a plan and if things happen that confound it we can work around them.  There are few straight lines in life.  Most of the time we get from point to point by going a little here and a little there.  It doesn’t matter how we get there and unless there is some time constraint it doesn’t matter how long it takes.  The important thing is to decide what we want, and then move toward it.  There will be detours from time to time and we can manage them as they come.  We can take as long as we need to return to where we were and start again.  The journey can continue any time we’re ready.  There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish.  We can be confident that no matter what comes we will manage it.  We are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to.

Today if you’ve been derailed from a plan you’ve set for yourself you can get back on course again.  Decide how you want to go forward and start again.  You’ve come so far already.  Nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.  You have everything you need to succeed.  Step back on the path and start again.

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Too Much

7 Jun

There are times in everyone’s life when we want something new. Maybe we want to learn a new skill, get more education, move up in our careers, or try something completely different. When we’re thinking about a change and all that it will entail to make it happen we can sometimes think we can’t do it. Or we might think we aren’t worthy of the growth, or we may even think we don’t deserve it. There is a lot to experience in this life but we can only have the experiences we’re willing to try. If we don’t believe we can do something, odds are we won’t do it. If we don’t think we can manage the challenge, we may not even try. But we can do anything we want to do. There isn’t anything out of reach if we want it badly enough. And we all deserve everything we want in our lives. We don’t have to be perfect, we don’t have to get approval, and we don’t have to wait. We can have anything we want as soon as we’re ready to do what it takes to get it. There is nothing that is too much for us. We can climb mountains, learn to fly, get an advanced degree, open a new business, or just take one day a week off. It’s all up to us. We don’t need the support of everyone around us. All we need to do is decide. And then go for it.

Some people like routines and keeping things the same. There is security in knowing what to expect each day, and that security is important to some. But the problem with keeping everything the same is that nothing changes. And when nothing changes we can’t grow. If we want a life that’s fulfilling and challenging, we have to be willing to try new things. Getting out of our comfort zones isn’t always easy. They’re called comfort zones because we’re comfortable in them. If we step away from them and do something new it may open up a whole new arena in our lives. We can’t know what’s outside if we stay indoors all the time. There are limitless experiences waiting for us but we have to be willing to let them in.

We may not always get support from those around us when we decide to change our lives. They may say we’re too young or too old, it’s too hard, they don’t want us to change because they like things the way they are, or a thousand others reasons. If they try to keep us the same it just means they don’t want to change. They may certainly keep their lives any way they want them and that has no bearing on our decisions. Everyone can choose the type of life they want. If we want to, we can embrace all our dreams and forge ahead to make them come true. We are the only ones who can make our dreams a reality. There are no fairy godmothers coming to grant our wishes and there is no magic spell that will make them come true. We can do it ourselves. There is no dream that’s too big, no change that’s too much, and no future we can’t create. We have everything we need to have the kind of life we want.

Today if you’ve been dreaming of a life different than the one you’ve been living, change your course. Set out on a path that will make your dreams come true. You can do anything. There is nothing strong enough to keep you from moving forward. You deserve everything you want and you can get it. Open all the doors and push through. The destination is waiting for you.

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